August 2004. Just how far north can one go? Svalbard is the world's most readily accessible bit of the polar north and lies about 600 miles north off the northern tip of Norway and about 600 miles south from the North Pole. Svalbard means 'Cold Coast' and is popular because of its sheer beauty including vast ice floes, glaciers, and wildlife. Unfortunately, at this time of year, there aren't many ice floes, so polar bears are rather scarce. This is a blessing in disguise, however, as polar bears are known to be very ... (more)