Northern Lights 2017 in Lapland

[ArcticMatt]

I've just caught up with this post ... this sounds a really exciting idea, @Niborn. I love your pictures, and also yours, @ArcticMatt - makes me really jealous not to live in the far north !

I've spent a lot of time chasing the northern lights but I'm afraid a trip lasting 3-4 weeks in winter will have to wait until retirement for me. I'll be just about there by the next solar maximum ...

I flew to Tromso for a short trip four years ago and managed to see fantastic displays 3 nights out of 4, both in the Lyngen Alps and on organised tours from Tromso. Seeing a corona burst overhead and the lights fill the sky from horizon to horizon is a sight that I'll never forget. Magic Mountain Lodge is a great base, and the scenery in the Lyngen Alps is jaw-dropping (it's also one of 'the' places in Europe for the best ski mountaineering).

I've since managed to see the aurora many times from home in Scotland - including fast, flickering lights from my front doorstep (in spite of bright street lights) on Hogmanay 2015. They're not so impressive in Scotland but the thrill of 'the chase' is definitely still there. They're less frequent now that the peak has passed but I still saw them half a dozen times or so last year.

PS The grip on studded tyres is unbelievable - many roads are just sheer ice in mid-winter and anything less than studded tyres would be madness.

Brilliant Blog by the way

 

[Niborn]

We have plans in this direction (Norway in winter) and we have read somewhere that it should be possible to rent studded tyres in Norway for the duration of your stay. You leave your own tyres at the tyre shop, and have them placed back on when you return. E.g. take the ferry to Bergen, drive to a tyre shop, swap your tyres, and drive up North. Upon return to Bergen you go to the tyre shop, have them put your own tyres back on again, and you go on the ferry back. Looks ideal. But we have not been able to find any tyre rental companies that do that in Norway on line... We found some in Sweden, but not Norway.

Could you shed some light on this matter? Rental of studded tyres for the duration of one's stay? Or point to a tyre rental company who does this?

We could / or could we buy a set or two as a club / group and hire out at cost leaving them at a convenient pick up point ?

 

[Niborn]

Hi again ,

Just had the news that my Cali is due to arrive probably in June . This makes the Lapland trip a real possibility for me this year . I am beginning again to look at the route etc . A useful app , Camper Contact which is named Parkings can be downloaded full version for £5 , there are some great free motor home places, with free use of toilets in great viewing places I know , these look great . Tyres are still an issue , would like studded , especially by the coast where it might be more icy , however will probably settle for Bridgestone Blizzards or Nokian equivalents, these come close to stud performance due to little hard bits in the tyre compound which bite into the rubber , at least then they can be used in the whole of Europe and can drive there with them on .

I had some Cali experience as I hired one for a few months ( excellent experience from Kamper Hire / Mark ) and drove from Kent to the Isle of Skye, in February, ( to see how it performed in the most similar conditions I could get to west coast of Norway ) and try taking pictures of Northern Lights , with my dog with me . After that I drove down to the south west of France / Spanish border, to get an opposing experience and picked up my partner for a weeks trip on camping sites and then back to Southampton again to take the Cali back . That trip gave me a lot of lessons about how to cope on the big Northern Europe/ Lapland tour , however I'm sure travelling in a convoy will be very helpful and pleasurable in so many ways .

Not sure of exact dates yet but my inclination is to avoid deep winter . Lights start from September, the equinox is often a peak time . I'd be interested to know who might be able to join for all or part of a trip like this ... best wishes

PS nice little pictures from Isle of Skye this FEB . Shows lights well away on the Horizon and not at all like North Norway, but still a great thing to see and then a good site we found in France right on the coast .. pictures not in order sorry but what a contrast LOL