My week in the Arctic!

lil_coz

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Hey peeps!

Happy Easter to you all!

Just thought I'd post up what I've been up to. I've just come back from a week in Tromso. Its in North Norway and it actually falls into the Arctic Circle.

I've always wanted to see the Northern Lights and so organised a little holiday with a friend of mine and off we went! Tromso is a tiny little island thats probably 5-6 miles long and probably 3-4 miles wide. Now they call it 'Paris of the North'. Let me tell you, whoever called it that has never been to Paris! There wasnt really much to do the first few days there because all it did was snow! It didnt look as tho there was much to do anyway. Got to say that on our first day, there was a concert of some sort going on in town and that was pretty good. You had loads of people gathering round and it was quite nice.

Now the scenary was something else. Everywhere you looked it was white (obviously). Snow covered mountains and water all around us. Really did look amazing! We had to adapt our walking to stop falling over! We were taking baby steps and the locals were just powering around! Their town centre was just like any other town centre I suppse. Tromso host the most northern university, the most northern brewery, the most northern cathedral, and the most northern Burger King (oh yes lol). Because all it did was snow, there was no chance of seeing the lights without a clear sky so far.

On Wed we thought we'd book a husky sledge ride. We had a look at the weather and it said it would be a clear night so risked going for the night option. It took about an hour and a half to get there by car. We were taken well out of Tromso, into the mountains and valleys. Really were in the middle of nowhere! When we got there our huskys were ready. All out there barking and howling! Now we knew that it was going to be cold so we were all layered up. Wool, thermals, the lot! But even so we were given more clothes to wear! For those who are interested, it was at least -20 degrees! Now thats pretty ****** cold!!

When we turned up I thought we were going to sit in the sledge and be taken around. Oh how wrong I was! I was going to drive the sodding thing! I had my own team of dogs! After a 'brief' lesson on how to hold on for dear life, we were off! It was the hardest thing I've ever done! Was fun though! Deafinately an experience! When we started it was a crystal clear night. The only thing that was against us was a full moon. The night sky was well lit up.

2 hours in, I noticed a faint something across the sky. Looked like a light cloud so didnt pay much attention. Then we stopped and the instructor pointed up and said that the lights were just coming through! This really put a smile on my face! About an hour after that, the heavens really did smile down on us. You could see them getting stronger and brighter and slowly moving across the sky! Really was amazing! Everything was perfect that night. Having my own team of dogs sledging though mountains and valleys, crystal clear night sky with the stars and the moon, and the Northern Lights above us dancing away! That night is a night that I'll never ever forget! We'll forget the fact that I tipped the sledge over twice! lol

Sorry if this has gone on a bit but I've come back buzzing and wanted to share my experience!

Thanks for reading!

Coss :icon_thumright:
 
Sounds fab!!

A good friend of mine has just came back from being over there. They got really lucky and had some spectactular photographs of a night lit sky! I'm sooo jealous!

Did you not fancy any skiing / boarding whilst amongst all that powder?

Good stuff!

Rob :icon_thumright:
 
an old mate and myself many years back watched the "aurora borealis " as the lights are also called for around an hour up north here on findhorn beach. halfway between aberdeen and inverness, a sight i havent seen since, you have to witness once in your life, amazing.......................
 
Back in Sept I did a road trip with a few mates (Lands End to John O'groats) and when we went up there we heard some mutterings that the Auroras were seen a couple of nights before hand. Thats what actually made us go further north to have a better chance of seeing them! There is the odd occasion that they can be seen from the top of Scotland. But yea I agree, something that must be seen at least once.

When I got speaking to one of the locals in Tromso tho, I asked him if the Auroras to him were like rainbows are to us and his replay was "rainbows?!" He'd never seen one before!
 
Thanks for sharing that Coss,its interesting to hear of peoples holidays/trips.
That surely is a driving experiance and a half
 
That sounds amazing. Something I would love to witness and experience myself.
 
Thanks for sharing that Coss,its interesting to hear of peoples holidays/trips.
That surely is a driving experiance and a half

It deafinately was! The only difference between driving a sledge and a car is that you have full control of a car!


what no pics?????

Sounds great... its on my to-do-list.

Haven't had a chance to put the piccies on the computer yet but I'll pop on a few when I get round to it.
 
This sounds fantastic mate! Im a great one for the snow and love going up North Scotland in the winter, we got a holiday cottage in small village outside Aviemore weve been going to for like 25+yrs.
Seen good deals to lapland in December in travel agents recently, trying to talk the other half into it, but shes not up for that cold..lol..
Look forward seeing the photos. Sounds like you had a fantastic time..

Steve
 

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