January 2024

January 26th - Private Aurora Chase

Guests / Country: 5 guests from China.
Weather Tromsø: Clear.
Destination / weather: Dåfjord / clear / incoming clouds.
Aurora activity: 4/10.
Aurora show: Several ribbons low on the north sky, and then a climbing tower, curls and spikes. Little moving.
Tour km: 140.
Tour hrs: 5,5.
Wildlife: One moose, very close.

With a incoming cloud front from the south it was only one thing to do; head far north as we could, so we headed to the NW side of Ringvassøya island.

On our way out we met a moose, so we got a short moment of "close up" Moose Safari, when it was eating from the trees only 2 meter from the road and the bus. Got some lovely videos; Pleae view them on GuideGunnar`s FB and Insta.

When we contiuned it begin to come little Aurora so many of the other buses stopped, but I decided to just contiune, so we could reach the best location for the chase in Dåfjord, and we got it.

Had to wait little for the next show, but patience is king ;)

My guests was happy for what they had seen, so we returned super early at 10.15 pm, but then also the clouds arrived in the north, so good timing.

January 25th

Guests / Country: 14 guests from Peru, India, Australia, Lithuania, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Hong Kong and USA (9 countries).
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Sommarøy / cloudy / part clear / clear.
Aurora activity: 7/10.
Aurora show: All over and little towards south. Spikes and curls, and several times dancing curtains in three colors, visible for the naked eyes. And a small corona in a few seconds.
Tour km: 105.
Tour hrs: 7.
Wildlife: Two reindeers.

Tonight we trusted the weather forecast, and it was right. Thanks for that.

I was thinking about to drive far east, but I change my mind when I saw it was a hope for clear sky on the coast 60 km west of the city, so I choose to gamble and teached my guests all about patience, since it was totally overcast when we arrived.

But, it was building up a clear weather front in SW over Senja island, and it got larger and larger, and exactly when Lady Aurora begin her show the clouds disappear. Such a beautiful timing ;)

January 22nd

Guests / Country: 15 guests from Peru, Philippines, Belarus, India, China, Italy, UK and USA.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Sørkjosleira / Balsfjord / cloudy / holes in clouds / part clear.
Aurora activity: 3/10.
Aurora show: Several ribbons across, spikes, and 1 sec pink dancing.
Tour km: 260.
Tour hrs: 7.
Wildlife: 10 reindeers in middle of the road.

An new weather tricky evening ... the weather forecast was actually so impossible, so I was planned to give my special offer, before we started the chase; Full refund or join the next available night ...

But, when I met the guests it was an so happy and positive guest from the Philippines, which changed my mind ... nothing better to start the chase with that happy feeling in your body ;)

So, we headed south where one of the sky cameras showed partly clear sky, but after only 80 km the clouds begin to break up ... did several stops and checked the holes, but all was in wrong direction ... mostly towards east, and we need them towards west, north and straight up.

After a toilet stop 120 km south, I heard from my colleagues who was behind us, only 35 and 60 km south of the city, that the holes we passed earlier had begin to be larger and was in the right direction ... and then they begin to see little Aurora.

So, we headed back north and got the best one when it started, but the clouds changed a lot ... so, for a while I was not sure which direction we should drive ...

At the end I just decided to stop along the main road and hope for the best ... set camp fire and relaxed and shot some more pics of the Northern Lights ... between the clouds ...

January 21st

Partly clear sky over the forest and street light

Guests / Country: 12 guests from Italy, Austria, UK, China and USA.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Andslimoen / Aursfjorden / cloudy / holes in clouds.
Aurora activity: 0/10.
Aurora show: Too cloudy!
Tour km: 255.
Tour hrs: 5,5.
Wildlife: One moose.

29 mins from success ...

We found a larger clear hole 120 km south of the city, and after observing it for a while for see what happens, the forecasted weather front begin to build up on the south sky ... so, we followed the hole towards north west ...

But, after 30 km driving we lost it ... and 29 mins later The Lady begin to dance ... that`s pity ...

After a short break out somewhere, I chatted little with my colleagues who didn`t had success either ... so, we all decided to end the chase and return to the city, since it was no more chance of any opening in the overcast which cover all over.

January 20th

Guests / Country: 6 guests from Italiy, Austria and USA.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / snow.
Destination / weather: Galggogobba (Finnish border) / clear.
Aurora activity: 4/10.
Aurora show: A short and intensive show, curtains, spikes and curls. Little dancing.
Tour km: 305.
Tour hrs: 7.

Was planned to drive far inside Finland for the best clear sky, but 2 km before the border it was more than enough ...

The Lady was very active tonight, but just in a very short period.

January 18th

Guests / Country: 15 guests from Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and USA.
Weather Tromsø: Clear.
Destination / weather: Grøtfjord / clear.
Aurora activity: 9/10.
Aurora show: All over and far south, curtains, spikes and curls. And a intense show Rock`n`Roll with 3 colors dancing in three colors, visible for the naked eyes.
Tour km: 75.
Tour hrs: 5.

Clear sky all over tonight so I made it short and easy and drove 35 km west of the city to Grøtfjord where the landscape is most dramatic on the Kvaløya island.

I didn`t expected too much of the Lady tonight since the activity was low; both the solar storm speed and the density, so we got an beautiful surprise ... where it came from I have no clue about ... but, my guests got really what they came for.

Since they got that lovely show it was no need to stay outside too long, so we was back in the city early, at 11 pm.

January 17th - GG partner´ Aurora Chase

Guests / Country: 16 guests from China, Brasil, Australia, Poland, Italy and UK.
Weather Tromsø: Clear.
Destination / weather: Balsfjord / clear.
Aurora activity: 2/10.
Aurora show: Just a couple of faint stripes all evening.
Tour km: 230.
Tour hrs: 7.

The plan was initially the coast, but according to the weather report there was going to be a lot of wind, so we headed south, and stopped at Sagelvatnet lake when we saw a faint light in what we were going to pass.

After a couple of hours the guests had become cold so we jumped on the bus and drove to Tennes, so they could warm up a bit while we waited for more activity.

The activity picked up a bit, but nothing to shout hurray for.

January 15th - GG partner´ Aurora Chase

Guests / Country: 16 guests from India, Brasil and USA.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Signaldalen valley / clear.
Aurora activity: 8/10.
Aurora show: All over and far south, curtains, spikes and curls. Dancing in a couple of colors, visible for the naked eyes.
Tour km: 200.
Tour hrs: 6.

Today the sky was clear in most places, and especially on the coast, so I decided to avoid a rush of cars and buses, and drove in the opposite direction, hoping to be left alone for a bit.

We made a quick stop in Nordkjosbotn before driving to Signaldalen valley. We had barely arrived before the northern lights began to appear. It gradually got stronger and stronger and we got some great shows in the end!

It was lovely after 3 nights with very little light.

January 14th - GG partner´ Aurora Chase

Guests / Country: 16 guests from Germany, Croatia, South Korea, Brasil and USA.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Målselv Ski resort / Dividalen valley / clear.
Aurora activity: 2/10.
Aurora show: A couple of faint stripes on the north sky only.
Tour km: 350.
Tour hrs: 8,5.

Drove from snowy weather in Tromsø towards Målselv. We first stopped at Cirkel K in Nordkjosbotn and refueled the bus and people before we set off for Fjellandsbyen.

There it was clear to the east, but the clouds came towards us quite quickly. We continued to Rundhaug. There it was also 100% clear, so we stopped for 15-20 minutes before clouds came towards us there too. Then we drove to Dividalen.

There it was also clear in all directions, and we hadn't been there more than 10 minutes before the northern lights appeared.
The northern lights were very weak, but you managed to see them with your eyes. There was some movement in the northern lights before it stopped and was only a stripe on the horizon.

We set up camp, and after a couple of hours there were some clouds, so we drove all the way in until the road stopped. We waited there for about 45 minutes, but without any more aurora activity.

January 12th - GG partner´ Aurora Chase

Guests / Country: 22 guests from Germany, Australia, Mexico, Chile, Brasil and USA.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Skibotndalen valley / part clear.
Aurora activity: 3/10.
Aurora show: A couple of ribbons across and some spikes. Two colors on camera.
Tour km: 350.
Tour hrs: 7,5.

Drove from Tromsø with the goal of Skibotn, east of the Lyngen Alps. When we arrived it was 100% overcast, so we decided to try to drive up to the Finnish border. When we got there it started to clear up towards Skibotn, so we turned around.

When we got down to Lullefjellet down in the valley it cleared completely above us, so we found a place where we set up camp. When the Northern Lights announced their arrival, the evening was complete!

January 11th

Guests / Country: 12 guests from Germany, China and USA.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / heavy snowing.
Destination / weather: Skogsfjordelva river / Hansnes / cloudy / heavy snow / part clear.
Aurora activity: 0/10.
Aurora show: Too cloudy / no activity, when we finally got clear sky ...
Tour km: 185.
Tour hrs: 7,5.
Wildlife: One moose and one reindeer.

Tonight the weather was too bad, so I gave my guests a couple of offers; Full refund, postpone your chase to tomorrow or just join me and hope for the best ...

A family on 3 postponed, and 12 still liked to follow me out ... so, there we headed out in the snowstorm towards my own island north of Tromsø, to Skogsfjordvatnet lake, the largest lake on a island and set camp in a shelter by the river so I could keep my guests dry and outdoor ...

Along the roads we met also a moose and a reindeer.

After 2,5 hours relaxing in the shelter with a nice warm and huge fire where I also served hot drinks and sweet snacks, I decided to move to an another locations ... I didn`t thought we should see so much, but it looks like the weather forecast was partly true; it begin to clear up, so it was lovely to get a view to the stars ...

But, tonight`s Aurora activity was around 10 pm, and when we was waiting under the partly clear sky there was only a glow of Aurora left ... on our way back to the city, the sky got even more clear, but still no more activity ...

January 10th

Guests / Country: 15 guests from Lithuania, Poland, China, UK and USA.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / snow.
Destination / weather: Laksvatn / Lakselvbukt / cloudy / snow / part clear.
Aurora activity: 6/10.
Aurora show: All over and further south, curtains, spikes and curls. Little dancing.
Tour km: 185.
Tour hrs: 6,5.
Space show: One green and very bright fireball crossing all over the sky.

I was thinking about to drive far inside Finland, but when we did a stop at the gas station in Nordkjosbotn, 70 km south, I had a quick chat with my Estonian colleague Markus in Greenlander - which is the best Aurora Guide who read the local microclimate weather conditons perfeclty, and he mention that he wondering to back track 30 km ...

The weather forecast was tricky ... again ... since they also forecasted partly clear on the coast in periods in different locations, but I didn`t took the chance to stay there ...

My guests and I was very glad of the tips of Markus, so we followed him and did a backtrack ... some stars got visible and then I had to stop before Laksvatn where it was partly clear, and little Aurora between the clouds ... and then more and more ...

When The Lady took a break I decided to continue to the final destionation, but then we drove straight into a light snowstorm ... I decided to wait and see what happens ... and then I got in message from the coast; 85% clear (!), and close to the border (90% clear), and then finally a new message from Markus (85% clear) ...

Since he was in our area we headed towards him, but I know there`s not many places to park in that mountain area, so I decided to stop at one of my last "secret locations" where it was only 40-60% clear, but the sky was full of Aurora, so I just had to stop, and my guests got happy of what they got, so that make me happy too ;)

For the return, only 60 km back to the city ... instead of 220 km from far inside Finland ... Thank you again, Marcus ;)

January 9th

Guests / Country: 15 guests from Italy, Germany, Singapore and USA.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / rain.
Destination / weather: Skibotndalen valley / clear / haze / part clear.
Aurora activity: 2/10.
Aurora show: Just an faint ark low on the north sky, some spikes, and two colors on camera.
Tour km: 275.
Tour hrs: 7,5.

January 6th

Guests / Country: 14 guests from Switzerland, China and USA.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / snow.
Destination / weather: Skibotndalen valley / part clear / clear / haze.
Aurora activity: 5/10.
Aurora show: Several ribbons across the sky, curtains, spikes and curls. Little dancing.
Tour km: 255.
Tour hrs: 7,5.

I was thinking about Finland where the sky was 100% clear and minus 15 degrees celcius, but when we came to Skibotndalen valley east of the Lyngen Alps and 35 km before the border, the sky was okey clear (80%), so I gamble little and hope it should stay like this ... but, the clouds came and left a couple of times ...

After a week with really freezing temperatures it was lovely to have all my guests outdoors all night in lovely 2+ degrees ;)

I didn`t thought we should see so much Aurora tonight, since the solar speed was low (310 km/s) and denisity was low too, only 1, but we know very well that Lady Aurora is a tricky Lady, so she surprised me and us again with little dancing in two colors ... and then we got some spikes above whick looks like a small corona ...

Such a lovely group of guests ... so, thank you for your lovely company out with me ;)

January 4th - GG partner` Aurora Chase

Guests / Country: 16 guests from Uzbekistan, South Africa, France, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, China and UK.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Breivikeidet / Laksvatn / Signaldalen / part clear / clear.
Aurora activity: 4/10.
Aurora show: Several ribbons across the sky, spikes, curls and curtains. Little dancing.
Tour km: 200.
Tour hrs: 6,5.

The first plan was Breivikeidet where it was clear and there would be aurora activity quite early, but when we got there, there were quite a few clouds to the north.

There were still no auroras to be seen, so I decided to try Laksvatn, a few miles further south, but there were also quite a few clouds, so we continued east.

When we got up to Oteren we saw the Northern Lights start to roam the sky, so we drove towards the Lyngsalpene and found a place so we could make it to the first show.

After 45 minutes it started to fade, so we drove up to Signaldalen, where it was clear when we arrived but it got a bit cloudy later...

January 3rd

Guests / Country: 15 guests from Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, China and USA.
Weather Tromsø: Clear.
Destination / weather: Olavsvern / Lakselvbukt / clear.
Aurora activity: 8/10.
Aurora show: All over and far south, curtains, spikes and curls. Little dancing and bright red Auroras visible for the naked eyes.
Tour km: 145.
Tour hrs: 6.
Space show: Several nice and bright fireballs.

It`s freezing cold nights nowadays, so maybe I should gamble with the clouds out on the coast so we could relax in temperatures around 10 minus degrees, but I decided to do it safe and headed into the country side where we was fighting with the freezing cold temperatures 20-25 minus ... it was a cold experience yes.

So, at 11 pm I decided to return to the city, but we should stay longer since it was still a couple of Aurora ribbons far on the south sky, and 90% of the times it explode, which should give an even a much better Aurora show than what we got ...

And it`s happened, 15 mins past midnight, but then I was on the half round of the drop-off of my guests in the city ... you could easy understand it, when all tourists along the pavements in the city held theirs smart phones towards the sky ...

The question is; how good was it ? 10/10 maybe ...

January 2nd

Guests / Country: 13 guests from Germany, Switzerland, Brasil and China.
Weather Tromsø: Part clear.
Destination / weather: Malangen / Balsfjord / part clear / clear.
Aurora activity: 6/10.
Aurora show: Several ribbons across the sky, also towards south. Curtains, spikes and little moving. Two colors on camera.
Tour km: 220.
Tour hrs: 6,5.
Wildlife: Two reindeer and two moose.

First I did a mistake by driving straight into 100% overcast, since I missed out that it should come in clouds from the ocean, so my planned beach stay was canceled ... so after a fast return we had just found a magic place at a lighted up graveyard in lovely 20 minus, when Lady Aurora begin tonight`s show ...

Since it was an accident 10 km further south and the road info says the road should be closed to after 10 pm I decided to stay there little longer, so I made a camp fire for warming up my guests, which I also did with a warm bus since that cold temperatures make us all, include me, very cold ...

The activity was faided out before 10 pm, but our very good Aurora forecast says something more should come in around 11.30 pm, at the same time the clouds builded up more on the north sky, so we left and headed further south for having better sky conditions ...

We passed a minus 26 area where I was planned to stay ... then we did a Moose Safari and met two of them in middle of the road ... maybe the same two we saw for five nights ago in the same area ...

After a gas station stop for bathroom we did a new stop 60 km south of Tromsø, and as they forecasted it came little more Aurora at 11.35 pm, but it was just a small one ... so, we returned back to the city.

January 1st

Guests / Country: 15 guests from Indonesia, Macao, Italy and Germany.
Weather Tromsø: Clear.
Destination / weather: Finnvika / Skarsfjordfjellet mountain / Kattfjordeidet / clear.
Aurora activity: 8/10.
Aurora show: All over and far south, curtains, spikes and curls. Dancing in three colors visible for the naked eyes.
Tour km: 120.
Tour hrs: 6,5.
Wildlife: One moose.

Already before we left the city at 18.00 the whole sky was dancing of the Northern Lights, so it was just to do a fast drive out to the nearest place with darkness, a few km north of the airport.

After seen a great show we continued to a mountain pass 40 km north, where we even got a new great show.

I was planned to stay there to 11 pm and then end the chase for an early evening, but as I tell my guests; it`s not me who decide which time we return, but Lady Aurora ... so, when our very good Aurora forecast showed an new great drop, I couldn`t return ...

So, I left little earlier for a gas station stop for bathroom, before we headed back to the darkness SW of the city ... arrived 10 mins too late for get the beginning of the third lovely show of the evening, but we got still got enough pics and viewing so all guests was super happy ;)

It was great to see that the Lady finally was back again after a silence Christmas ...

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