January 2023

January 1st

• Guests / Country: 13 guests from China and Italy.
  
• Weather Tromsø: Part clear / snow in the air.
• Destination / weather: Oteren / Skibotndalen valley / part clear / clear.
• Aurora activity: 8/10.
• Aurora show: All over and dar south, lovely pink intense dancing. Curls, spikes and curtains.
• Tour km: 245.
• Tour hrs: 7.

Little tricky weather conditions, since it changed from worst to better ... on the coast also, so should we gamble with the coast, or head far east ... I decided to do the long one and headed for Finland, where the best weather forecast was.

On the way we stopped just east of the Lyngen Alps, and got little of the evenings three Pink dancing show between the clouds, and when we arrived Skibotn the sky was close to 100% clear, so no need to drive further.

And tonight I could really sell the silence, since we was the only one there ... one of my colleagues was little closer to the border, but 98% of Tromsø`s Aurora Guides went out on the coast, north of my home, so I guess it was quite crowdy out there ...

Talk about the silence ... I didn`t shoot so many pictures since I was filming the intense show with my iPhone 14 Pro Max, and what you can see and hear in the video on GuideGunnar`s Facebook page and on #guidegunnar Insta account; It was not silence out there ;)

January 4th

• Guests / Country: 14 guests from China, Taiwan, Australia, Germany and UK.
  
• Weather Tromsø: Clear.
• Destination / weather: Grøtfjord / Rekvikeidet / clear.
• Aurora activity: 0/10.
• Aurora show: No activity!
• Tour km: 105.
• Tour hrs: 6.

What a beautiful cold night out with my guests, so it was pity The Lady was so shy on the 100% clear sky, with only a faint stripe of a thin clouds which crossed the sky ... first it looks like an faint ribbons of Aurora, but not ...

January 6th

• Guests / Country: 14 guests from Germany, Poland, Australia and China.
• Weather Tromsø: Clear.
• Destination / weather: Dåfjord / Dåfjordeidet / clear.
• Aurora activity: 6/10.
• Aurora show: Several ribbons across the sky, curls and spikes. And a lovely 2-3 colors dancing curtains.
• Tour km: 140.
• Tour hrs: 7.
• Space show: 2 lovely long fireballs.
• Wildlife: 5 reindeers.

January 7th

• Guests / Country: 13 guests from Germany, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland and China.
• Weather Tromsø: Clear.
• Destination / weather: Skogsfjordvatnet lake / clear.
• Aurora activity: 4/10.
• Aurora show: Couple of ribbons across, spikes and curls.
• Tour km: 145.
• Tour hrs: 6.
• Wildlife: 1 reindeer and 1 moose.

The night before it was quiet in the beginning and good activity later ... and tonight it was the opposite ... and when the wind begin to make the environment out on the frozen lake much colder, then we returned back to the city ...

January 18th - 5 days Private Arctic Excurions package (Lyngen Alps)

• Guests / Country: 2 guests from Switzerland.
• Weather XLyngen: Haze / part clear.
• Destination / weather: XLyngen, Nord-Lenangen / haze / part clear.
• Aurora activity: 3/10.
• Aurora show: Couple of ribbons across the sky, some spikes.
• Tour km: 0.
• Tour hrs: 1,5.

If you like to join me for a 5 days Private Arctic Excurions package winter 2024, please add your info and send me an request today >>

My locations for your dream come through package with my knowledge and experience is Lofoten, Vesterålen, Senja, Tromsø region, Lyngen Alps, Alta, North Cape and the Sapmi District of Finnmark.

I planned my first package tour, an 10 days cycle trip in Finnmark, in 1998, and I did my first package tour in Rondane National Park, an 12 days hotel-to-hotel-ski tour over Christmas & New Year in 2004 (+2005, 06, 07).

In Northern Norway I have done several package tours all over, from Lofoten to Kirkenes the last 10 years.

January 19th - 5 days Private Arctic Excurions package (Lyngen Alps)

• Guests / Country: 2 guests from Switzerland.
• Weather Xlyngen: Part clear.
• Destination / weather: Trailhead Blåisvatnet lake / part clear / clear.
• Aurora activity: 6/10.
• Aurora show: Several ribbons across, spikes, curls and curtains. For a while very bright green visible for the naked eyes. Three colors on camera.
• Tour km: 45.
• Tour hrs: 3.
• Space show: Two really bright shooting stars.

January 20th - 5 days Private Arctic Excurions package (Senja)

Photo: Thomas Lippert, Switzerland

• Guests / Country: 2 guests from Switzerland.
• Weather Hamn, Senja: Part clear.
• Destination / weather: Hamn, Senja / part clear / clear.
• Aurora activity: 4/10.
• Aurora show: Curtains and some spikes. Two colors on camera.
• Tour km: 0.
• Tour hrs: 30 mins.

January 22nd - 5 days Private Arctic Excurions package (on the Tromsø return)

• Guests / Country: 2 guests from Switzerland.
• Weather Hamn, Senja: Cloudy / rain.
• Destination / weather: Takvatnet / Balsfjord / part clear.
• Aurora activity: 6/10.
• Aurora show: All over and towards south. Spikes, curls and curtains. Little pink dancing visible for the naked eyes.
• Tour km: 335.
• Tour hrs: 12 hours (!).
• Wildlife: 3 moose.

It went to be a very long day ... we left Senja in the morning and drove towards Polar Park for see the Arctic wild animals ...

It was forecasted an early Aurora show, so when we left Polar Park at 3 pm and we just took it very easy and slowly towards north and Tromsø, an distance on 180 km.

At Takvatn lake we stayed in little over one hour for waiting for the first show, since we had partly clear and dark sky ... but, the first forecated activity didn`t really showed up ... so we continued to Nordkjosbotn for a dinner break at Vollan Guesthouse.

At 18.30 the next show begins so we drove to a parking spot along the main road 12 km further north ... an location which got really crowdy since "all" Aurora buses from Tromsø stopped there ... so, at the end it was probably over 200 Aurora travelers there ... 5x 50 seats buses, 6x 16 seats minibuses and several 9 seats vans ...

When they continued towards east to Skibotn and Finland, then we got the space for ourself, and stayed there to 9 pm ... back in the city at 10 pm, but then tonight`s Aurora show was over ...so, I drove home for relaxing ...

January 25th

• Guests / Country: 14 guests from Norway, France, Italy, Malaysia and China.
• Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / rain.
• Destination / weather: Keinovuopio, Finland / part clear / cloudy / haze / clear.
• Aurora activity: 7/10.
• Aurora show: Several ribbons all over, spikes, curls. Two colors dancing curtains.
• Tour km: 370.
• Tour hrs: 8,5.

January 28th

• Guests / Country: 14 guests from Taiwan, China, Germany and UK.
• Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / rain.
• Destination / weather: Keinovuopio, Finland / part clear / overcast / haze.
• Aurora activity: 4/10.
• Aurora show: An huge curly ribbons all over the sky ... in 5 mins ...
• Tour km: 370.
• Tour hrs: 8.

For the first time during my 17 Aurora seasons I decide to change the start time of the chase from 18.30 to 17.00, simply cause the weather forecast showed an tick weather front should cover the sky from west to east very fast. So, for be in front of the weather we had to start earlier ...

The front was forecasted to be over Tromsø 18.00 - Finnish border 20.00 - and inside Finland 22.00, but the pity thing was the weather front was one hour earlier ...

First we got delayed from the city cause an late incoming whale boat with 20 mins ... and of course, I couldn`t leave 3 guests behind ... and then 5 km before the Finnish border, I lost the power on the bus engine ... for 2nd time this week ... After an restart it was working okey again ... but, I was not sure if it should last long enough ... so, I decided to gamble little, by knowing it was not sure if I could bring my guests back to the city with my own bus ...

At the Finnish border, 155 km east of Tromsø, the cloud front has passed us, but in the SE horizon it was still clear, so I drove +30 km inside Finland to Keinovuopio, where Lady Aurora suddenly started her forecasted show ... but, it last for only 5 mins, before the clouds cover it ...

That`s pity ... if I didn`t got the engine problem I should drive +40 km more, but I couldn`t take the chance to be too far inside with no another Aurora buses inside for me, just in case if the bus had stopped totally ... since we use eachother for bringing our guests home when some of us get bus problems ...

And, trust me; It`s happening, since we`re driving up to 50.000 km each season for give you clear sky for the best Aurora show, so we drive our buses hard ... last time I was stuck was on the Finnish border, and cause a very good cooperation with many another guides, all my guests had left the border within 30 minutes ... but, I had to wait 2,5 hours for the service truck ... it`s part od the game ;)

Later this night we got a small and short gap in the clouds with a glimpse of Lady Aurora, before it got totally overcast ... so, then we turned back home to the city ... and the bus run well all way back, but on Monday I need to figure out what this problem cause ... since it`s not funny at all ...

January 29th

• Guests / Country: 14 guests from Taiwan, China, Germany, Switzerland and UK.
• Weather Tromsø: Part clear.
• Destination / weather: Finnvika / Skulgammen / Kvaløysletta / Håkøybotn / Balsnes / part clear / cloudy / clear.
• Aurora activity: 6/10.
• Aurora show: Several ribbons across, curtains, spikes and curls. Then a short, but intense dancing show in two colors as a final show.
• Tour km: 120.
• Tour hrs: 6,5.

Cause of the unsure bus problems in Finland the night before I didn`t took the chance to do a chase far away, so it was great the weather forecast says better weather on the coast later ...


So, I decided to do an local chase around the city, and we was lucky since the sky was already clear when we drove out, but then it was no Aurora activity ... so, after a long time wait on one spot, 10 km north of the city, we went out for a Moose Safari on my island, 30 km north ...

Then south again to better clear sky ... and of course, the evening first show came when we did a bathroom stop at the gas station, 5 km west ... and there it was too cloudy ...

So, I drove "fast" ... 50 km zone, so it went slowly ;) and then we got part of the first show 15 km SW of the city at 10.10 pm ...

Then at the final stop, the two best show at 11 pm and at midnight, 30 km south.

Little stressful round trip and chasing for me, but most important; Happy guests ;)

January 30th

• Guests / Country: Aurora for myself ;)
• Weather Tromsø: Clear.
• Destination / weather: GuideGunnar`s Camp Aurora / clear / incoming haze.
• Aurora activity: 8/10.
• Aurora show: All over, curtains, spikes, curls and a really good three colors intense dancing with coronas.
• Tour km: 0.
• Tour hrs: 3.

Just an normal night off while I was home and removed snow from my driveway, I had my iPhone 14 Pro Max ready in my pocket.

Actually I was thinking about to set up an extra chase this night, but my bus are at the workshop where they have to fix an mysterious problem ...

January 31st

• Guests / Country: 14 guests from Taiwan, China, Australia, Germany and UK.
• Weather Tromsø: Part clear / cloudy.
• Destination / weather: Keinovuopio, Sweden / part clear / clear.
• Aurora activity: 5/10.
• Aurora show: The activity cames in waves tonight ... spikes, curls and spikes, and a nice dancing show with little pink.
• Tour km: 370.
• Tour hrs: 8.

With my own bus still on service, I drove out with a rental bus, and I was ready for a long drive again, so the goal was +30 km inside the Finnish border, but this time we crossed the border river ice road into Sweden ...

But first, we had to make an stop after 5 mins just across the bridge and with a lovely view over the the strait towards Tromsø city, and the sky was partly clear ... but, we missed the probably great show which already started at 6 pm ...

It`s always special to stay on the lakes or the river border ice, because many of my guests didn`t really understand there`s water "under the ground" ... so, I have to explain them and I tell them about my Ice Fishing tours, and how we make a hole on the ice ++