March 2023

March 2nd

• Guests / Country: 14 guests from Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. 
• Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / rain.
• Destination / weather: Storfjord / Skibotndalen valley / Kilpisjärvi / snow / haze / part clear.
• Aurora activity: 6/10.
• Aurora show: All over, far south. Several ribbons across, curtains, spikes, curls. Little dancing and two colors on camera.
• Tour km: 335.
• Tour hrs: 7,5.
• Wildlife: One white rabbit.

Again, my first plan was to drive straight to Finland, since it shows the best weather forecast there ...

But, different sky cameras was showing an ribbon far south, so when we got partly clear sky at the fjord east of the Lyngen Alps, I had to make a stop, for see if we could caught it ... but, just some faint spikes showed up across the sky ... so we continued ...

Next stop in the Skibotndalen valley, where we had partly clear sky, but haze ... little tricky, but we could see Aurora through the thin cloud layer, and then it cleared up little bit more, and we got the 2nd sight ...

When we continued it was totally chaos around the border ... with too many buses = too crowdy for me, since I sell silence ;)

At my secret location in Kilpisjärvi village I ended the chase, where the sky was quite okey ... partly clear, and incoming clouds, but we got what we came for and my guests was happy, so ...

March 3rd - Private Aurora Chase

• Guests / Country: 12 ladies from India. 
• Weather Tromsø: Part clear / snowing.
• Destination / weather: Part clear / clear.
• Aurora activity: 9/10.
• Aurora show: All over and far south, spikes, curls. Three colors, visible for the naked eyes, curtains and coronas.
• Tour km: 90.
• Tour hrs: 4 (!).

Finally, after too many tours far east and into Finnish Lapland, we stayed on the coast tonight; The sky was partly clear, and later totally clear ;)

But, we didn`t came far on our drive, since I had to take my guests out of the bus after 20 km for the beginning of the first show ... and then we drove +5 km more out in the darkness for tonight`s early and great show ... just after 8 pm.

We continued to Grøtfjord, which is one of Tromsø´s most popular locations for Aurora Chasers and tourists in rental cars ... but, nobody was there ... or later, closer to Rekvikeidet, we passed three rental car and one guide bus ... just wondering where all drove this night ...

After visiting two another locations in this beautil coastal regin of the island Kvaløya, Lady Aurora has taken a break, and my guests was happy for the crazy good show they had experienced, so we returned back to the city, super early which is totally fine for me, since I am driving enough miles every season.

On my way home just before midnight, the 2nd huge Aurora show arrived ... but, I have seen it before, so I just drove home and parked the bus ...

March 4th - Private Aurora Chase

• Guests / Country: 12 ladies from India. 
• Weather Tromsø: Cloudy & Snow.
• Destination / weather: Heia / Storfjord / cloudy / snow.
• Aurora activity: 0/10.
• Aurora show: Too cloudy / snowing all night.
• Tour km: 250.
• Tour hrs: 4,5.

After a great night on the coast, short distance from the city last night ... I was ready for a drive far south tonight, since we had to drive with high speed for reach the front of the weather which headed south ... but, it was faster than the weather forecast showed.

So, when we was 100 km south of the city, I got an call from one of my colleagues who had started one hour earlier and was 80 km south of us ... he was to late too ... so, if we should have little success this night I should forwarded the start time with 3 hours to 4 pm ...

Instead of heading further south for see nothing, I decided to do a return drive and go east instead, since there`s more mountains who maybe could split up the clouds ... but, only the moon was visible through an little too tick high clouds ...

The good thing is that my guests also got last night crazy good show on theirs first of 3 chances ;)

If you like to do an combo; Save little money and get an higher chance for getting an good Aurora show, please book more than one chase, by using GuideGunnar`s Aurora Pass ... 2x chase nights (5% discount) - 3x chase nights (15%) - 4x chase nights (25%)

March 5th - Private Aurora Chase

• Guests / Country: 12 ladies from India. 
• Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
• Destination / weather: Laksvatn / Balsfjord / Kilpisjärvi / part clear / cloudy / clear.
• Aurora activity: 4/10.
• Aurora show: Couple of ribbons across, some curtains and bright dancing in the south.
• Tour km: 350.
• Tour hrs: 7,5.

Missed we a 10/10 show ? It was little hit and miss tonight ...

My first plan was to drive towards east which forecasted the best weather with clear sky, but after 45 km drive the sky was suddenly perfectly clear and I was hoping for a short drive ...

So, I turned off the main road and into the next fjord when Aurora on the south sky was building up for a very good one ... but, I drove little too far for get an good place to stay ... so, we missed the great show and had only a cuple of ribbons across when we finally could stop on a traffic safe place ... it`s pity ... but, safety for my guests comes always first!

Then the clouds begin to cover the sky, so we continued further east ... an it`s very typical ... while we was on the drive on the main road with no places to stop, the 2nd great early show was building up on the south sky ... we got just little of it in a cloud hole at the SE sky ...

So, we continued east ... with a stop at a gas station for bathrooms, and continued towards Finland for lovely 25 minus degrees, but lovely clear sky ...

During our drive we missed nothing of Lady Aurora since she was quiet from 9 pm to midnight ... but, since some of my guests had an early morning flight, they liked to return earlier so we left 11.30 ...

Back in clouds on the return, Lady Aurora was back with an new lovely show, re; my colleague, at 00.15 am ... we missed that one too ...

But, my guests, the 12 Indian ladies got what they came for; At theirs first night with the crazy beautiful 9/10 show ...

So, for you others who like to join me for a chase or 3; it´s smart to book more than one chase, since every night is different, re; the Aurora activity and the weather ...

March 10th - Private Arctic Excursions

• Guests / Country: 4 guests from Germany. 
• Weather XLyngen: Part clear.
• Destination / weather: Tamokdalen valley / clear.
• Aurora activity: 6/10.
• Aurora show: All over and far south, curtains, spikes and curls. Little dancing. Two colors on camera.
• Tour km: 310.
• Tour hrs: 14 (!).

After two snowy stormy nights and now Aurora sights in Lyngen Alps we was on our way for the next two nights at the Magic island of Senja this day and evening ... which went to an very long day ...

We left our accommodation at XLyngen at 9.30 am and arrived the NW coast of Senja at 11.30 pm ...

On our way we visited Aurora Spirit distillery where we got an special VIP whiskey tour, which last 2,5 hour over planned schedule, and after an better late lunch / early dinner at Vollan Guesthouse, I decided to stay in the area since the weather was nice, and a early Aurora show was on her way, so we back tracked 20 km into an lovely valley where we waited until it happened.

Just around 9 pm we got an really good Aurora show ... before we headed the last miles to our next accommodation, an private apartment for the next two nights where we got more snow ...

March 14th

• Guests / Country: 14 guests from Germany, Hong Kong and China. 
• Weather Tromsø: Part clear.
• Destination / weather: Kaldfjord / Grøtfjord / part clear / clear / haze.
• Aurora activity: 7/10.
• Aurora show: All over and far south, curtains, spikes and curls. Little dancing and three colors on camera.
• Tour km: 70.
• Tour hrs: 5.

My first plan was to drive 80 km north, since there it was the only place the weather forecast says little clear ... but, when we left the city it was clouding over a lot in the north, so I headed west instead, since there it looks best ...

And it got much better than they forecasted, so we ended up only 35 km west of the city.

The lady was quiet in the beginning, but it got better and better, and suddenly she was bright on the south sky.

I choose to leave early for making it as a short trip, and my guests had got an much better night then I first thought they should get ... but, it could be so much better of I had waited 30 mins longer ... since when we was back in the street lights of Tromsø, then tonight`s best show arrived ...

It`s part of the game ... sometimes you loose by gambling ...

March 15th

• Guests / Country: 14 guests from Germany, Norway and China. 
• Weather Tromsø: Part clear.
• Destination / weather: Skibotndalen valley / The Finnish border / Kilpisjärvi / haze / snow / fog / clear.
• Aurora activity: 7/10.
• Aurora show: All over and far south, curtains, spikes and curls. And a couple of small coronas. Three colors on camera.
• Tour km: 330.
• Tour hrs: 7,5.
• Wildlife: One white rabbit.

March 18th

• Guests / Country: 14 guests from Colombia, Austria, UK and USA. 
• Weather Tromsø: Part clear.
• Destination / weather: Keinovuopio, frozen border river / part clear / clear.
• Aurora activity: 4/10.
• Aurora show: All over and two colors on camera, but faint. Curtains, spikes and curls.
• Tour km: 370.
• Tour hrs: 8.

EQUINOX AURORA - the most beautiful time of the Aurora season has started ... when the Northern Lights is more colorful and more powerful ... next chance to experience this is in September ????

Tonight we had two choices ... stay on the coast and get an early show on blue sky, and end the chase super early when the snow arrived around 8 pm ... or drive far east into Finland for the best clear sky ...
Headed fast away east, and just before the Finnish border around 8.45 pm the best show had already gone away, so we missed it with 15 mins ...

When we arrived the final destination at the frozen river border between Finnish- and Swedish Lapland it was Aurora all over, also towards south, but it was faint ... and faded out ...

March 20th - Private Aurora Chase Dinner

• Guests / Country: 6 guests from Mexico and Germany. 
• Weather Tromsø: Part clear.
• Destination / weather: Dåfjord / Kattfjordeidet / clear / cloudy / part clear.
• Aurora activity: 9/10.
• Aurora show: All over and far south, curls, spikes, dancing curtains and coronas in three eye visible colors. 6 coronas in 30 mins !!
• Tour km: 185.
• Tour hrs: 8.
• Wildlife: An reindeer and a moose ... in middle of the road!

Tonight we had only one choice of driving ... escaping as far north we could cause incoming clouds from the south ... so, we headed north of my camp and home on Ringvassøya island to the fjord of Dåfjord on the NW coast.

With totally clear sky when we arrived it was set for an great night under the sky, but the Lady was quiet ... just little low on the north sky ... and while I served the dinner the clouds arrived us too ...

So, I was thinking about to set only 1/10 in my Aurora Blog ... it`s pity, but it`s noting to do with the natural stuff ...

On our way back to the city before midnight I got an message from one of my colleagues who had left Ringvassøya 30 mins before ... he showed a pics with partly clear sky and little Aurora straight up 30 km further SW ... so, I aksed my guests if they like to see more; And when they said YES we continued the chase.

But, we was not alone in the area, since all parking spots was packed ... at the end of the valley it was finally one spot available, so we stopped there.

And when we jumped off the bus the Lady started her crazy good performance; with wild dancing and six coronas in 30 mins. WAW!! What an lovely ending of the night !

I drove my happy guests back to theirs hotel ... and I was smiling all the way back home ;)

March 21st - Private Aurora Chase Dinner

• Guests / Country: 6 guests from Mexico and Germany. 
• Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / snow.
• Destination / weather: Keinovuopio, Swedish Lapland / 100% clear.
• Aurora activity: 8/10.
• Aurora show: All over and far south, curls, spikes and dancing curtains. Deep red color and corona.
• Tour km: 370.
• Tour hrs: 8,5.
• Wildlife: A fox in middle of the road!

This was my Aurora Night no. 1900 since I begin to run Aurora Chases out from Tromsø, as one of the first who created the concept "Chasing the Northern Lights" in 2006! Today I am the longest running Aurora Guide in Tromsø and Northern Norway. My two colleagues who started at the same time as me has "retired" ...

Three more seasons to go, when I have done 20 seasons and over 2200 chase nights; the game will be "over" ... but, I will always be here for your service under the sky of the Northern Lights ... with little different tours ...

Please don`t worry, this Private Aurora Chase Dinner tour will continue to the end ... in 2037 ... 40 years in the travel business should be enough I think ;)

Tonight`s chase went to my favorite spot in Swedish / Finnish Lapland, on the frozen border river ice road between Norway`s two neighbor countries ... it was an chilly night with 12 degrees minus which felt like 20 ...

March 22nd

• Guests / Country: 12 guests from Romania, Germany, Denmark, Hong Kong and China. 
• Weather Tromsø: Clear.
• Destination / weather: Rekvikeidet / clear.
• Aurora activity: 4/10 (maybe only a 3, but it was amazing colorful)
• Aurora show: All over, but faint. Spikes, curls and curtains. Very colorful, but only on camera.
• Tour km: 105.
• Tour hrs: 6.
• Wildlife: 5-6 grouse.

What a lovely day … and what a crazy beautiful clear night …

We haven’t had too many of these on the coast this season … 70% of the chases has went east and into Finnish Lapland for finding clear sky, so we’ve been driving a lot of miles …

So, for tonight’s chase I decided to drive to a mountain plateau for having an 360 degree view and essentially to the south, cause the solar wind speed was still high and I thought we should get a good show … an duplicate of the night before … but, nop!

It was Aurora all over the sky, but it was faint … but, when I shoot pictures on long shutter speed it shows a beautiful color display … it’s pity that we couldn’t see it with our naked eyes …

 

And, then to the complain;

"The Northern Lights is an natural phenomena - every nights are totally different !"

"What I am trying to sell is an wilderness experience, more than the Northern Lights only ... so, it`s important to enjoy all the moments of a tour out together with visitors from all around the world ..."

 

It’s pity that someone still doesn’t understand how it works after so much information we have been given out to the world in so many years …

I had an long discussion with two girls after the chase in the city, when I should drop them off; They was disappointed since they haven’t seen Aurora tonight, they hadn’t got pics with theirs own camera and they didn’t got pics of them self together with the Northern lights … and in total the tour didn’t went as they supposed …

- First of all; you’re missing a lot when you’re sitting inside the bus all night. Yes, it was an chilly evening, but it`s smart to come outside and check sometimes ...

- It’s around the camp fire the action going on; where I tell my guests what’s going on and what’s happening next ...

- I also showed my guests what my camera caught.

- And it’s social around the camp fire with lovely talks. Plus little storytelling about everything ... and I give answers of guests all questions ...

- I am sorry that you didn’t got pics of yourself, but I am not shooting pics of my guests when the activity is slow and faint … but, if you had asked me; of course I am there for your service and you should get your Aurora pics. So, why you didn`t ask ?

- You also meant it could be great if you got an notification when something was happening; Trust me! I never let my guests sit inside the bus when Lady Aurora goes crazy … but, tonight she was quiet, and the visibility was faint.

- And you meant it should be better to drive to an another location for explore better Aurora … but, I am sorry to tell; All guides and the Aurora guests had the same displays all over tonight; simple cause the sky was beautiful clear all over and the sky is wide. So, it was the same Aurora view 100 km east - west - north - south …

- Yes, I thought and hope something more should happens; but tonight wasn’t the night for it … I really hope that you`ve booked more than one night ... since tonight something larger is building up; Please check the facts on Spaceweather.com
 

And this has been my recommendations as long I have been an Aurora Guide … in 17 years now;

1. Stay at least five nights for increase your chances for a good one.

2. Be out more than one night where the sky is clear; by your self or out with a local knowledge guide who knows the microclimate weather conditions.

3. Book 2-3-4 chases with me and save money.

4. Study the sun activity, on https://spaceweather.com for example, so you understand more.
 

Ps: I am sorry, but I can’t give discounts when we have seen Aurora … what kind of business is that ?

But, trust me; for the nights with no Auroras or too bad weather, then I have sometimes given very good offers; An new chase for example, if it’s space available the next nights, or an new chase to 50% for your next visit …

Ps2: The best Aurora tonight was between 6 - 7.30 pm, but then the sky was too bright for see anything …
 

March 23rd - Lady Aurora for myself!

• Guests / Country: Just me ;)
• Weather Tromsø: Clear.
• Destination / weather: On my own driveway & beach / clear.
• Aurora activity: 10/10.
• Aurora show: All over and far far south, curtains, spikes and curls. Several coronas in many colors, visible for the naked eyes.
• Tour km: 0.
• Tour hrs: 30 mins + 30 mins + 30 mins, while I was making an better dinner.

Equinox Aurora from sunset to sunrise ... on my driveway!

We knew something great was coming since they have talked about this huge CME since it happened on the sun at March 20th.

And as soon we had dark enough sky the Lady was active and visible ... and what a great start !! (video on GG IG & FB)

March 24th - Lady Aurora for myself!

• Guests / Country: Just me ;)
• Weather Tromsø: Part clear.
• Destination / weather: On my own driveway & beach / clear.
• Aurora activity: 8/10.
• Aurora show: All over and far far south, curtains, spikes and curls. A couple of coronas, visible for the naked eyes. And a very nice intense dancing show on blue sky.
• Tour km: 0.
• Tour hrs: 45 mins, while I was removing the snow on my driveway. 

March 25th

• Guests / Country: 13 guests from Mexico, Taiwan, China, UK and USA.
• Weather Tromsø: Part clear.
• Destination / weather: Signaldalen valley / clear.
• Aurora activity: 7/10.
• Aurora show: All over and far south, spikes, curls and dancing curtains in two colors. And a couple of coronas.
• Tour km: 210.
• Tour hrs: 7.
• Wildlife: One moose.

It was clear sky all over the country side so I could do the chase much shorter, but I decided for go for our Toblerone mountain; Peak Otertind in Signaldalen valley ... and when it was only minus 12 and no wind there, then we stay put of this lovely location.

But, it went into a long wait for the great show, when the first forecasted show didn`t show up ... but, just before 11 pm it was kaboom ...

March 26th - Private Aurora Chase Dinner

• Guests / Country: 6 guests from Taiwan and Mexico.
• Weather Tromsø: Clear.
• Destination / weather: Sommarøy / clear.
• Aurora activity: 7/10.
• Aurora show: All over and towards south, curls, spikes, and curtains. And little pink dancing on blue sky early in the evening.
• Tour km: 130.
• Tour hrs: 7,5.

Tonight’s chase went just how I planned it to be.

But, first I had to handle an little problem; an double booking … after an agreement all six was happy that I connected the regular chase booking with the Private Dinner Chase.

And the combo of guests from Taiwan and Mexico was just lovely.

So, with an perfectly weather forecast on the coast I planned to drive to my favorite beach at Sommarøy … but, there’s many guides out there now … so, I decided to leave super early for get an higher chance to get the right location.

At 17.30 I picked up the two first guests from a hotel in the city, and then we drove 35 km SW to Kattfjord and Lauklines for pick up the last four … this is the place where I got headhunted to in 2003 …

Then we continued to Sommarøy … where “my beach” was free ;)

And what a lovely sunset settings we arrived the beach ... my kitchen got installed on the beach ... dinner was served ... and there was still too bright sky of the sunset, so we had to wait little for see any of the Northern Lights ... but, suddenly Lady Aurora went out in her pink dress and danced on the blue sky into the sunset colors ... it`s really pity that`s so difficult to make good Aurora pics when the sky is sooooo bright ... but, my guests got it live and that`s the best.

Then we had to wait little more for the evenings best show, when it was dark enough, but the company around the camp fire was just lovely and beautiful ...

March 29th

• Guests / Country: 11 guests from Germany, China and Singapore. 
• Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
• Destination / weather: Rossfjord / Camp Norwegian Wild, Senja / haze / part clear / cloudy.
• Aurora activity: 2/10.
• Aurora show: A couple of ribbons across the sky.
• Tour km: 400.
• Tour hrs: 8,5.
• Wildlife: A white rabbit, two moose and 150 (!) reindeers.

Maybe it should be an opening an opening in the clouds on the coast outside Tromsø, but since it`s up to 3 hours before it`s dark enough for see the Northern Lights cause the long bright evening at the end of the season, I didn`t took the chance to wait here ... and since it was cloudy, there was not either any sunsets to take pics of during the waiting time ...

So, I decided to do the long drive for killing some daylight hours, and headed to the coast of Senja, 3 hours drive further south where the weather forecast showed an opening around 11 pm.

Before we came so far we saw the moon and Venus, so therefore I decided to check one of my secret places, 70 km bird way south off Tromsø ... little longer to drive around ...

We had little clear sky, but it was still too bright so we continued to Senja, and got a short view of the Lady on clear sky at Norwegian Wild Camp.

On hour way back to Tromsø it begin to snow ... the forecasted snowstorm had started ... and when we arrived the city, the evenings best show started at 3 am, but then all my guests was back at theirs hotel and AirBnb`s ... but, it was too cloudy, so I drove home ...

March 31st

• Guests / Country: 14 guests from Germany, Taiwan, USA and China.
• Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / snow.
• Destination / weather: Keinovuopio, Swedish Lapland / clear.
• Aurora activity: 8/10.
• Aurora show: All over and far south, curls, spikes and dancing curtains. An small corona and little dancing pink, visble for the naked eyes.
• Tour km: 370.
• Tour hrs: 9.
• Wildlife: Two moose and two foxes, where one of them had an grouse in the mouth.

We could stop before since the forecast says part clear, but when we drove up the Skibotndalen valley towards the Finnish border it was heavy snowing and strong wind, so I headed to the planned goal ... the frozen border river between Swedish- and Finnish Lapland.

And it was an night of patience de luxe, since it was Aurora all over, but very faint with only a couple of bright spikes ...

Then 20 mins before I was planned to leave by midnight, the really good show was started, and then it`s impossible to leave ... even I knew the return drive should be hard and extra long ...

My main purpose with the chase is to make my guests happy ... so, I had to drag my freezing cold guests out of the bus three times since the Aurora show went better and better ... but, they was still happy for I did so ... since they got what they came for ;)