January 2025

January 25th - Ewen Bell`s 14 days Polar Night`s Photography

Guests / Country: 7 guests from Australia and Canada.
Weather Nordkjosbotn: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Malangen south / cloudy / part clear.
Aurora activity: 2/10.
Aurora show: Just a faint stripe low on the north sky, a spike. Two colors on camera.
Visible for the naked eyes: White.
Tour km: 60.
Tour hrs: 6.
Wildlife: 2 white rabbits (hare).

We didn`t had to drive far tonight, but still I was first thinking about to drive the double of what we ended up with, but I am glad we did not do so, since when the road was cover of deep over-blowing snow, and I got stuck in the middle of the road, then I guess the mountains I first planned to drive to, probably was much worst.

So, we headed towards SW to my 2nd last secret spot, which actually had been discovered by other Aurora Guides lately ...

The wind was still strong, but since we had planned a outdoor meal we just had to find a location on the frozen lake with little shelter ... and then we just had to wait and hope the weather forecast was right, since it should be clear sky later from the south.

So, after a lot of patience and pics of the moving clouds and dramatic mountains across the lake, we finally got little Aurora on the north sky ... but, it just happened 25 mins before we planned to leave at 11 pm ... very early yes, but our Aurora forecast didn`t show anything, the solar speed was low and the driver ... me, was quite knocked after 14 days with late nights and long days ....

And of course, when we finally left 30 mins delayed at 11.30, then we had only drove in 5-10 mins, when Lady Aurora got crazy with a 5 mins show with pink and green dancing ... which we saw from the windows of the bus ...

I just continue the drive, since it always take too long time to get out all people, spikes on theirs boots and camera equipment ...

So, that was a typical a facts story; Low speed + No huge activity showed on the forecast = but still, a great Aurora show ... so, she is a tricky lady, Lady Aurora ;)

After a 14 days trip, and about 7-8 nights with okey Aurora evenings, I guess the guests was happy ... but, is always nice to get an extra one ... but, great moment on the frozen lake, camp fire, a warm meal, hot drinks, and a lovely sweet and warm cupcake heated on the fire ... and of course, such a lovely company with good chats ;)

January 24th - Ewen Bell`s 14 days Polar Night`s Photography

Guests / Country: 7 guests from Australia and Canada.
Weather Nordkjosbotn: Clear.
Destination / weather: Signaldalen valley / clear / part clear / haze.
Aurora activity: 5/10.
Aurora show: All over, but faint. Curls, spikes and curtains. Couple of faint coronas.
Visible for the naked eyes: Grey / white.
Tour km: 65.
Tour hrs: 5,5.
Wildlife: 2+1 moose and one fox.

It`s pity that our main motive, the peaks of Otertind mountain, got cover of clouds just before the best show arrived ...

After a lovely day sightseeing in very beautiful weather around the Magic island of Senja we arrived our next accommodation 70 km south of Tromsø, little delayed cause our very late last night ...

First we thought it should start a very good show early tonight, but it didn`t happened, so we just relaxed here at the guesthouse little longer and drive out first at 8.30 pm, since we only had a very short drive to our planned location, 30 km away.

It was very windy here at Vollan, so then I thought it should be very freezing cold in Signaldalen valley, but we was lucky since the wind came from SW and not SE as they forecasted, so we got our stay in shelter, with only a few gusts.

There was Aurora all over the sky, but they really great and bright dancing never showed up ...

So, at 1 am I returned with three of the guests back, while the photographer guide stayed to 4 am with two of the other guests.

January 23rd - Ewen Bell`s 14 days Polar Night`s Photography

Guests / Country: 7 guests from Australia and Canada.
Weather Husøy, Senja: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Dividalen / cloudy / part clear / clear.
Aurora activity: 8/10.
Aurora show: All over and far south, curtains, spikes and curls. Little dancing in two colors.
Visible for the naked eyes: Bright green, and little pink.
Tour km: 330.
Tour hrs: 12,5.
Wildlife: 1+2 moose and 2 white rabbits (hare).

Tonight we decided us for to reach out early (3.30 pm) for be sure we arrived in time before the rush of other Aurora Chaser`s should arrived the valley from Tromsø ...

And we got the location we decided us for !

With a tight driving plan the next day our first idea was to leave already at 11 pm, but that`s impossible when the forecast was better than right and the clouds break up earlier, and Lady Aurora decided her for begin her perfomance when we was plan to leave, so we didn`t begin our three hours return drive before at 1 am ...

You can`t leave the party when the lady (Aurora) are still dancing ...

January 21st - Ewen Bell`s 14 days Polar Night`s Photography

Guests / Country: 7 guests from Australia and Canada.
Weather Husøy, Senja: Clear, but haze.
Destination / weather: Husøy, outside our apartment / clear, but haze.
Aurora activity: 7/10.
Aurora show: All over, spikes, curls and intense dancing curtains in green, pink and yellow.
Visible for the naked eyes: Green and pink.
Tour km: 0.
Tour hrs: 2.

Such a beautiful arrival to our third accommodation here at the NW coast of Senja; Husøy.

The sky was glowing red in the sunset, and then suddenly Lady Aurora shows up low on the west sky (pics).

During our dinner from 7 pm, then tonight`s real good show started and just before 8 pm it went crazy good ... I missed it, since I relaxed inside with the dinner and a good bottle of red, but I got little of it (video in FB album).

It was activity all over the sky, but faint ... and then it started up again at 10.30, but then I was done ... the photographers stays out until 4 am (!)

January 19th - Ewen Bell`s 14 days Polar Night`s Photography

Guests / Country: 7 guests from Australia and Canada.
Weather Grovfjord: Cloudy / snow.
Destination / weather: Kjerstad, Tjeldsund / cloudy / part clear / snow / clear.
Aurora activity: 8/10.
Aurora show: All over and far south, curls, spikes and curtains. Little intense pink dancing and a small corona.
Visible for the naked eyes: Bright green and pink.
Tour km: 160.
Tour hrs: 8.
Wildlife: One squirrel and one moose.

Tonight we did our chase in a area of Northern Norway where I never have been before, with start point from our camp stay at Elvegård in Grovfjord, towards the fjord area of Tjeldsund, west of Evenes airport.

We study the satelite map first and found a lovely area with many beaches in Kjerstad, which we reach after a drive on very tiny roads, and when we arrived it was pouring down with heavy snow, so we relaxed in the bus for a while, but suddenly it was clearing up from SE, and we went out ... and few seconds later the Northern Lights came up from the same direction ...

After shooting some great Aurora pics, we went to a beach two km away, where we set camp ... lit the camp fire and had an nice outdoor lunch.

The Northern Lights was little visible through the clouds, but then it cleared up all over and we had a lovely moment on the beach while the tide was low.

On the return we had to take a new stop, since then tonight`s best show started.

January 15th - Ewen Bell`s 14 days Polar Night`s Photography

Guests / Country: 9 guests from Australia, Sweden and Canada.
Weather Lauklines: Cloudy / rain.
Destination / weather: Swedish-Finnish Lapland / part clear.
Aurora activity: 3/10.
Aurora show: Curls and little dancing for a short moment.
Visible for the naked eyes: Little green.
Tour km: 440.
Tour hrs: 10,5.
Wildlife: One fox and two mooses.

After two first nights with pouring rain on the coast we headed far east for see if we had some luck for clear sky and the Northern Lights.

Was first thinking about Dividalen valley, but changed our minds just at the last minute and headed towards Finland instead.

It was lovely clear sky and too crazy warm temperatures (+6) and no wind, when we arrived and set the camp at the river ice, so it was no needed to use the jacket ... but, then the forecasted wind started ...

Before the Northern Lights showed up we had an amazing moonlit show with several colors, and five planets was visible; Jupiter, Mars, Arcturus, Sirius and the moon.

Lovely to get a night meal made by Chef Shellie over the camp fire.

January 10th

Guests / Country: 12 guests from Hungary, France and China.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Finnish Lapland +65 km / haze / part clear.
Aurora activity: 4/10.
Aurora show: All over and towards south, spikes, curls and little moving.
Visible for the naked eyes: White only, cause of the moonlight on hazy sky.
Tour km: 440.
Tour hrs: 8.

Haze and moonlight is a bad combo for a good view of the Northern lights ...

The longest drive on my chases this season, 220 km east of the city into Finnish Lapland, and the first one in one month inside the border ...

I prepared me for a long drive tonight, and any stops before was impossible since all the parking slots was occupied of too many buses all over ...

I have never understand why other guides like to leave the busy city, and then they are parking out there in the "wilderness" on a huge parking spot where there`s space for more than 1 bus or minibus ... at the worst it was 2x 50 seats buses and 3x 16 seats minibuses ...

Too much people for me, since I am selling the silence ... so, I continued further until I found a free spot ...

Not the best parking, and too small for make a camp fire out in lovely 25 minus, but the sky was partly clear ... hazy, but it got better, just in time for tonight`s greatest show, but the moonlight on haze made the experience less impressive.

But, most important; My guests was happy for what they got ... so, then I am satisfied too ;)

And then the long return drive began ... first on lovely snowy roads in Finland, but closer to the border it began to snow, and it got more ... but, the first part I got after dropping out my guests in the city, on my way back home ... that`s what a snowstorm is ... partly I saw nothing, not either how many mooses I passed ...

January 9th

Guests / Country: 15 guests from Germany, Brasil, Malaysia and China.
Weather Tromsø: Clear.
Destination / weather: Kattfjordeidet / Grøtfjord / clear.
Aurora activity: 5/10.
Aurora show: All over and little towards south, spikes, curls and little dancing curtains.
Visible for the naked eyes: Green.
Tour km: 85.
Tour hrs: 5,5.
Wildlife: Two reindeer along the road, and one reindeer who came on visit to us at the spot.

Short and close to the city tonight since the sky was perfectly clear all over, so we headed west towards the most exciting area we have on the coastal areas around Tromsø.

First a stop at Kattfjordeidet which was crowdy as normal with three another minibuses, and some rental cars, for get the first show ... but, it was quite slim ... so we continued further west ... after a huge police control for check of all papers, but they know me, so we left early from there ...

And then I found a spot where I never has been staying before, and the activity was nice from the time we stopped until we left ...

Then we got an little funny highlights at the end of the tour, just before we left; a lonely reindeer was just passing us on the road, and nice excitment for my guests ;)

January 8th - Private Aurora Chase Dinner

Guests / Country: 6 guests from Italy.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Grunnfjord / haze / clear stripes.
Aurora activity: 0/10.
Aurora show: Just a faint stripe, on camera only ...
Visible for the naked eyes: Nothing !
Tour km: 135.
Tour hrs: 6.
Wildlife: One reindeer and four moose, and three more on my way home.
Space show: One very nice and bright fireball.

We had haze, visible stars and three planets, and some stripes of clear sky ... but, Lady Aurora was missing ...

When we returned it came little bit more, but still very faint ... tonight`s best Aurora show arrived 1.30 am, but then I was back home without my guests ...

My guests loved the dinner I served, my own special version of a Reindeer stew ... nothing like what you get in the Sami Camps ...

Without good Aurora on the sky, then the four moose on and along the road was tonight`s highlights.

January 7th

Guests / Country: 16 guests from Brasil and China.
Weather Tromsø: Clear / haze.
Destination / weather: GG`s Camp / Dåfjord.
Aurora activity: 7/10.
Aurora show: All over, but faint, curtains, spikes and curls. And then an intense dancing show in several colors.
Visible for the naked eyes: Green and pink.
Tour km: 150.
Tour hrs: 7.

Patience is King !

The evening started with a lovely Aurora show from 4-6 pm, but that was one hour before i picked up my guests from the city ... and then the sky was quiet.

But, I was wonderling little ... since it was a faint stripe on the SE sky when we stopped at my home 40 km north of the city ... and when we arrived our final stop 35 km NW, it was not much activity to scream hurray over ... but, I decided to stay out to midnight, just in case ...

On our return drive I just had to make a new stop for check the sky, since the faint stripe on the south sky got little brighter ... but, it was not too bright so I continued to drive ...

And then, KABOOM, so I stopped at the next place to stop and pulled out my guests from the bus, and then we got a really great final Aurora show all over the sky with amazing and intense Rock´n`Roll Aurora dancing in green and pink ;)

It faded out, but it continued one hour later ... but, then my chase was over ... and my guests was happy enough.

January 4th - Private Aurora Chase - Chase no. 2,080

Guests / Country: 4 guests from Australia, plus a french journalist.
Weather Tromsø: Clear.
Destination / weather: Kvaløya island round trip / clear.
Aurora activity: 8/10.
Aurora show: All over and far south, dancing curtains, curls, spikes and a couple of small coronas. Three colors on camera.
Visible for the naked eyes: Green, little pink and faint red.
Tour km: 135.
Tour hrs: 5,5.

On my way into the city, Lady Auora begin her show already at 5.15 pm tonight ...

I could do the chase much shorther tonight, since the activity was high and the sky totally clear, when I picked up my guests and a french journalist from the city where they already could join the amazing Aurora show.

The article of tonight`s Private Aurora Chase you can read here;

"I would like to write about your Northern Lights tour and recommend GuideGunnar in the travel features I will write about Tromsø for the magazines Marie Claire UK (British women’s magazine) and Prestige Travel (Switzerland's leading travel magazine)"

I decided to drive to the south part of the island Kvaløya for escape from the most popular areas, so I could give my guests a silence moment under the sky of the Northern Lights ... and already at 9.30 pm we returned, but I choosed to take the long drive home, via the very popular location Sommarøy, but I got surprised; since we met only 2 minibuses and 2 large buses on the round trip ...

So, where was all the guides ? Maybe and probably more crowdy in Grøtfjord and further north, on my island ...

January 3rd

Guests / Country: 16 guests from Germany, Australia, Ecuador, China and UK.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Rostavatnet lake / clear / incoming clouds.
Aurora activity: 4/10.
Aurora show: Couple of stripes on the north sky, later faint stripes all over towards south, but faint. Curls and spikes. Two colors on camera.
Visible for the naked eyes: Grey and white.
Tour km: 230.
Tour hrs: 6.
Wildlife: One white rabbit, in middle of the road.

The choices was three tonight, but I choosed to escape from the most crowdy locations towards the Finnish border, and went south instead into the country side, to a lake where none are using so much ...

The activity started when we was on our drive, so I quit the first plan by driving to Dividalen valley 30 km away, so we could get much of it.

After the first "show" it went quiet, but the Northern Lights went towards the south sky, but it was very faint ... so, my guests went into the bus since most of them didn`t enjoyed the 20 minus degrees so much, so after waiting little longer outside by myself, I decided to do the return drive.

Our very good Aurora forecasted showed the next should come around 1.30 am, but then my guests was back at theirs accommodations, and I was on my way back home ...

January 2nd

Guests / Country: 15 guests from Brasil, New Zealand, Switzerland and China.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Takvatnet- and Andsvatnet lakes / part clear / haze / snow.
Aurora activity: 4/10.
Aurora show: All over and towards south, spikes, curls, curtains. And a small faint corona..
Visible for the naked eyes: White.
Tour km: 285.
Tour hrs: 7.
Wildlife: 2 foxes.

Everything looked so perfect in the afternoon ... clear sky, still good activity from the last two nights, but then the clouds began to come in from the north, and we had to ruch towards south for finding the best clear sky ...

Most of the guides headed east and towards Finnish Lapland, but since i don`t like the crowdy areas and have probs to find an available parking spot, since I am starting later, I decided to gamble little and just follow my got feeling.

The sky cameras showed clear sky further south, around 160 km south ... but, since it was a stripe of Aurora on the south sky, I had to check it out sometimes, since when we have Northern Lights on the south sky it can any time explode ... or start to dance.

At first stop 100 km south, it was still there, but there was coming in too much clouds from north and west, and then I got a message from a colleague; `Skibotn camera showed 100% clear` ... so, I forgot my got feeling for a moment and returned ... but, after checking the camera after 12 km drive, it was overcast again ...

So, I returned again and decided to trust my got feeling and head south ...

And of course, when I did a gas station stop for toilet and fill up the tank, the south sky show started ... we got little of it, but too much lights around destroyed our good view ...

The cameras further south, 30 km away still showed good clear sky, so we continued south ... with success ;)

For the return, that`s another story; It was a snow hell, but no wind, so it was a hard drive, but okey ... much worst if the wind create snowstorms.

January 1st

Guests / Country: Just me ;)
Destination / weather: My `kitchen window` view / clear / part clear.
Aurora activity: 9/10.
Aurora show: Far far south, curtains, spikes and curls, and a couple of small coronas.
Visible for the naked eyes: Green, pink and red.
Tour hrs: 2+1.

Happy New Year

2024 ended with a crazy beautiful nature own fireworks, and 2025 begins as last year ended, with a new crazy Aurora show.

Or, it was the same show which never ended, but it just continued after the daylight break on the 1st, since we can’t see the Northern Lights in daylight.

Some of my guests are asking; ‘how long time it can last’ … and my answer is always: ‘48 hours’ which is the longest one I have experienced before this one which has last now in 36 hours …

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