October 2026

October 31st

Guests / country: 5 guests from Germany, Australia and China.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Balsfjord / Signaldalen valley / Storfjord / part clear / cloudy / gaps in clouds.
Aurora activity: 7/10 ... but, probably 8 or 9 if there was less clouds.
Aurora show: Intense pink dancing, curls, spikes and curtains.
Visible for the naked eyes: Green and Pink.
Tour KM: 235.
Tour hours: 6,5.

Tonight`s weather forecast was not funny reading, so I thought it should be a difficult night with less to see ... but, when I left my home north of the city some huge gaps in the clouds was giving some hope ...

I was first thinking about to drive straight 200 km south where the weather forecast showed best conditions, but when I checked our very good private sky cameras, ot looked great with lovely Aurora only 60 km south.

But, when I was planned to stop on a huge parking it was totally chaos there, so we did a short backtrack to a smaller parking spot, and there we was alone ... not the best place to stay cause all the traffic and theirs lights, but if we should get this evening best show, we had to sacrifite little ...

Then we contiuned via Nordkjosbotn for a toilet stop, before we contiuned east ... and it looked good in Storfjord, so then we drove up in Signaldalen valley, but when we arrive my hot spot it was totally overcast, so we returned and made a stop down by the fjord where I parked at one of my good colleagues "private beach", where we was alone ... in darkness with a lovely view over the fjord and the mountains of Lyngen Alps.

We got little more activity, but it was slim ... so, I lit the camp fire and served my guests hot drink and local snacks, and then we had a lovely chat at this beautiful spot, where I was for the first time ...

We we lost the gaps in the clouds, we returned early back to the city.

October 29th - Private Aurora Chase

Guests / country: 4 guests from UK.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Dividalen valley / clear / cloudy / part clear.
Aurora activity: 4/10.
Aurora show: Couple of stripes low on the north sky, curls and spikes.
Visible for the naked eyes: White.
Tour KM: 300.
Tour hours: 9,5.
Wildlife: One snowy bunny.

Patience is King !

It was lovely to arrive the planned spot in lovely clear sky as the only guide and guests in the valley ... as the weather forecast said ... but, then the story changed ... totally ... out from nowhere the clouds suddenly covered the sky and we lost the beautiful starry sky ...

So, what now ?

One of my good collague, Knut in Tromsø Friluftsenter arrived also the valley, but he left again shortly after the clouds arrived for chase the better clear sky ... but, I couldn`t really leave, since I know that the suddenly arriving clouds, could suddenly dissapear again ...

So, I builded up good patience for my guests, lit the camp fire and served hot drinks and local snacks, and had a good chat and just waited ... and then I told them my plan; If the sky didn´t get better before 11 pm, then we leave ...

Around 11 pm we began to get some gaps in the clouds, but in wrong direction ... in the east ... and since the Aurora activity was low I knew very well that we needed clear sky in the north, and the Aurora forecast said some activity should appear around midnight, so 11.20 pm we left ...

But, we didn´t came so far, since after a few km driving down in the valley we got some better gaps with a lots of stars in the north and west, so after 15 km we stopped at a hill side with a lovely view towards west and north, surrounding by huge pain trees.

And then, 2 mins pass midnight we got the first strike of Aurora, and 20 mins later we got more ...

So, just after 1 pm we left the valley and returned back to the city with happy guests ... after three try, in Iceland and Finland, before Tromsø, they got success to see the Northern Lights with me - The Legendary Aurora Chaser ;)

October 28th

Guests / country: 8 guests from Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, UK and USA.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Skibotndalen valley / clear.
Aurora activity: 4/10.
Aurora show: Several faint stripes across the sky, then little brighter on the north sky with curls, spikes and little moving curtains. And a faint stripe on the south sky, but it never gave us some action.
Visible for the naked eyes: White.
Tour KM: 270.
Tour hours: 7,5.
Space show: Several nice and bright shooting stars.

I was first planned to stay on the coast, but when the weather forecast changed to the worst, and at the same it looked very good in Finland, then we went out for a long drive ...

But, 30 km before the Finnish border the sky was good enough ... first 70% clear, then 90% ... so, I decided to stay at a location in the forest I haven`t been for a while ...

Just before I lit the camp fire for serving my guests some hot drinks and snacks, then we suddenly got more clouds ... but, as I know, in the valley it change quickly ... so, it was no need to escape ... and short time after the sky was beautiful clear again.

We got little more activity, and then I decided to wait little extra cause of the stripe on the south sky, but nothing happened ...

October 26th - Private Fjords & Aurora

Guests / country: 15 guests from India.
Weather Tromsø: Part clear.
Destination / weather: Sommarøy / Malangen x2 / part clear / cloudy / gaps / part clear.
Aurora activity: 0/10.
Aurora show: Nothing !
Visible for the naked eyes: Nothing !
Tour KM: 275.
Tour hours: 10,5.
Wildlife: One fox and four reindeers.

This is very typical ... when I dropped off the guests at 00.30 am I checked the activity, since the forecast says something should come just before 1 am ... and there it was; A couple of strikes across the city in a huge gap.

So, I jumped off the bus and told 3 of my guests who was standing outside for a smoke, and they got little surprised, and didn`t really understand what I meant first ... eager as I am ... or maybe little Aurora Addicted ;)

I left my home already at 1 pm, since I should pick up my guests at 2 pm, so we had little daylight on the first part of this combo tour for see the fjords & mountains in daylight in the short window before the darkness came ... and it came earlier than I thought ...

First stop was at Kattfjordeidet for the mountain views ... then down to the fjord, where I like to show my guests https://lauklines.no which was my first home in Tromsø, after I got headhunted of owner Andreas, back in 2003 ...

I was planned to stay only 20 mins, but it became over the double since we got invited in for coffee, so when we finally arrived Sommarøy at 4.25 pm, the landscape was already dark ... so, that`s little pity ...

Then a stop at a beach with a lovely view towards the model of the Arctic Cathedral in Tromsø, the island Håja, which was the model for the Danish artist, in the ´60s.

The sky was lovely clear over Sommarøy, so I was hoping this should be the case, after our relaxing break at the hotel for some drinks & snacks ... but, not ...

So, we contiuned our drive or the chase for the better clear sky ... via Hella, where I had to show my guests the 4,500 years old rock carvings ...

And before we contiuned I checked the weather conditions, and when my colleagues was saying it was not good in the north ... NW of my home on Ringvassøya island, then I gambled little and trusted the weather forecast which was showing an opening further south at 10 pm.

55 km further south we stopped at a lovely view point over the fjord, and there was some gaps in the clouds ... and then it got better and better ... but, no sign of Lady Aurora ...

I was first planned to be back in the city at 11 pm, cause of the early start, but you know me ... I can`t really leave it ... so, I set camp fire and served my guests hot drink and lefse, a very good local sweet snacks.

And then we just relaxed around the camp fire, waited and had a good chat ... at 10.40 pm we left ...

... and that was good timing, since just 5 mins before a 50 seats bus joined us on the same spot ... and that´s too much people for me ... since I loathe human pollution out in the nature ...

October 25th - Private Aurora Chase

Guests / country: 15 guests from India.
Weather Tromsø: Clear.
Destination / weather: Grunnfjord / Soltinddalen valley / clear / some clouds.
Aurora activity: 6/10.
Aurora show: First a faint stripe low on the north sky, curls and spikes. And then a lovely pink dancing show.
Visible for the naked eyes: Green and pink.
Tour KM: 160.
Tour hours: 6,5.
Wildlife: 3 moose.

What`s wrong with the rental car tourists ?? We`re not any gods for find the Northern Lights !!

When we left the city I saw quickly it was a car driving to close up in the back of the bus ... I regret that I didn`t breaked hard, so they could get little problem to stop ...

After 35 km I decided to stop, and as I thought it was a rental car, because he slowed down and stopped on a small pocket just in front of us ... I jumped out and asked what he was doing ... `looking for Northern Lights` he said.

I just told him to stop to follow me ... the sky was clear where we stopped, so I just told him that they could see Aurora just from here. When we left, he stayed put ;)

It was quite windy on the SW coast, and since we should do Sommarøy the day after, I decided to drive far north as possible, where the forecast says no wind ...

So, we passed my house on Ringvassøya island, and went to the NW, where we was alone for a while, until the a couple of big buses arrived, but they have a location around the corner from where we was staying, so they shouldn`t bother us.

The activity was quiet in the beginning, so I just told my guests to build up good patience and wait and see.

After a while relaxing in the lovely temperatures, +10, and the little wind we had from east was warm, so it was a good evening out.

And then suddenly the activity builded up with lovely pink dancing curtains ... and this came out from nothing, since the Aurora forecast didn`t said anything good like this, but as we know, lady Aurora is a tricky lady.

I set camp fire and served my guests hot drinks and local sweet snacks.

Then my guests wanted to see an other location too, so we headed back towards the city, but since the clouds had arrived from the south and was already over my house, then we stayed in the north and went up in the mountains.

But, after the nice pink show then Lady Aurora took a break, so it was no more to see ...

So, we returned at 11.30 pm and along the way back we met three moose, which always is a highlight on the chase.

October 23rd - Private Aurora Chase

Guests / country: 1 guest from Australia.
Weather Tromsø: Clear / haze.
Destination / weather: Kvalsundet / Sørskaret / Clear / haze / some clouds.
Aurora activity: 5/10.
Aurora show: Several stripes across the sky, spikes, curls and dancing curtains.
Visible for the naked eyes: Green, white and faint pink.
Tour KM: 75.
Tour hours: 5.
Wildlife: One otter.

I was close to cancel tonight`s chase, since I waked up with a flu ... so, I checked with some of my colleagues if they could take it ...

But when they could`nt I just had to turn around my plan for a relaxed evening home ... postpone the start time with one hour, take me a shower and a quick good dinner and then drive out.

Not in perfect conditions since I was reduced, but I inform my guest about the case and he understood.

Cause of a early departure of the cruise ship, we had to be back at the cruise quay before 11.30 pm, so it was good that the best clear sky was on the coast, so we just headed 30 km north of the city.

I decided to stop on just this location cause I needed the nice heather down towards the sea, so I had a good relaxing spot if I should get worse ...

The activity started with a faint stripe from east and over the sky down in the ocean on blue sky, together with the sunset colors ... and then we got a nice show all over the sky ...

Decided to do a backtrack around 9.30 pm for give my guests an other photo shoot location, so we stopped in the mountains only 20 km north of the city, but Lady Aurora`s show was over ... so, we returned in good time so my guest could reach his ship in time ...

And that was good we left the first location in time, since the main road got blocked cause of a big bus didn`t manage do turn out from a larger parking spot, so the bus went down in the ditch, and closed at the same time the road.

And this is the third time this happened just on this place ... so, what`t wrong with the big bus drivers who can`t read the small roads well ...

It`s very pity for the guests onboard, plus the hundreds of other Aurora travelers who was blocked north of the location in several big buses, minibuses and vans ... and all the locals.

October 22nd

In a good cooperation with Stefan in NLT Guide Company !
Guests / country: 23 (!) guests from Indonesia.
Weather Tromsø: Clear.
Destination / weather: Sørskaret / clear / some clouds / haze.
Aurora activity: 9/10.
Aurora show: All over and far south, curls, spikes and intense dancing curtains, and coronas.
Visible for the naked eyes: Green and pink.
Tour KM: 30.
Tour hours: 3,5.

Such a crazy beautiful and insane dancing Aurora in pink !

The first plan was to make a first stop not too far north of the city, since we liked to check out what happened with the incoming clouds from the south, so we made a stop only 15 km NW of the city.

And the sky was much better than we first though, and the only clouds was further east of us ... and since the Aurora activity went quite fast towards the south sky, we couldn`t really leave ...

So, when I asked the group tour leader for what time they liked to be back in the city, they said 11 pm ... so, then I decided to stay where we was.

And that was good we didn`t drove further, since just short time after I had served hot drinks and snacks, then the south sky exploted with crazy good and insane Pink Aurora Rock`n`Roll ... so, the drink worked well ... again ;)

Since I am sometimes I tell my guests, that the drink is magic, so they will see a better Aurora later.

Normally I don`t like to have such a huge group out in the silence, so it was great to have Stefan with me, which has so many good stories and well knowledge about the space and the stars ...

After the great show, our guests liked to leave super early, cause of theirs very early bus to Finnish Lapland next morning, so it was lovely to return home before midnight.

October 10th

Chase no. 2,225
Guests / country: 4 guests from USA.
Weather Tromsø: Partly clear.
Destination / weather: Sommarøy / clear / leaving cloud bank from the coast.
Aurora activity: 9/10 (until 11 pm) ... 10/10 after midnight, when it began to dance ?
Aurora show: All over and far south, stripes, curls and little dancing curtains, plus several coronas.
Visible for the naked eyes: Green and red.
Tour KM: 115.
Tour hours: 6.
Space show: A couple of Orionids shooting stars (but, the majority of them came probably after midnight).

It was a easy chase tonight, but I got little surprised that we was close to alone out by the Sommarøy bridge, which is normally a very busy spot ... but, I guess most of the guides was afraid cause the little strange weather forecast nowadays.

The night before most of the guides headed for Sommarøy, since the weather forecast showed better sky later, but it didn`t happened, so therefore it was a huge rush of buses into the same area where I was with my guests.

We drove to my favorite location, where we also had good view towards the south and east too, plus the ocean view to NW and towards the bridge to W, which I like to include in my pictures.

And it didn`t go long time before we could see the beginning of how great and lovely this night should be, since only five mins after I parked the bus, we got the first strike of purple Aurora across the blue bright sky.

And then just before 8 pm the whole south sky began to be purple and red ... rest of the story you can watch soon on GuideGunnar`s FB page.

After a crazy beautiful evening out, I let my guests from Boston, USA decide which time they liked to return, so we left at 11 pm ... and while we drove back to the city the Lady begin to dance, but close to the city we drove into the clouds ...

October 9th

Guests / country: 6 guests from Switzerland and USA.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / incoming clear sky from south.
Destination / weather: Malangen / part clear / haze / clear.
Aurora activity: 7/10.
Aurora show: All over and far south, curls, spikes and dancing curtains. And a small corona.
Visible for the naked eyes: Green and little pink.
Tour KM: 130.
Tour hours: 6.
Space show: Several good and bright shooting stars, so I guess it was the beginning of the Orionids meteor show.

Of course ... and this is very typical ... it has pappening before ... we left, and then tonight`s greatest show started ...

But, my guests was happy for the first wave of tonight`s perfomance by Lady Aurora, so then I am happy too ;)

Was first planned to drive straight out on the coast, since the weather forecast showed quite good conditions out there later (but, it didn`t happened; cloudy all night), so I followed instead the clear opening towards south, and I drove little extra since there was no activity, and the sky too bright for see anything.

So, I headed to a lovely location into the country side to a hill where it`s a lovely wide view towards south, since something big was forecasted this weekend, and then it`s good to have a open view this way.

It was quite chilly outdoors with a lot of moisture in the air, so I lit the camp fire so my guests could stay warmer.

First I was thinking about to stay here a short time, and then drive via the coast again, but when the activity began around 8 pm, we couldn`t really leave since the activity got better and better, and after checking our private sky cameras out on the coast it didn`t got better out there, and the sky at our spot was quite good all evening.

My guests got cold so they went into the bus to warm up, but when the Northern Lights went to the south sky and it began to move, then I had to get them out, and then we had a great moment in about one hour.

Just before 11 pm my guests was happy, so I am not saying no thanks to a early evening home, so we left 15 mins later ... and then 10 mins later the big show started with intense dancing ...

Along the road back towards the city, it was buses anywhere ... so, I guess they first choosed the coast, but had to escape into the country side ... and not everyone has understand our main rule as a Aurora Guide; Never stop at private land ! since several buses had parked by private sea houses along the fjord ...

October 6th - Private Aurora Chase Dinner

Guests / country: 2 guests from USA.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / rain.
Destination / weather: Finnish Lapland +45 km / part clear / clear.
Aurora activity: 7/10.
Aurora show: All over and towards south, spikes, curls and dancing curtains.
Visible for the naked eyes: Bright green and little pink.
Tour KM: 400.
Tour hours: 9.
Space show: Several nice shooting stars.

Still on summer tyres and the forecast showed maybe snow on the border into Finnish Lapland, so I was little nervous to drive that way ... but, there we went ...

In 160 km we drove through heavy rain and partly quite windy, but when we crossed over Finland highest mountain pass ... it`s not a mountain, but a hill on 565 m.asl. then the sky was close to 100% clear, and when we came closer to my planned location we got a bright Aurora show over the bus while we was driving.

It could be nice to stay on the beach by the river border to Sweden, but since we came little delayed out from the city, it was too many guides before us at this spot, so we contiuned little more, and found a nice place where I only had been one time before.

I was planned to begin to set up my kitchen, but Lady Aurora was quite active, so I shoot a lot of pics before I began to act as a chef ... and during the dinner the sky got little more quiet, so that`s good, but just after the activity builded up again.

And when we left just before midnight, then the Aurora forecast showed a bigger show which should happen after 15-20 mins, so we didn´t came far before I had to do one more stop ... and then we got tonight`s best show with dancing curtains in green and pink.

Returned to the city 03.30.

October 3rd

Guests / country: 2 guests from Taiwan and Norway.
Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
Destination / weather: Øvergård / Nordneset / part clear / haze.
Aurora activity: 3/10 (6/10 ? which we missed)
Aurora show: Several stripes across the sky, curtains, spikes and curls, but faint.
Visible for the naked eyes: White, hit of green.
Tour KM: 300.
Tour hours: 8,5.
Wildlife: Three moose.

Tonight my only paid guest got little extra service, and I got little more knowledge of the sky, stars and constellations, since I let a Astro scientist follow on the chase, and it went into a real chase where we had to search for the best clear in cooperation with my very good colleague Stefan in NLT Guide Company, and checking our private sky cameras a lot.

And Vegard, the Astro guy, showed us the Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 780 kiloparsecs (2,500,000 light-years; 2.4 × 10¹? kilometers) from Earth. Plus several stars and the details on the moon, with the telescope he bringed with him.

I was first thinking about to stay on the coast, but since all my colleagues went into the country side I choosed to follow in theirs path, but still it went to a little tricky one, and the Aurora activity was very low, so I didn`t had so much hope for this evening out.

First we stopped 80 km south of the city, where the sky was beautiful clear so there it was perfect conditions for use the telescope for a better sight of the stars, but of course the clouds arrived after an hour, so we had to begin to chase, and I choosed to head north ...

Passed many guides who had set camp fires along the Lyngen Fjord, but with only a small gap in the clouds I decided to go further north, since one of the cameras showed the best clear sky closer to Skjervøy.

But, at the same time, one of my colleagues decided to head south, so I wanted to be in the middle, so the drive wasn`t too far to drive, if I got a good message from Stefan.

When we arrived to the spot between Lyngen- and Kåfjord, we got little Aurora in a huge hole towards east, and suddenly the overcasted sky over the fjord opened and we got more Northern Lights all over, but it was quite faint, but it looked good on pics.

I set camp fire and we relaxed in the silence on this quite warm evening with temp around 10 degrees plus, and just loaded up with patience, since the Aurora forecast showed nothing ... but, then we got an little better Bz minus than before, but it shouldn`t arrive before at around 1 am ...

And we got little better Aurora from about midnight, but I pressed the time little more, so we stayed to 00.40 am since my guests was happy for the little we had got and was tired, after a long day with traveling to Tromsø at the same day ... but it was pity we didn`t stayed little more, since when we was inside the cloudy area after ten mins drive, then the best show begins ...

I stopped for check the sky, but it was only a small hole with some faint Aurora in, so I contiuned the long drive back to the city ... but, this remind me again about the one o`clock rule; Stay always little over 1 am !

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