Tromsø doesn’t look much different at 9 AM than it did at midnight. It is still dark outside, the stars are shining and nearly every light in town is turned on. We are in Norway, about 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle and it is surprisingly warm along the water, about 20°F. This winter is supposed to be a peak of solar activity and the NOAA website predicted that the Northern Lights would be visible over Tromsø this week. So here we are!
The storm system that is bashing the area delayed our flight from Zurich to Oslo and almost caused us to miss the connection to Tromsø. Even though Norway is part of the EU we had to claim our bags and pass through customs in Oslo, which added to the frustration. Luckily the Tromsø flight was also delayed and we made it to the hotel near the airport about midnight.
Preparing for the cold
Even with the favorable NOAA forecast and clear skies, seeing the Aurora Borealis is still a crapshoot, which is why we're staying for 5 days. We booked a trip to Camp Tamok, 100 km SE of Tromsø, far removed from the light pollution of the city. And everything else! With temperatures dipping to -20°C (-5°F) we suited up in felt-lined boots, double mittens and insulated jumpsuits and followed Reetta into the white wilderness.
The Aurora Borealis
When our eyes adjusted to the darkness we could see a green glow on the northern horizon, the aurora. As the night progressed, the lights grew brighter, then dimmed, they flared and danced forming curtains and ribbons from horizon to horizon. The experience was definitely worth every kroner even if the photos are a bit blurred. A tripod would have been a good idea but not good enough to warrant carrying it for years.
Ribbons of light from horizon to horizon
After three hours in the sub-zero cold we joined the snowmobilers and dogsledders - why anyone would go snowmobliing or dogsledding at night in arctic cold is beyond me - for steaming bowls of reindeer soup and hot tea in the yurt. An open fire warmed the yurt enough to take off gloves and hats but not much else. And we kept venturing outside for just one more peek at the sky. It was after midnight when we arrived back in Tromsø, just in time to catch the last bus back to our hotel.
Afternoon in downtown Tromsø
Everything is outrageously expensive in Norway and the Scandic Hotel was the cheapest we could find. It is a $7 bus ride to the town center but just a short walk to the mall and a well-stocked grocery store. There isn’t much to see in Tromsø, not only because daytime lasts for only 3 hours and the sun never actually makes an appearance. The streets are plowed but still snow covered; it won’t melt until May. So we have been hanging around the hotel and getting most of our meals at the Spar grocery store.
