Be Excellent To Each Other

In case the Super Fun With Fancy Dress New Year Party Cottage 2012/2013 does not go ahead with my friends that aren't you (no, Zardoz, not you) this year, I suppose I should begin to make alternative arrangements for my own entertainment*. Entertainment that doesn't involve me crying next to a karaoke machine in an empty bar as beer cans roll across the floor. I'm not my mother.

After giving it literally seconds of thought, I have decided that I can put aside my "War on Snow" for a short period of time, and go and see the Northern Lights (No, Zardoz, you're not the first to do that, that was a lap dancer with flashing labial piercings). Has anyone ever done a trip like this? Questions follow:

1) Are they on all the time?
2) Is it going to be cold in winter at high latitudes?
3) How cold?
4) I wish to eat a reindeer. Is this possible?
5) I would also like to see a whale. Is this possible?
6) How much are we looking at?
7) I want a sleigh ride, too. is this posisble?
I want a go on a dog sled. Will the dogs eat me?
9) Is there a risk of a terroist attack?
10) It's going to be hella expensive, isn't it?


I thank you for your indulgence.

*also, because of stupid fucking weddings, and shit like that, the chances of MrsA and I going anywhere before 27th December is highly unlikely

I dont know how much it would help but it might give you some idea if you have a read of Bill Bryson's "Neither Here nor There" which starts with him taking a trip to see the Aurora Borealis in Hammersomething (Norway)

** Edit ** - very old CNN article about holidays to see them

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/DEST ... index.html

and it says the place BB went to was "Hammerfest" - and following the link from that CNN article gets you here

http://www.hurtigruten.us/norway/NorthernLights/

Prices seem be be around $1000 per person for the 6 day cruise leaving norway on the 27th of December

It's good it's at the beginning of the book. Thanks. I probably have a copy of it somewhere.

OhhOhh! I can get the Eurostar to Hell, then work form there!

Is one of the forum people in Sweden, I forget which one. As he never mentions it!

Yes you can eat reindeer, I've done it they are delicious.
And you can ride a sledge.

I have never seen the lights so I don't know about them really, but Sweden is expensive. Probably about £250 return for the cheapest flights, hotel very expensive. And the northern lights are far north so yes in winter it will be cold, can be as much as -30degreees C.
But last winter wasn't so bad, so you never know. Whales are a Norwegian thing, so not in sweden... Erm that's about all I know

Some of my friends did this, not so long ago. I'm going to answer your questions based on a brief chat with them and looking at their pictures on the Facebook.

1) Are they on all the time?
No, they aren't always visible, some people are unlucky enough to go all that way and not see anything apparently. Still, it would be an ace holiday anyway.

2) Is it going to be cold in winter at high latitudes?
Yeah, looked it in their pictures.

3) How cold?
*Fucking*

4) I wish to eat a reindeer. Is this possible?
I would hope so.

5) I would also like to see a whale. Is this possible?
Depending on the time of year, should be.

6) How much are we looking at?
I can ask them. They did a cruise type thing too, it wasn't cheap.

7) I want a sleigh ride, too. is this posisble?
Yes

I want a go on a dog sled. Will the dogs eat me?
My chums did, and still have all their fingers and bits attached. The dogs are terribly smelly and not nice like pets though.

9) Is there a risk of a terroist attack?
Pretty much guaranteed, but pack your SPAS-12 and stay frosty and you'll make it back to the extraction point.

10) It's going to be hella expensive, isn't it?
I think there are affordable options. My friends aren't minted by any means. Depends on the level of comfort to which you are accustomed I suppose.

No need to thank me for being such a big help, chap.

I've always wanted to see the aurora, I do hope that one day I am able to.

Your Mum's A Roarer.

Bor I like it.

Excellent help, chaps! Thank you. Even you, Z to the Z via ayarrdeeoh!

You are most welcome.

I might be making this up, but isn't the intense cold in places like that meant to be bearable because it's a more dry type of cold, or something?

I may have mentioned this before, but my dream engagement scenario is a trip to the ice hotel, with a nighttime trip out on a dog pulled sled to a good viewing area for the northern lights, where a picnic would be set up with champagne and as the lights danced across the sky, I would be presented with a beautiful emerald cut engagement ring.

Some of the packages here look wonderful. Some ski catalogues have decent sounding packages as well. One of the brochures I have (I can't remember which one) includes an excursion to glass topped cabins with double beds for a night where hopefully you see the lights.

Bleeding thawing hands & faces in the Baltic says you've made it up picked it up wrong. If there's low humidity any sweat evaporates quickly & cools you. Hence wearing as few layers as possible while still staying warm is the order of the day.


Ask Dr Lave about his holiday to see it, pretty sure it was him what went.


For a chance to see it without leaving the country keep an eye on http://www.spaceweather.com/ , https://twitter.com/BGSauroraAlert & https://twitter.com/Aurora_Alerts the aurora's been seen from as far down as South Wales in the last few months.* So if you can find a clear view to the northern sky & get away from light pollution you've a chance of seeing it when there's a big storm.

This'll give you an idea of how strong you need the storm to be before you've a chance of seeing it.


Nickachu is around the Kp3 line so fuck knows how he's no seen it
*Cannae mind if that was a decent show or just the lines along the horizon that you can see if you're a wee bit further south than the oval.

I've gone off the idea now....

It's alright, I wouldn't be going with you. I promise I won't tell Mrs A either

Of course you won't. Let me know when I need to start packing.

It's cold at night in the winter when it's dark here. The summer is just constant daylight so there's no chance of seeing it now!