Northern lights should come with a warning label, “Expect long waits in the cold and crushing disappointment if the lights do not appear.” I tried to increase our odds by planning the trip in February, selecting a hotel in the far north of Finland (No.1 on TripAdvisor at that time), and staying four full nights, but it didn’t work. I am just grateful it wasn’t a complete failure!
First Night: A Faint Glimmer
Nellim Wilderness Hotel has an aurora alarm (10 euros for 4 nights), which turned out to be a Nokia phone. We signed up for it upon arrival. Lo and behold, the alarm actually went off that very night.
We shot up, scrambled into our warm clothes and dashed out (Side note: My hair was still damp from the shower and it actually froze during our time out!) Outside, we peered intently at the sky but could only see grey swirls that were almost indistinguishable from clouds. Only with long exposure on the camera could we confirm that there was indeed aurora activity in the sky.
Second Night: Nothing
This night was spent in the hotel’s aurora bubble. There had been heavy snowfall and cloudy skies (unfavourable conditions) most of the day. Although the weather did clear up by night time, the lights did not appear.
Third Night: Lone Streaks
We signed up for a night activity called Aurora Camp. This activity brings one on a sledge ride to a campsite on Lake Inari with no light pollution. The sky was still partially cloudy at 8 pm, the set-off time. The guide advised us to look out for stars. There is hope so long as stars are visible.
At the campsite, we dragged the reindeer hides off the sledge to act as mats. The guide set up a fire, tossed in the berry juice kettle, passed around marshmallows to toast on branches and we settled down for the wait.
It was a long wait. One hour slowly crept into two. Everyone kept glancing at the sky. Some made little burrows in the snow so that they could lie on their backs and stare directly at the sky.
Just when the guides said we should leave as it was getting late, a bright green light suddenly blazed across the sky like a shooting star. It was like a shot of adrenaline to our sluggish bodies. Everyone jumped to their feet and cheered. We watched the sole streak curve and dance a little, before fading off into the night 15 minutes later. It was beautiful but far from the amazing spectacle we were hoping for.
After it was apparent no other lights were appearing, we packed up and left. Midway through the sledge ride back, another light (much paler but still distinct) streaked above us, as though in farewell.
Final Night: No Luck Still
The sky was cloud-free, for the first time in our entire stay, but we remained out of luck. After a couple of hours out in an icy-cold field, we gave up and returned to our cabin.
Moral of the Story
Pick a place where there are other activities which appeal to you. We had such a great time in Nellim, the weak aurora display almost didn’t matter.
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