Spectacular Northern Lights in Lapland
Vicki from our office was in Finnish Lapland last week checking hotels for our Northern Lights Holidays – she had an exceptional evening under the aurora borealis.
30 November 2011 – After getting kitted out in my thermal snowsuit and equally fetching accessories I headed out to the snowmobiles with the rest of my group. A quick, but comprehensive lesson later we mounted our steeds and were ready for the off. As my thumb depressed the accelerator trigger my anticipation built with the noise of the engine and then we were off. Slowly to start with we headed along the trails into the forest, under bridges and across frozen lakes, the only lights to guide us coming from the full beam of the headlights. As we increased our speed, the cold blast of air hit the only exposed flesh of my cheeks and I was suddenly grateful for my fetching thermal attire which was more than doing its job. The heated handle grips helped, as did the warm juice during our mid-safari break and it was here in the darkness of the wilderness that we first saw the faint glow of the silent northern lights. Back on board and with twice the confidence we hit the throttle and were off on our homeward journey. A quick pit stop in the middle of the forest to let the others catch up resulted in an unforgettable experience, as above us the night sky came alive with the most incredible aurora display. Vivid green bands of light danced in the sky creating swirls and waves before the colours faded only to emerge again in a new location. As the colours turned from green to red to a hue of blue I lay on my snowmobile, head resting on the handle bars and lost myself in the silence of the moment, knowing that this could possibly be a once in a lifetime experience. And it is one I will never forget.
photo taken from the snowmobile
Tags: aurora borealis, northern lights holidays, snowmobiling, winter activity holidays
