Norway
Once on the mountain road the Arctic Circle is about forty minutes driving, still heading North our next destination will be Alta. This beautiful town is famous for the annual arctic dog sled race held in the month of February. From Alta there is a long drive all the way to Honningsvag ..Here we will have the opportunity to spend a day sightseeing, sampling the local delicacies or just relaxing in this remarkable fishing town, before the final leg of the journey to Nordkapp. Due to the inclement weather and density of snowfall in winter, roads are dangerous. The only way to seek passage is by following the local snowplough. This runs twice a day and usually we follow in convoy.
Part 2 of this epic journey - On the return leg we turn East from Alta and head for Finland traveling through the Finnish forest en route to Sweden and to one of the most spectacular hotels in the world... THE ICE HOTEL .... This is situated at the village of Jukkasjärvi, about 17 km from Kiruna, Sweden, This particular hotel was the world's first ice hotel, built in 1989.
Join Compass Adventures on our quest to chase down the Aurora Borealis " Northern Lights" with our extensive knowledge of cold weather adventures, I ran my first Arctic Norway trip back in 2008 and have returned every year since with a group willing to take on this challenge of a life time.. Our export knowledge of cold weather exploration and Arctic camping is second to none, Compass adventures leads others follow in this field.............. Join the adventure with Compass adventures.
The trip is a total of seventeen days and we will need every one of them . The accommodation en route are motels especially whilst traveling up through Denmark and once we reach Norway log cabins and camp sites. We will hopefully be able to pitch our tents along the way in some camps sites but there are log cabins available for those not keen on braving the elements. Just prior to the beginning of the Arctic Plato there is the opportunity to stay at the last motel on the south side of the Arctic Circle, where you will use the same rooms as Joanna Lumley and other celebrities.
From here we head to a small firm in Sweden that make handmade axes and have been making these elaborate and unique axes for over a 100 years. Gränsfors Bruks AB has built up a business based around handcrafted axes and axe expertise, with a focus on quality and environmental responsibility. Today thirty people work in production and sales. 80% of the production is exported to 30 countries.
When it comes to the quality and feel of the axes, much depends on the experience and skill of the individual craftsman. Each axe is signed with the smith’s initials as a guarantee of quality.
The company is located in the Swedish village of Gränsfors in northern Hälsingland, around 10 km west of the E4 motorway between Hudiksvall and Sundsvall. The forge sits at the heart of the village and you can hear the rhythmic pounding as you approach.
The axe forge is open weekdays from 9 am to 3 pm and is well worth a visit to see the axes being forged, sharpened, tempered and fitted with handles.
In addition to the forge and a factory shop, there is an axe museum and during the summer months a restaurant, café and craft courses in subjects such as forging and log-building.
I visit every year and I am amazed every time I go. The group will also lodge here as they have some rooms we can use in the village. They are basic but warm with a shower. the return leg back to Blighty will take us through Sweden,. The Øresund Bridge is the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe and connects two major metropolitan areas: Copenhagen, the Danish capital city,and the Swedish city of Malmö. It connects the road and rail networks of the Scandinavian Peninsula with those of Central and Western Europe. A data cable also makes the bridge the backbone of internet data transmission between central Europe and Sweden/Finland.
The cost of the midi expedition is £4200
00 for one vehicle and one driver.
Additional adult surcharge passengers £650
Additional child surcharge passengers £300
Tour only cost is £1800
Artic Norway Adventures Dates
27/dec/2019/20 full
16days
Whats included
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Suitable for all 4×4’s
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Qualified 4×4 tour guides
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All guides are trained Lantra 4x4 driving instructors
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All ferries with cabins/restaurant
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All Hotels
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Ice hotel stay
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Swedish Axe factory Tour
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Local knowledge of the lanes and area
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Family friendly atmosphere,
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Meet like minded people
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Camping cost included
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Fully guided tour
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Full technical support
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Lead vehicle with full medical kit ,recovery kit and iridium sat phone
Artic Norway
Artic Norway Adventures
Booking Form
Temperatures expected
Compass adventures difficulty rating
-15deg
-20deg
-10deg
-05 deg
0 deg
+05deg
+10deg
+15deg
+25deg
+30deg
+35deg
+40deg
+45deg
+20deg
The temperatures here can be extreme in winter 95% of the time it will below freezing and expect night time temperatures to be well below -13.5 °C .
Driving skills needed
Beginner
Average
Below average
Above Average
Expert
Very long days driving so we can cover the distance ( 8-9 hour days ) .Due to the nature of the enviroment and the extreme cold, You will be driving on ice for 95% of the time. Your winter driving skills will be put to the test.if you do not like winter driving this expedition is not for you !!
Accommadation/Camping
Camping
50 / 50
Hotels - b/b
Accommodation will be a mixture of hotels, log cabins and for those who would like to use a tepee or a tent for camping we will find suitable arias for it .65% of this trip will be hotels or cabins
Campsites
Wild Camping
Basic Farm Campsite
Well equipped Farmsite
Campsite
Professional campsite
Campsites will be basic on this trip is not harsh ,wild camping is also likely when we fined a suitable place.camping on this trip is not suitable for your children.
Vehicle preparation
Winter tyres are the biggest and most important modification you can make on your vehicle for this expeditions,I would also recommend an engine preheater such as Webatso thermo topC. Its also very important to make sure the vehicle batteries are in good order.
"Even though Honningsvåg is located at the northernmost extreme of Europe, it has a subarctic climate, thanks to the Gulf Stream. Also, there is no permafrost because the mean annual temperature is 2 °C (36 °F). The July 24-hour average temperature is just over 10 °C (50 °F). Weather in winter is softened by the ice-free ocean, and the average temperature is not as low as that of most other locations around this latitude. In fact, winters at Honningsvåg are warmer than those of Oslo Airport, "
