Five Days in the Far North: A Day-by-Day Itinerary

This is the trip I'd plan again. It isn't a checklist, and I'd be suspicious of anyone who says theirs is. Think of it as a frame with the middle left open, because the weather will decide the middle.

You'll want at least five nights. Four is workable. Three is a gamble you might enjoy anyway, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone who has come a long way.

The days

Day one: arrive, do nothing. Take the night train if you can. Arrive at dawn, sleep until noon, walk to the end of the road and back. Eat a large dinner. Go to bed early, because the schedule from here is set by the sky.

Day two: the short light. Be outside by first grey. Walk slowly, carry a flask, and use the few hours of daylight for whatever you came to see. Come home for soup. Check the cloud forecast at dusk.

Day three: a sauna evening. Learn the house rules and keep them. Read the etiquette notes before you go in. Afterwards, step out into the dark with your robe on and look up. This is often the evening the sky surprises people.

Day four: the long walk, or the long sleep. Choose by how tired you are. A winter day outdoors is more tiring than it looks. If the cloud is thick, stay in and read, and don't feel guilty. If it's clear, nap in the afternoon and set an alarm for ten.

Day five: leave room. Keep this day empty. If the lights haven't appeared, it's your best chance. If they have, it's a quiet goodbye. Either way, pack slowly.

The gear list

• Base layers: two sets, thin wool or synthetic

• Warm layer: one thick fleece or wool jumper

• Shell: windproof, with a hood that fits over a hat

• Hands: mittens plus liner gloves, one spare pair of liners

• Feet: insulated boots, half a size up, two pairs of socks

• Head: a warm hat and a neck tube

• Light: a head torch with a red setting

• Camera: a tripod, two spare batteries, a lens cloth

• Extras: thermos, lip balm, hand warmers

For the full reasoning behind the list, see Packing for Deep Cold.

About the sky

I won't promise it. I wrote about forecasts for a reason. Check the cloud before the activity number, and choose a place where you can simply open a door and step out.

On our own trip, the best night was our fifth, at ten past midnight, with the temperature falling and the whole valley holding its breath. I'd given up and gone to put the kettle on. Liv knocked on the door. That's all it took.

A last word

Leave a little slack in everything. The trains run on time, the host makes soup, the snow keeps coming. The one thing that can't be scheduled is the thing you came for. If it appears, you'll be glad you were outside. If it doesn't, you'll have had five very quiet days in a place that rewards attention. More about the guesthouse is on the about page, and you can find more travel notes under Field Notes.