There's more to the Arctic than just the Northern Lights

We landed in Rovaniemi just after mid day and the sun was already setting. I'd been planning this trip for months and was trying to stay realistic about the slim chances of seeing the night sky dance. I'd planned the trip with activities in mind, so if our hunt wasn't fruitful we'd still have a few good adventures. And all I can say is, thank goodness that was the plan, because the lights chose not to play for the naked eye, but we do have some epic stories to tell.

Have you ever heard of an icebreaker boat? I hadn't until about a year ago when some fellow traveler friends posted about their trip. I started to do some research. While there are many icebreaker boats in the world, only a few allow for tourist passengers and only two of those are in the Arctic. We chose to do the day-long excursion to Kalix, Sweden. The van picked us up at our hotel around 7 am and we started the three hour journey across the border from Finland into Sweden. We arrived just as the first bit of light began to peak through the trees. The reflection off the snow gave the illusion that it was a good deal lighter than it actually was.

We boarded the boat and found our way to the top deck at the front of the boat before any others. We picked the best spot and as we set sail the sun popped over the horizon. The boat crashed through the thick ice and the bright shades of pink, red and orange blinded us as they bounced off the frozen Baltic Sea. The wind was cold and harsh on our faces but we didn't care. The enjoyment of watching the boat crash through the ice below us was distracting and we were mesmerized. After about a 30 minute journey the boat stopped and the lights in the main cabin went dark. There seemed to be a bit of panic among the crew members who were scurrying around in the direction of the control rooms. We were told not to worry; all would be sorted, but you can't help but ponder how would we manage in a sea of broken ice in the middle of the Arctic. A good long twenty minutes passed when the lights returned, the engine rumbled and everyone cheered. Once again, we were off! We never found out what was the issue, but we didn't mind. We knew we were safe.

The next time the boat slowed we noticed the ice had changed. We were no longer breaking through a path that had been predetermined. We were forging our own way! We were breaking through a thick floor of ice approximately 8 - 10 inches deep. The boat would slide it's "nose" onto the ice until it broke and then the thick chunks would push the broken sheets out of the way. (facebook.com/thissoutherngirl). Slowly the boat moved forward and then stopped. The crew began lowering the walk away and a member of the staff yelled "who wants to swim?" We took the swimming in turns and explored the vast icy landscape while we waited. The snow on top of the thick ice was almost a foot deep in places but could be easily scraped away to reveal the frozen floor to which we were entrusting our lives. Around the front of the boat we could see the broken ice and realised just how amazing this boat really was. I was standing in front of a massive ship in the middle of a frozen ocean. I really felt as if I was walking on water.

When it was our turn to swim we traded our shoes and coats for big orange swim gear which encased our whole bodies except our faces. We waddled out to a small path of ocean which had been exposed by the boat's awakening. The boat attendants snapped dog leashes (I'm not kidding. Really!) on our suits and slowly dropped us in the water. The suit made us bob up and down and was quite tricky to maneuver. I was determined not to just float and found a way to keep my legs down. I began to wonder what was lurking in the dark water below and decided maybe bobbing along the top wasn't so bad after all.

Five minutes later our time was up and we were directed back to the ship to change back into our normal gear. Once everyone was again safely aboard the ship we began to make our journey back to shore. On the way out to sea we had seen the sun rise, on the way home we saw the sun set. The colours were just as vibrate as the morning. The day trip ended with a traditional Swedish meal and the long ride back to Finland. The day and experience is one I will not soon forget.

Our next adventure combined the search for the auroras and extreme snowmobiling all in one. We joined a tour which took our snowmobiles along a frozen river, through dark snowy woods, to a clearing with a small camp fire. The journey out was a slow one. A little too slow for our adventurous natures, so during the hot snack of hot dogs and hot chocolate, warmed by the fire, we mentioned to our guide the need for more speed. He suggested we gather behind his snowmobile on the way back and he'd see what he could do. And that is exactly what we did. He lead us away from the group and out of the woods. When we reached the icy river tundra he jumped off his snowmobile and changed the settings on ours to allow for more speed. "Are you ready to go?" He asked. "YES!" We replied. And we were off. I was in the back while Bestie drove. The wind was stringing my face and I was holding on to the sides will all my strength as we hit bumps that would send us flying through the air and cut corners sending us onto one side. It was magnificent and thrilling. When we finally slowed down Bestie exclaimed "I can't believe we were just going over 90 mph hour on a frozen river!" "90 mph!" I repeated. "I'm actually glad I didn't know that, but man I'm so glad we did it."

We weren't lucky enough to see the Northern Lights by our naked eyes, but we did get a picture of a faint green glow. We also had two really amazing experiences that will last us a lifetime. And it just means we'll have to head back to the Arctic again to take another stab at seeing the night's sky dance!

Want to book this trip?

White Icebreaker Adventure

Nordic Unique Travels

www.nordictravels.eu

Search for the Aurora Borealis on Snowmobile

Lapland Safaris

www.laplandsafaris.com

#Finland #IcebreakerBoat #Arctic #Travel #Adventure #BreakingIce