The search for the Northern Lights now starts in earnest. But the weather outlook doesn’t look good.

Alta is 400km north of the Arctic Circle and 2200 km short of the North Pole. There are 20,000 or so people living here and it is the largest city north of the Arctic Circle.

In contrast Tasmania is 5,400km north of the South Pole and there is nothing except penguins, seals and whales etc between there and the Pole. A few scientists and the like huddle in expedition accommodation during the year.

We were due to arrive around midday, but fortunately we were three hours early and the sun was out. Some blue sky as well. So we headed ashore for a wander. Not a lot seems to happen in Alta tourist wise. The tourist bureau has some town maps and an array of souvenirs, Allthego picks up the usual couple of postcards and an Alta stamp to go on them! Bit different to the usual stamp.

We happen to stumble onto the start of day two of the annual dog sled races. Day before was the big race, 1600 km. Day twos’ races are shorter, one of 600km and the other 400km (these distances are from recall may not be exact).

People line the race way start, seems to be a very popular event! Bit of dancing, cheerleader type stuff to introduce the races.

As the morning went on the clouds began to come in, there was a threat of snow overnight. We headed back to the ship for a late lunch and ready ourselves for our own dog sledding experience up in the hills in the late afternoon. This was really super stuff, we were broken into three groups that went off for 40 minutes or so sledding along behind teams of 8 dogs, fortunately we had a dedicated musher.

Back and forth along some tracks through a lightly treed valley beside a river, curiously a golf course in Summer! The dogs were really special, very sociable and excited to be pulling the sleds.

Would do it again. We finished up at dusk, about 7pm. Quite cold and the snow had started to blow around.

Next day we took in a short tour around the town and visited the local museum, focussed particularly on some old rock carvings/engravings dating back for 2,000 to 7,000 years. Pre viking times. Little is known about who did them and where the people ultimately went.

Later the Alta Cathedral called, a Lutheran church, which has a focus on engaging with visitors. A really good video was shown on the Northern Lights, some great photography.

Back at the ship we had dinner before leaving for Paeskatun at 8pm. This was probably the last throw of the dice for seeing the Northern Lights. Paeskatun is up in the mountains behind Alta and is famous for its slate….. best slate in the world some say. But this time we hope to see the lights, not the slate.

It’s cold up on the mountain, sleet is interrupted by snow and the skies remain clouded. Little chance of seeing any lights. Instead we huddle in some huts and hear tales from the past about slate and the lights. Have a couple of hotdogs and coffee while we wait. A local Sami chap visits for a look and brings a reindeer, poor animal seems to have no interest in amusing the onlookers!

The night drew to an end with more sleet and snow and no lights, all a little disappointed.

Back to the ship for a midnight sail away for Tromso.