Menesjarvi – Wilderness Auroras during the Finnish Autumn

Aurora Zone, 4 nights, flying Finnair from Heathrow

This is my last attempt to see the Northern Lights as not a sign of them on my trip to Iceland last winter!

Aurora Zone were very helpful and include detailed information about what to pack depending on the time of year and type of trip. Euros are accepted everywhere in Finland, and they have better WiFi reception than we do at home in Wales. 

September is the Finnish ‘Ruska’ season, autumn, nights drawing in and trees  changing to vibrant orange and gold - perfect for intense reflections in the calm stillness of Lake Minesjarvi. Surprising to think of seeing the Northern Lights at this time of year, but here in the northern-most part of Finnish Lapland, well within the Arctic Circle, the Aurora Borealis is seen from mid-August. 

Sami herders have lived in this region for centuries, the importance of their cultural heritage recognized more fully now at nearby Slida museum in Inari. With visits to see husky dogs, reindeer, wood-craft in local forest, and a session on how best to photograph the Northern Lights, it is a packed itinerary that also gives a few time-slots to just relax, explore (no shops in walking distance), or take in the beautiful surroundings.

We stayed at Hotel Korpikartano on the edge of Lake Minesjarvi, originally a boarding school now converted to comfortable wood-pannelled bedrooms, lounge area and dining room. It is very remote, but a perfect location with no light-pollution to hinder the look-out for the Lights. This is a lovely warm, comfortable hotel that provides real home-cooked food using many local ingredients such as mushrooms from the nearby woods.

After a lovely home-cooked meal, we had a session on how to set up a camera for the best shots. Mine is a digital camera, a good one but not easy to change settings. We were given a tripod each as it needs a longer exposure for night-time shots. For those who want the details – 800 or 1600 ISO, 5-15 seconds exposure time, focus on infinity with Autofocus off (I think!). A good start to the trip.

There are many different types of lichen and moss on the ground and trees nearby, adding to the diet of roaming reindeer. There are four resident reindeer in this area. It is also fungi land, fantastically-shaped mushrooms and toadstools everywhere. We had a great guide, very knowledgeable, and I can confirm that we now know the difference between reindeer and moose droppings…

Back to the hotel for lunch in the little hut next to the lake. With coffee and tea brewed over the open fire, we cooked our large reindeer/pork sausages enjoyed with bread and mustard.Free time, dinner, then out to find best spot near the lake to catch sight of the Lights as the sky was clearer today. 

Beautiful reflections as sun setting, very dark by 11.15 pm when something started to form across the lake. Yes! Two shapes across the sky, green, growing stronger with perfect reflections in the lake. Excellent.