T3 - UK (2020-12)

WARMING

WINTER

GEAR

TRIP THE LIGHT FANTASTIC

22 T3 DECEMBER 2020

Horizon

Travel

GO FOR AN AURORA TOUR

Hunker down in comfortable surroundings while gazing skyward to

behold the northern lights, one of nature’s most dazzling spectacles

The northern lights are expected to be

fantastically bright this winter, thanks

partly to cleaner, clearer skies, so why not

take an aurora-borealis-themed adventure?

Here’s where to watch the greatest light

show on the planet.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming

you have to head overseas to admire the

aurora borealis. The dark skies above

Northumberland National Park earned the

region its Dark Sky Park designation in 2013,

and it’s a great spot to observe the Northern

Lights. We recommend basing yourself at

Bardon Mill’s Twice Brewed Inn

(twicebrewedinn.co.uk), with its packed

calendar of stargazing events and team of

aurora experts. This wonderfully cosy hotel

even has its own observatory on-site.

If you’re keen to head further afield,

consider Finland’s remote Kakslauttanen

Arctic Resort (kakslauttanen.fi), where

you can bed down in a glass dome. A

spectacular winter wonderland in the far

north of the country, the resort has ice

igloos and log cabins too, and if the lights

don’t come out to play, there are plenty of

ways to pass the time, including snowmobile

safaris, ice fishing lessons and cross-country

skiing excursions.

Slightly more accessible is Tromsø in

northern Norway (visitnorway.com). This

beautiful, tiny city offers the best of both

worlds – the thick tracts of wilderness that

surround it make it a great base for aurora-

spotting excursions, and there’s plenty to do

in the city itself. Check out the Arctic

Cathedral, a modern masterpiece built by

legendary Norwegian architect Jan Inge

Hovig in 1965, before toasting the aurora

borealis at the world’s northern-most

brewery – the Mack brewery, founded in

1877. We recommend sampling the Arctic
      Beer – this floral, golden ale was the first
      beer to reach the North Pole on an overland
      expedition, when it was taken there by a
      Norwegian team. You could also go on a
      cable car ride up to Mount Storsteinen.
      Finally, long-haul travel hasn’t been easy
      recently, but one destination that should be
      on your aurora bucket list is Alberta’s Wood
      Buffalo National Park (pc.gc.ca), one of
      Canada’s best destinations to spot the
      Northern Lights. During the winter months,
      the skies above this remote frozen paradise
      are filled with intense auroral displays. It’s
      also a great place to spot some of North
      America’s finest winter wildlife, including
      bison, wolves, lynx, snowshoe hares and
      ptarmigans. The remoteness of the park
      means five-star hotels are few and far
      between, so we suggest renting one of the
      cosy log cabins instead.

HELLY HANSEN H1

PRO LIFA SEAMLESS

1/2 ZIP

Helly

Hansen’s

tech-packed

top is

ace. LIFA

technology

draws

moisture

away from the skin so that

it can evaporate, while a

combination of thermal

mapping technology and

laser cutting ensures perfect

temperature regulation.

£130, hellyhansen.com

COLUMBIA THREE

FORKS BLACK DOT

JACKET

Columbia’s

jacket,

which

launched

in late

2020,

features

Omni-Heat

Black Dot

technology. Think of it as an

external heat shield, courtesy

of small black dots on the

fabric that trap warmth and

capture solar heat, keeping

you toasty.

£270, columbiasportswear.co.uk

VANGO RADIATE

HEAT MAT

For some hi-tech heat,

consider Vango’s heat mat,

powered by a graphene heat

element guaranteed to ward

off any winter chills. This

slimline mat slips into the

smallest of sleeping bags, has

four heat settings and can be

charged using a power bank.

£50, vango.co.uk

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