29.01.13-I HOPE NONE OF YOU FOLKS MENTION THIS NEXT ENTRY TO MY MUMMY!!!
Went into town and had studded tyres fitted for two reasons.
The first, despite what the tyre specialist in Düsseldorf advised me, the ones I have, supposedly the best for our conditions and according to them fine up here, are useless. Brand new when I left. They are the standard M&S tyres and there is no mud here and plenty snow the roads are quite simply one solid sheet of ice. Enough said and when I’m back in Düsseldorf I shall pay the specialist and give him some first hand knowledge. One really should desist from giving advice when one does not have a sodding clue oneself! At least that way when he gets the next Burke coming in asking for the best they have for Nordic conditions he might do better.
The first image below is the second reason and probably explains why I came to the obvious conclusion that I had perhaps better tyre up correctly.
Since talking to the locals they all say that this is not a too infrequent occurrence. What happened was that I had moved to the right to give the oncoming road clearing tractor some room and I felt a small jolt at the passenger side rear and the van slipped slightly away. What happened then was dream like. The ground at the top edge of the berms the roads are built on are apparently notorious for giving way (local knowledge seems you do not want to be letting the tourists in on this), anyway, not quickly it continued to slide slowly away and steering correction did not make the slightest of difference and in these conditions braking is not the best idea. Nett result is that the backend steadily dragged the van off the road and once it reached the bottom it just laid down on its side. Which is where amidst tons of button holes I found myself dangling in the seat belt.
By the time I had extricated myself the tractor driver opened my door grinned in and simply said hello.
It is also a good thing that I drive pretty slowly here because of the conditions, was slowing even more as I was approaching a corner when the tractor came into sight, which slowed me down even more.
Rest was easy, sort of, breakdown came and I was back on the road within an hour and a half. Drove to the breakdown guys offices, checked the van for mechanicals, paid the bill and drove very slowly back to camp as mentioned in the post for the 26.01.13.
I was unscratched and the van’s only damage is that the sliding door panel is now concave instead of convex form and I can get this “popped” back out when I am home.
Driving on studs is a totally different feeling and I feel a lot more relaxed and confident. So do not start giving me reams of comments about not being here.
After the tyres were fitted I to a drive about of about 100 k’s just too get the feel, and as I just wrote it is a good one.
During this drive I snapped these the last two pics below and the landscape makes up for some of the other downside items.

30.01.13
Fine day and I took advantage of this to drive some more and build on my confidence factor with the studs and went up to, and across onto the south end of Andøya. The scenery looks totally different, obviously, in these conditions. Magnificent, magnificent. Or we all know what our friends the Yanks say at times like this.

31.01.13
Snowed in again overnight. One of the locals has told me that for the past two weeks a whale has been cruising in a Fjord about 30 k’s over the bridge going back south. Can only assume it is an Orca as he says it is the masses of herring about that has brought it in.
Maybe I get lucky today and Murphy keeps out of my way. Have been getting the impression that he might be stalking me.
Mind you talking images I think that apart from landscapes I shall return home poor on that side and an awful lot richer on the experience side of tings.

Snow on this roof slowly slid down to this position over about three days. Fascinated me. Click on the image to see a larger version)




25.01.13
Same conditions, same as yesterday so I shall go walkabout. Looks as though it may clear so I can get out and explore a bit with the van. One thing is for sure patience is going to be in demand here.

26.01.13
Another very dismal start to the day but rather than go stir crazy in the van took a short drive out. Left about 11:30 and did not intend to be gone for very long. However as so often is the case the day had lots of surprises in store and I finally got back and camped up at about 16:45.
More about the surprises at another time, did some enforced cleaning in the van and settled down for the day.

27.01.13
It has cleared up and for the first time since leaving Duesseldorf I can see a completely clear pastel blue sky. However with it the temperatures have sunk to goodness know where? Shall trundle off to the Reception in a bit to get on the Web. Maybe they have an outside thermometer, mine has given up the ghost.
Had to spend a while this morning de-icing the van. The snow that melts off the van runs a short way down before freezing and this continually builds up especially in all of the various nooks and crannies. One large crannies is the opening where the sliding door gear runs back and forwards in. Now know why I could hardly open it. Full of ice, but lots of chipping cleared it away.
Shall check the weather forecast and moon states. If it stays clear and the moon is gone  there are good chances of the Aurora making a show.
All in all though I will probably finish up not staying as long as I had planned. The place, landscape and all are breathtaking, but the photo opportunities are not as great as I had hoped. For one reason most of the areas that are really interesting one needs either a Snowcat or a Quad, which I unfortunately do not have, and secondly, when it is so overcast, and I think that is the rule good images are hard to come by.
Anyway off to check the web. No luck all closed up for Sunday for some reason.

28.01.13

Back to gray in gray again today.
Went into town and pressure hosed the van down to get the ice off. Man the crevices were chocked up and I would guess I shall have to do it more frequently to avoid damaging certain parts.
Not much going on so will spend the day on image processing.

These following are the notes I made on my way up and a bit since arriving. I will not post everyday as I really do not think there will be a lot happening, but at least once a week.

19.01.13
8:30 start & after 64 km realised forgotten passport so had to return to pick it up. Left home again at 10:00. Even so got the15:15 ferry from Puttgarden & reached the usual stop in Denmark at 19:00 (for my future reference the coordinates are N55 09'58" E11 57'31").
The roads were surprisingly clear both of traffic & snow. Denmark was worse. Drifting snow.

20.01.13
Restless night 0.1 deg in van when woke. Up at 04:15 on the road at 05:15. 
Fairly long drive to a camp site just 30 km south of Lillehammer. Near a place named Brumunddal.

21.01.13
Good sleep but had to turn the electric heater on at about 03:00 was bitterly cold. Minimum was minus 18 deg C. The water in the pipes from the canisters to tap were frozen so no water. Fortunately had enough in my drinking bottle which I defrosted in front of the heater.
Turned out that it was only the pipes the canisters were okay thanks to their fleece jackets.
On start up to leave had a great deal of flashing warning lights from the suspension. Seems that the sensors also froze in the levelled position. The rubber sleeve had also frozen to the suspension column.
Spoke to them & decided to continue. Couple more frights on the way but everything settled down.
Headed for Steinkjer to a Camp that we have used quite frequently Turned out to be closed for repairs so had to go on for a bit.
The other one was also closed but parked up and fortunately found an outdoor socket from which I am half inching and happily gobbling up the clandestine power.
In Oppdal stopped at a plumbers and got some pipe insulation and fitted it up this evening. Hope it works.
Coming up over the Dovrefjell the temp went down to minus 30. Slippery as well. Can drive along at between 80-90 km/hr no problem in some places, but a lot of the time I was doing not much over 60-65. No real problem with stopping either as long as one has time, fair amount, and is driving in a straight line. If you have to be quick the ABS does its dancing the Light Fandango thing. The Dovreflell is a National Park area and there is a herd of Musk Ox that roam about there all year around. Have seen a documentary of them. Obviously did not get to see them. The highest point is at 2286 meters but the road only goes through at between 16 to 1800 I guess. It is fairly flat up top between two mountain ranges with a permanent wind blowing across it. Which explains the temperature I guess.
That's another day grub and sleep. Hope I don't freeze!!

22.01.13
Seems my insulation work was successful.
On the road by 08:30 and arrived in Fauske 17:45. Quite a stressful day. The roads were reasonably clear but for some reason they do not clear down to asphalt so one is permanently driving on ice. As long as one keeps the to a reasonable speed 
At one point in a gentle curve doing about 30 the van went independent and the back went out with a wheel over the drop but managed to get it back where upon it decided to attack the crash barrier but gave it up just before it actually crashed. Lot of button holes on the floor.
Another big problems are the large transport vehicles hurtling around. They frighten the life out of you under normal circumstances, ask Terry, but in these conditions it can be a major hazard. A fair number of the drivers respect on coming traffic and slow a bit, but not all. Then its is truly dodgy as their vacuum raises an enormous cloud of snow behind them and it is impossible to see through it. More button holes.
No problem going over the Saltfjellet, which is where one crosses 66 degrees North. Again high, so cold and windy which caused a lot of drifting snow and poor visibility. Coming down off the Fjell on the run up to Fauske, about 90 km it started to snow and did not stop. As it was dark by then the visibility is again almost down to about 30-40 meters. So it takes forever crawling along.
 
23.01.13
Last leg up to Sortland today.
Left Fauske at 07:45 & reached Bosgnes for the Lødingen ferry at 11:00. Next one was at 11:45 so not a long wait. Just time for a brew.
The road was a nightmare without any exaggeration it was one continuous sheet of ice. Lost it twice and I was going so slow the few Norwegians coming up behind me were getting frustrated. To hell with them.
On the way out of Fauske an ambulance and police blue lights went rushing by. About 20 km further found out why. Had to wait for the first time in all of the trips up here, at a red light flashing on a tunnel entrance. Once got the green at the other end was stopped again. Blue light was there. It was at the the end of one tunnel and the entry of the next. About 150 m apart. Some nut had lost it coming the other way and bent him/herself quite spectacularly. So I carried on at my pace. Only about 60 km once I get off the ferry.
Made it at 13:50 road in one hell of a state. All in all 2525 km door to door. Only 224 today which gives an average of 575 km for the first four days which is not unacceptable!
Hey, almost forgot, just after the ambulance I mentioned went past me I spotted an Elk, you know, one of those fictitious animals they put on hundreds of "beware" signs alongside the roads to get tourists excited. This one was just off the side of the road & despite the snow quite hard to see with the odd shrubs and trees around. It was still dark at the time.
Did a deal with the guy that runs the site and the six weeks I am here will only cost me €375 and that includes all the usual facilities and electrical power. Chuffed about that!

24.01.13
Oh! Just got up & looked out of my front (side door). Think I'll have to change my plans for today. Snowed in & until they come & clear away out on the site I'm stuck. Even with 4x4 but its not so bad that I cannot walk out.  Going to be fun here this time I guess! Ah we'll breakfast first.
Only have about four hours of daylight at the moment, so in a brake in the snow I managed to dig myself out and started out to have a look in town. It was so slippery I chickened out and scurried back to my camp with my ears down and tail between my legs. Even the locals were rolling along at about 20 km/hr. They are tyre’d up differently,both with a special tread and studs.  When I left DUS it was with a complete set of brand new winter tyres. Safe enough but not quite enough for these conditions. One things for sure I’m damned glad we bought the van with four wheel drive.

25.01.13
Same conditions, more or less as yesterday so I shall go walkabout. Looks as though it may clear so I can get out and explore a bit with the van.
One thing is for sure patience is going to be in demand here.

These are just some snaps I made along the way.
First two thru' the windscreen just before getting to Sortland.

These three are for Terry. Remember the great image you made on the way back to the Airport mate? The one you have framed.This is what it looked like a couple of days ago.

Last two are the view out of my living room window.

Been off the air since we ended our Norway trip last year. Presumably to everyone's delight.
Had a short trip last week to get the final stainless steel fittings installed in the pneumatic suspension in the hope that I do not have to relive the last years experience of having to keep manually adjusting the drive height. Or crawling around underneath the van for that matter. More than a bit parky up there at this time if the year for that sort of pastime. Hi ho the next two months will decide. 

As you can see have got the transport out and am getting ready to pack it up and head off back over the arctic circle. Will be based in Sortland this time, or more precisely at 68°42'9.28"N 15°23'19.10"E.
According to insiders February and March are good months this year for the Aurora due to massive activity (stuff) happening on the Sun. Again we shall see.
As well as this March is also high season for the Cod fishers off the Lofoten as the fish come down then from Greenland to spawn. Time and patience will show.
I'm hoping for some good images.
Set off on Saturday morning and should be up north in about four days, maybe five and there is supposedly an internet connection with the facility. Sooo, if anyone is interested keep  an OjO on this space now and again.