Arctic Circle road trip - a blog
Discussion
MercedesClassic said:
I was wondering how different a Range Rover would have been.
Different to Harry's Roller... I think it would have been just as luxuriously soft on its suspension, but with all the benefits associated with it being the best 4WD vehicle out there. If there was anything that could rival my Panzer for such a trip, it'd be a Rangy.A colleague of mine owns one of the earlier supercharged V8 L322 - around an 06 model. Along with the other SUVs that were originally scheduled to come, I would have loved to drive in convoy with that.
Edited by Watchman on Sunday 23 February 19:58
MercedesClassic said:
Great write up and one of my grail journeys I'll probably never do. I remember the Harry's Garage trip in the Roller was epic for such an incompatible car but I suppose the prep and driving skills count for much.
I was wondering how different a Range Rover would have been.
Also I remember I think Car mag doing that route in a Bentley convertible. Imagine the new Conti convertible with appropriate tyres doing that trip with the occasional top down moments too.
Well it's all wheel drive and I think height adjustable suspension too.
That's one for the bucket bucket list hahahaha.
I used my MX-5 as my everyday car for 5 years, further north than Harry was, and using it in much worse weather than he had. It's surprising what you can do with most cars if you want to actually use them in "non-typical" ways. I guess the main issue for Harry would have been the reliability, and a lot of that is helped by making sure the car is in as good condition as possible before you go. The narrower tyres would be a plus point for grip, it would have a higher ride height than say the MX-5 etc. The most problematic conditions are either deep heavy snow, or polished ice with water on top. The latter is just crazy slippery. The former is difficult as there is a lot of resistance to the weight when pushing forwards, so it can just spin the wheels. The hard packed snow is no problem once you get your mind into it - as seen by the lorry drivers here and their flying along despite the packed snow.I was wondering how different a Range Rover would have been.
Also I remember I think Car mag doing that route in a Bentley convertible. Imagine the new Conti convertible with appropriate tyres doing that trip with the occasional top down moments too.
Well it's all wheel drive and I think height adjustable suspension too.
That's one for the bucket bucket list hahahaha.
I take people on driving holidays for a living, and have been doing that for over a decade... but i've never done a trip like this.
Absolutely fantastic, inspirational, and a great read. Really enjoyed your writing style too, definitely helped to "connect with the audience".
So, where are you going next?
Absolutely fantastic, inspirational, and a great read. Really enjoyed your writing style too, definitely helped to "connect with the audience".
So, where are you going next?
VerySideways said:
I take people on driving holidays for a living, and have been doing that for over a decade... but i've never done a trip like this.
Absolutely fantastic, inspirational, and a great read. Really enjoyed your writing style too, definitely helped to "connect with the audience".
So, where are you going next?
Thank you. I tend to write in a "stream of consciousness" style which is a little chaotic - all thoughts thrown onto the page in the order I think about them which may not be the correct chronological sequence, so I then edit until the story proceeds in a fairly linear direction. Absolutely fantastic, inspirational, and a great read. Really enjoyed your writing style too, definitely helped to "connect with the audience".
So, where are you going next?
I type fast too, which helps to empty my head before it's all lost.
It helped that I wrote each day's blog each evening, while it was fresh and while I had nothing else to do in my hotel room. It takes a bit of time but I think if you want people to read your output, you must respect your reader.
I've had a couple of ideas for future trips - one more easily achievable than the other:
1. Google for the "Darwaza gas crater". It's a hole in the Turkmenistan desert that is on fire. In the early 1970s, the Soviets were drilling for gas but the ground collapsed under their rig. They could still smell gas so they lit it, to burn it off, except it's still alight today. It's not a volcano or anything like that but the gas seeping through the ground burns gently. The hole is about 70m across and some 10-15m deep. People camp overnight there, and take silhouette photographs of themselves standing on the edge of the crater, in the glow from the fire.
It's a bit "hippy" but I was born right into the hippy era (1968) so it'd be like me reconnecting with my past. Or something.
I'd like to see it. My ideas for seeing the world are to try to find places that friends and colleagues won't have visited. Many have been to New York, and other fantastic places I have not. I just fancy bringing something different to conversations in the future.
It'd take a week to get there and another week to return, and I'd have to drive through Russia - something else I'd like to do. I'd likely stay in hotels again for most of the journey but overnight at the crater in a rooftop tent on top of "Panzer". Maybe a couple of nights to truly immerse myself in the isolation and flat barren landscape.
It'd be expensive so this is something for 4-5 years time.
2. More immediately achievable might be to go to the Polish mountains in the south - Tatra and the surrounding area. My son is 15yo now but would like to drive there too in a couple of years time. My wife is Polish and my children are bilingual (my own linguistic achievements are limited) so I thought we could pop into their grand parents' on the way, and loop through southern Germany and southern Poland on the way there, and the north of both countries on the way back.
It'd be a more sedate trip than my recent one - fewer miles per day, slower speeds, and to stop a couple of nights in Tatra to enjoy the location and whatever bars and/or restaurants are available.
For either trip (both?) I would like to see if I could encourage other SUV owners to come too - see if we can properly video the trip and offer comparisons between them. I had, at various stages of the recent trip's planning, a number of other SUV owners interested. Their cars included an X5 40D, an X5 4.6 V8 petrol, a supercharged RR L322, a Disco 4, a Disco 2, a Q7 3-litre diesel, a Mitsubishi Shogun 3.2 diesel, a Ford Kuga 2.0 petrol and a Hyundai Tucson.
Ultimately, for numerous reasons, they all dropped out.
I have been planning that trip for a long time, so you can see why so many car owners were, at some point or other, interested in coming along.
Edited by Watchman on Wednesday 26th February 11:23
FiF said:
https://mudrut.wordpress.com/2016/12/07/the-northe...
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/3550172/nor...
Lovely pictures - really sharp. I know I could have done so much more if I'd had even one person with me.https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/3550172/nor...
I can't decide whether doing such a trip in an expedition-prepared Defender makes it easier or harder. On one hand, they have proven capabilities but on the other hand, Panzer is a much more comfortable place to be for 10 hours a day.
And camping... I have to hand it to them, they are properly hard core. I'm not sure I could stretch to that anymore but I confess that I would love to try pulling a caravan around up there. I just need a raised bed, a loo and some form of shower.
That trip was from 2016. Do you know if they still do those trips?
He is, or at least wasa few miles up the road from me, and done a few similar trips with the local outdoor shop owner.
His website seems to be down. Will have a scout round when river Severn levels subside see if he is still around.
Re vehicle, agree a Defender however well prepared seems like a hard ass way of doing a trip of that length. And as for camping.
I recall from his 2011(?) trip one of the crews tipped their Landy on its side into a snowbank. There was a heated discussion afterwards about tyres, one side advocating use of standard off roading knobblies, the other, imo correct, side saying proper winter tyres being the only desirable choice. Iirc the knobblies were ok on snow but polished ice struggled, but then these guys are of the beards in muddy boiler suits and wellies brigade, without the beard actually, but you get my drift. There was an extensive blog at the time, seems to have disappeared.
His website seems to be down. Will have a scout round when river Severn levels subside see if he is still around.
Re vehicle, agree a Defender however well prepared seems like a hard ass way of doing a trip of that length. And as for camping.
I recall from his 2011(?) trip one of the crews tipped their Landy on its side into a snowbank. There was a heated discussion afterwards about tyres, one side advocating use of standard off roading knobblies, the other, imo correct, side saying proper winter tyres being the only desirable choice. Iirc the knobblies were ok on snow but polished ice struggled, but then these guys are of the beards in muddy boiler suits and wellies brigade, without the beard actually, but you get my drift. There was an extensive blog at the time, seems to have disappeared.
We used to run an ML on General Grabber AT tyres all year. They were OK in the snow - overall the car performed as well as my Scooby Legacy which was shod with winter tyres.
But objectively they can't be as good as winters on the same car, in icy conditions. The winters are just softer and "squishy".
Panzer was the star of my trip. It's hard to think of a way I could improve the car for those conditions.
But objectively they can't be as good as winters on the same car, in icy conditions. The winters are just softer and "squishy".
Panzer was the star of my trip. It's hard to think of a way I could improve the car for those conditions.
I just went back and had a look at Harry Metcalf's Rolls Royce trip to the Arctic Circle. As he approached the centre, the roads he was on (presumably from Mo I Rana) were mostly clear. There was snow being blown across but the surface was clear. I think he took his trip only a week later than me, in Feb last year. I chose February because it should have been the worst weather that Odin could throw at me, but clearly it changes from year to year.
I also guess he arrived there later in the day as there were a number of cars already parked in entrance to the car park - again only ploughed to about 50 feet from the main road. There was no-one around when I got there at 9:30 in the morning.
Two weeks later, and I want to go again.
I also guess he arrived there later in the day as there were a number of cars already parked in entrance to the car park - again only ploughed to about 50 feet from the main road. There was no-one around when I got there at 9:30 in the morning.
Two weeks later, and I want to go again.
ChocolateFrog said:
Great trip. I too loved Harry's Silver Shadow trip to the Artic.
I'd love to visit the Kola Deep borehole, there's nothing there other than a capped drill head but it'd make a great destination for a road trip.
Oh, I like your thinking. I'd love to visit the Kola Deep borehole, there's nothing there other than a capped drill head but it'd make a great destination for a road trip.
Go up through Norway (I've been looking at a ferry into Norway from northern Denmark) and across the top. But return St Petersburg, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland etc...
That'd be fabulous. Two weeks, I reckon.
Watchman said:
(I've been looking at a ferry into Norway from northern Denmark)
I've done the Hirtshals crossing a few times, to both Larvik and Kristiansand, though you can get a ferry as far north as Bergen. Take the Harwich - Hook of Holland overnight and you can make the evening sailing to Norway. Getting through Hamburg can be pain, but the run up though Denmark is easy. A couple of years ago I left Somerset on Sunday teatime and was at my in-laws' place in Norway (between Larvik and Kristiansand) late Monday night.Agree, Harwich to Hook overnight crossing ended up being the preferred route for me.
Over the years tried all the various routes, Newcastle to Kristiansand/Gothenburg, Harwich to Esbjerg, Harwich - Hook as mentioned, plus various short crossings, Dover - Calais / Boulogne, boat and cat, Tunnel.
Many of the services no longer operating of course, but Harwich - Hook in either direction the most civilized and convenient, imo. Ok it's more expensive than the short crossings, but you save a night's hotel plus a fair few miles, including avoiding Kent. You board, get settled in and have dinner while still alongside or in calm waters, get a good night's kip, reasonable breakfast also in calm conditions, then unloaded and on the road before the morning rush builds up. Too many unfortunate memories of breakfast while hanging onto the table and crockery on a corkscrewing DFDS Esbjerg service. Cabins were nice though.
Over the years tried all the various routes, Newcastle to Kristiansand/Gothenburg, Harwich to Esbjerg, Harwich - Hook as mentioned, plus various short crossings, Dover - Calais / Boulogne, boat and cat, Tunnel.
Many of the services no longer operating of course, but Harwich - Hook in either direction the most civilized and convenient, imo. Ok it's more expensive than the short crossings, but you save a night's hotel plus a fair few miles, including avoiding Kent. You board, get settled in and have dinner while still alongside or in calm waters, get a good night's kip, reasonable breakfast also in calm conditions, then unloaded and on the road before the morning rush builds up. Too many unfortunate memories of breakfast while hanging onto the table and crockery on a corkscrewing DFDS Esbjerg service. Cabins were nice though.
If I base my next trip on wanting to go further north (Harry did - a day or more further north in his case), I'm trying to work on some combination of minimal time "lost" in the transit area. What I mean is, ideally I'd like that Newcastle/Kristiansand ferry again. We took that on in 2000 with the Se7ens crew and it was brilliant.
For my current requirements now, it'd save me a whole day but sadly that's not to be.
I don't think the ferry from Harwich will help me. Coming from Worcestershire, it just doesn't save me any time, so if I concede that I need to just drive to Hirtshals, I'm trying to work on the best way to get to Molde which is really where I want to start the "interesting" driving.
Hirtshals to Bergen would be good but it doesn't arrive in Bergen until after midday, and then there's an 8+ hours drive to Molde from there. I think that might be too long. I'd prefer to land in Bergen no later than 10am but I still think this might be the best route.
From Molde and the Atlantic Ocean road, I'd do the same trip as last time to Mo I Rana, then from there to the Arctic Circle centre and then this time I'd continue further north.
I would like to return via the Swedish mountains though because it was a truly beautiful place to drive through.
So I've got the beginnings of a trip for next time.
For my current requirements now, it'd save me a whole day but sadly that's not to be.
I don't think the ferry from Harwich will help me. Coming from Worcestershire, it just doesn't save me any time, so if I concede that I need to just drive to Hirtshals, I'm trying to work on the best way to get to Molde which is really where I want to start the "interesting" driving.
Hirtshals to Bergen would be good but it doesn't arrive in Bergen until after midday, and then there's an 8+ hours drive to Molde from there. I think that might be too long. I'd prefer to land in Bergen no later than 10am but I still think this might be the best route.
From Molde and the Atlantic Ocean road, I'd do the same trip as last time to Mo I Rana, then from there to the Arctic Circle centre and then this time I'd continue further north.
I would like to return via the Swedish mountains though because it was a truly beautiful place to drive through.
So I've got the beginnings of a trip for next time.
I have to be in Oslo in June for a private tour, i worked out that the most efficient way to get there (from Gloucestershire) is:
Sunday afternoon, drive up to Hull
Sunday night, Hull to Rotterdam Europort
Monday, Rotterdam to Aarhus
Tuesday, Aarhus to Hirtshals, then ferry to Larvik/Langesund then drive to Oslo.
Admittedly for your purposes i wouldn't be going anywhere near Oslo, i'd get the ferry to Kristiansand.
The drive from Kristiansand to Molde (staying away from the coast and the main road past Lillehammer) is stunning (and virtually traffic free).
Sunday afternoon, drive up to Hull
Sunday night, Hull to Rotterdam Europort
Monday, Rotterdam to Aarhus
Tuesday, Aarhus to Hirtshals, then ferry to Larvik/Langesund then drive to Oslo.
Admittedly for your purposes i wouldn't be going anywhere near Oslo, i'd get the ferry to Kristiansand.
The drive from Kristiansand to Molde (staying away from the coast and the main road past Lillehammer) is stunning (and virtually traffic free).
Re ferries OP, I'm in Worcestershire too, Hartlebury(ish) and whilst the Harwich -Hook service doesn't save you any time I found it the least hassle. Maybe I was lucky the times I went that way, and unlucky when using the short channel routes but after a few rancid runs round the M25 and the M20, not to mention one arriving in Boulogne right in the middle of the Friday evening school run and rush hour, not keen.
Obviously as you know the Northern routes to Kristiansand/Gothenburg and tge Esbjerg routes are no longer. Can't remember the arrival time at Kristiansand , early PM?, but arrival at Gothenburg was 6pm. If you didn't manage to get some decent rest on the boat you were setting off into the dusk and soon knackered, plus as you mention that Gothenburg traffic. Off topic, but Gothenburg has the distinction of being the place where I have got most lost trying to find my way. Was trying to find the ferry port, in the end took a long way round and attacked it from the north side of the river. A colleague once resorted to stopping a taxi driver and paying him to lead the way.
Obviously as you know the Northern routes to Kristiansand/Gothenburg and tge Esbjerg routes are no longer. Can't remember the arrival time at Kristiansand , early PM?, but arrival at Gothenburg was 6pm. If you didn't manage to get some decent rest on the boat you were setting off into the dusk and soon knackered, plus as you mention that Gothenburg traffic. Off topic, but Gothenburg has the distinction of being the place where I have got most lost trying to find my way. Was trying to find the ferry port, in the end took a long way round and attacked it from the north side of the river. A colleague once resorted to stopping a taxi driver and paying him to lead the way.
VerySideways said:
I have to be in Oslo in June for a private tour, i worked out that the most efficient way to get there (from Gloucestershire) is:
Sunday afternoon, drive up to Hull
Sunday night, Hull to Rotterdam Europort
Monday, Rotterdam to Aarhus
Tuesday, Aarhus to Hirtshals, then ferry to Larvik/Langesund then drive to Oslo.
Admittedly for your purposes i wouldn't be going anywhere near Oslo, i'd get the ferry to Kristiansand.
The drive from Kristiansand to Molde (staying away from the coast and the main road past Lillehammer) is stunning (and virtually traffic free).
Apart from not especially caring for the Hull ferry, and let's face it landing in Europort or Hook is very much of a richness, the drive from Rotterdam area up to north Denmark is a decent day drive. From say Calais Eurotunnel adds three hours and imo over 13 hours in a day, for a single driver, is pushing it, not impossible.Sunday afternoon, drive up to Hull
Sunday night, Hull to Rotterdam Europort
Monday, Rotterdam to Aarhus
Tuesday, Aarhus to Hirtshals, then ferry to Larvik/Langesund then drive to Oslo.
Admittedly for your purposes i wouldn't be going anywhere near Oslo, i'd get the ferry to Kristiansand.
The drive from Kristiansand to Molde (staying away from the coast and the main road past Lillehammer) is stunning (and virtually traffic free).
So my route would be
Day 1 pm to Harwich, M5, M42, M6, A14.
Overnight to Hook
Day 2 Hook to Aalborg, (simply because I know Aalborg better than Aarhus)
Day 3 Drive to Hirtshals and catch ferry to wherever.
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