"They are actually going to let me loose on this thing," says David Spinx, for the first time in his life on a snowmobile.
Anyone with a driver's licence can drive a snowmobile in Norway. Riding is easy, and you will always get safety instructions before you go. You will also be provided with a helmet and the winter equipment required for this particular activity.
Driving the snowmobile
We are at Arctic Adventure Resort, a short drive from Kirkenes. After a quick briefing, Spinx gets on his snowmobile. It takes about 10 minutes to drive from the sea up to the mountain plateau, where an endless desert of white awaits, and you get to drive into the plains. Fast. It feels good. It feels free.
Meeting the king crabs
Back down from the mountain. Getting in a survival suit, Spinx is ready to jump in the Barents Sea. Or is he? The water is 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit. Ice is floating on the surface. He gets in. Big smile. What he does not know is that there is a diver on the bottom, looking for king crabs for him to eat. When the diver approaches him from below, Spinx gets a real surprise.
"What are the chances of this happening to me," smiles Spinx, holding up a huge king crab. Even giving it a name. It is today's dinner. Make sure to book a meal after the safari. The king crabs taste absolutely delicious.
"They are actually going to let me loose on this thing," says David Spinx, for the first time in his life on a snowmobile.
Anyone with a driver's licence can drive a snowmobile in Norway. Riding is easy, and you will always get safety instructions before you go. You will also be provided with a helmet and the winter equipment required for this particular activity.
Driving the snowmobile
We are at Arctic Adventure Resort, a short drive from Kirkenes. After a quick briefing, Spinx gets on his snowmobile. It takes about 10 minutes to drive from the sea up to the mountain plateau, where an endless desert of white awaits, and you get to drive into the plains. Fast. It feels good. It feels free.
Getting to Kirkenes
SAS and Norwegian have direct flights from Oslo to Kirkenes every day. The flight is about two hours. There are flights to and from other destinations in Northern Norway with Widerøe.
Where to stay
We stayed at Rica Hotel Kirkenes. Find other places to stay in Kirkenes.
About Kirkenes
The small town of Kirkenes is located north east in Northern Norway, close to the Russian border. Kirkenes is known as the capital of the Barents Region and the gateway to the east. Kirkenes is situated between two time zones; Helsinki and Moscow. In Kirkenes, which lies in the municipality of Sør-Varanger, people speak Norwegian, Sami, Finnish and Russian. The small mining town has approximately 3,300 inhabitants.
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