New Rally to the ‘Land where the Sun Never Sets’ is creating intrigue
HERO-ERA’s new Arctic Midnight Sun Rally promises to be such a voyage through the myth and mist of timeless territories in Sweden and Norway that it is creating intrigue!
This new Scandinavian rally adventure has already sparked international entries for the journey to the ‘Land Where the Sun Never Sets’ from the USA, Australia, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, UK, Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany, Sweden and Slovenia.
A fascinating entry to date includes 2019 Peking to Paris vets, Marco and Claudia Halter (CH), Peter and Louise Morton (GB), classic podium sitters on the Badawi Trail to the Last Oasis 2023, in their Alvis Speed 20 and Jan and Hannes Malmgren (SE) in their Mercedes 350. There is even a 70’s SAAB of Ivan and Tisa Pusnik (SI), which they will be taking back to its spiritual home when the rally visits the world-famous SAAB Museum early in the rally!
Crew combinations entered so far are partners, relatives, and regular rally crew pairings. They have chosen this rally as they want less competition and more time to enjoy the breathtaking, adventurous route which is coded blue and therefore intermediate, similar to the Scottish Malts and the Icelandic Saga.
There are intriguing names such as Jokkmokk, which is as quirky as the name suggests. The rally halts briefly at Mo I Rana after a mesmerizing day across endless fjords (and Fords for that matter) sandwiched between mountains. Trondheim is a name famous for its stunning scenery as the evocative Scandinavian names indicate the mystique that has sparked the intrigue for the entrants so far. The Trollstigen (Trolls Path) has the same curious effect, but it is a sinuous mountain path with a multitude of hairpins at a dizzy height to test any car and the crew’s resistance to vertigo – all under the watchful eye of the mythical Trolls!
The remote gravel roads, the mountain passes or even the infamous Atlantic Highway which links an archipelago with some amazing tunnels and bridges, are all part of the intoxicating Nordic mix. When you add the fords, ferries crossings and the World Heritage sites and towns of Rorøs and Bergen, you have a cocktail called the ‘Scandinavian Phenomenon.’
This is the opportunity for entrants to join the international crews who have already signed up for a motoring trip of real distinction, an adventure to the ‘Land Where the Sun Never Sets.’ This includes crossing the Arctic Circle where sunrise and sunset collide for the experience of the true midnight sun, the natural phenomenon of the summer months within the Arctic Circle, when the sun remains visible at midnight, and remote gravel roads stay bathed in light, both day and night.
Crossing sparsely populated areas of Sweden and Norway, the 14-day rally route will take competitors through a spectacular variety of landscapes which will open up great rally roads for teams to traverse from Gothenburg to Oslo.
It really will be another world of rally exploration with vast archipelagos, mountain passes, forests, and fjords emerging through the mists of time. The pinnacle of the sport, WRC, will play its part as well, when rally territory will be driven early on across classic Rally Sweden roads.
HERO-ERA has created another new event following the success of the groundbreaking Badawi Trail to the Last Oasis traversing the Middle East last year. The Arctic Midnight Sun will be a balanced blend of adventurous driving and competition with time to explore places like the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Rorøs and Bergen, whilst crews will get to compete in tests on the World’s most northerly race track, a tantalizing mix for all tastes!
Image credit Will Broadhead Photography / Blue Passion Photography
