There are places where the sky is more important than the earth. In the Pyrenees we sense it on cold nights in the high mountains, when the air is still and the silence outweighs the difference in altitude. But in the Arctic this sensation is multiplied. The darkness is deeper, the air sharper and the light, when it appears, has something of the wild animal about it. That's why the northern lights are not just an astronomical spectacle. They are also a profoundly mountainous experience.

In recent years many Spanish travellers have turned their gaze northwards, attracted by dark skies, uncompromising nature and a way of travelling reminiscent of friluftsliv, that idea of living outside even if it's cold, even if it's snowing, even if it's dark at night. The trend is there, and Skyscanner mentions it in its guide The numbers don't matter much when you stand on the edge of a fjord and the sky decides to split in two.

This article is not about tourist destinations or organised excursions. It is written for those who feel that a good route begins when the rails end. For mountain people. For those who come from the GR11, from the Golondrinas or from getting lost in Larra and are looking for an equally intense experience, but under a green sky in movement.

We have chosen three places in the Arctic that speak the same language as a Pyrenean: Tromsø, the Lofoten Islands and Abisko. They are not the only ones, but those where the experience is lived by walking, breathing and listening to the landscape. Places that demand presence and where looking up is part of the journey itself.

Tromsø, gateway to the Arctic and a sky in constant motion

Tromsø is a city, yes, but once you get three kilometres away, the urban noise disappears and what remains is a perfect blend of boreal forests, rolling hills and deep fjords. It's a kind of territory that a mountaineer recognises instantly. It doesn't have big peaks, but it does have relief, outlooks and small heights that act as natural vantage points.

The advantage of Tromsø is twofold, a high probability of seeing auroras during the season and an accessibility that makes it easy to get around without technical complications. Even with a short trip of four or five days the chances of success are real, provided the skies cooperate. And you don't need advanced winter experience. All you need is a willingness to walk.

A particularly recommended route is the climb up Fløya Hill. It is about three kilometres if you start from Tromsø Bridge. The trail starts among fir trees and climbs up a mixed terrain of rock, metal steps and compacted snow depending on the season. It's not technical, but it's physical enough to warm you up in sub-zero temperatures. In winter it is advisable to wear microspikes.

From above, the landscape opens up completely. The city lies at your feet, nestled in an elongated island, and on the other side rise the mountains of the mainland. The aurora can appear in different parts of the sky and is often organised in arcs that change shape at great speed. They stretch, break, fold back. A dance that never repeats itself.

The special thing about Tromsø for a mountaineer is that combination of short routes, lots of scenery and a surprisingly active sky. An hour's walk is enough to get away from it all and get a feel for the territory. And when the aurora lights up, the experience ceases to be touristy and becomes intimate and physical.

Lofoten, sharp mountains rising out of the sea and a sky reflected in the water

The Lofoten Islands are a geographical oddity. It's as if someone had cut out the Picos de Europa and dropped them in the middle of the ocean. Sharp peaks, narrow fjords, white sandy beaches and impossibly steep rocky roads. All compressed into an archipelago that seems designed for photographers, mountaineers and dreamers.

For aurora viewing Lofoten has two clear advantages, very little light pollution and wide horizons over the sea. The reflection does not make the aurora more intense, but it does make it more striking. The water acts as a second sky that duplicates the scene and creates an almost supernatural aesthetic.

But what makes Lofoten a favourite destination for mountain people is the terrain. Climb a hundred metres and the landscape changes scale. Climb three hundred and it looks like another planet.

A perfect route is the ascent of Tjeldbergtinden, possibly the best “easy” peak in the archipelago for aurora viewing. The trail starts near Svolvær, climbs through forest and then gains a gentle ridge with firm rock. In winter the terrain can be hard, so microspikes are a good idea.

The 367-metre summit offers a complete panorama. Needle-sharp peaks, fjords that reach down into the earth like fingers, islets dotted with snow and a sky so wide that it seems to envelop everything. The auroras can appear over the sea, over the peaks or across the canopy in green and violet arcs. The reflection over Svolvær is one of those moments that justify a whole trip.

For many Pyrenees climbers, Lofoten is the destination they connect with the most. Wild terrain, clear slopes, a landscape that dwarfs you and an aurora that adds an almost indescribable emotional layer.

Abisko, a valley where the sky remains clear when others are covered.

Abisko is one of the most reliable places in the Arctic to see auroras. The valley creates a rain shadow that favours clear skies, which greatly increases viewing opportunities. It doesn't guarantee auroras every night, but it does guarantee a very high frequency, perfect for those who don't have a long holiday.

Abisko is also surprisingly mountainous. Birch forests, frozen rivers, gentle mountains and wide horizons reminiscent of the High Pyrenees but in a much colder light. Walking here in winter is a serene pleasure.

An ideal route is the ascent to the Aurora Sky Station on the slopes of Mount Nuolja. Many tourists take the chairlift up, depending on the season and conditions, but walking it is a different experience. The trail winds its way up an even slope with views of Lake Torneträsk and a sense of vast space that is unusual in winter.

The section is short but deep. You walk on packed snow, notice how the wind changes with altitude and watch the vegetation disappear until the slope is bare. Most strikingly, the skies often remain clear even when other parts of Lapland are covered.

When the aurora appears in Abisko, it does so with great clarity. Layers, shapes and transitions are discernible. Sometimes it is a thin curtain rippling like silk. At other times it is a vertical pulse vibrating green. It is a perfect place to observe calmly and spend time with the phenomenon. There is something meditative and silent about Abisko, reminiscent of nights in mountain huts.

A journey that widens the mountain gaze

The three destinations have very different landscapes, but they share something essential. They are made to move. To walk, to observe and to listen. They are not tourist places in the classic sense, but territories that demand presence.

The dawn, when it comes, is a gift. But what you really take with you is the relationship with the landscape. That way of walking more slowly, of accepting the night, of breathing an air that bites and awakens.

This year and next year, solar activity will be at one of its peaks, which increases the intensity and frequency of the phenomenon. If you want to go deeper into the scientific side of things or check out times and trends, you can go to Skyscanner's guide with nofollow link. But if you're looking to experience it from a mountaineering perspective, Tromsø, Lofoten and Abisko offer something that goes far beyond photography.

It is not a journey to collect auroras. It is a journey to recover the awe, the same awe we feel in our mountains when nature shows itself without filters. Up there, under a moving sky, one understands why we keep walking year after year. There are places, very few, where earth and sky meet again.