A trip that'll be frozen in my memory forever: I 生き残るd -27C chasing the Northern Lights (and here's how to photograph them using only a smartphone)

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Nothing 用意が出来ている me for this 驚くべき／特命の／臨時の 現象.

With the moon bouncing just enough light off the snow to light my path, I gaze up at the Northern Lights for as long as I can withstand the 冷淡な. It's -27C, I'm wearing six 層s of 着せる／賦与するing and my hair and eyelashes are coated in 霜.

'I'm here,' I tell myself, alone in the silence as the group I'm with climbs 支援する on the bus.

The aurora borealis occurs when energy waves from the sun 反応する with the Earth's 磁石の field and atmosphere. That's the science. The result when you see it? 存在 （判決などを）下すd speechless is likely.

Even here in the 北極の Circle, sightings are not 保証（人）d, which 追加するs to the thrill of the chase.

MailOnline Travel's Laura Sharman (above) visits the frozen wilds of Norway, where she dons six 層s of 着せる／賦与するing to gaze upon the aurora borealis?

The aurora borealis occurs when energy waves from the sun 反応する with the Earth's 磁石の field and atmosphere. 'That's the science,' 令状s Laura. 'The result when you see it? 存在 （判決などを）下すd speechless is likely'

However, this year 約束s the best sightings in two １０年間s?as the sun reaches the Solar 最大限, bringing stronger aurora activity, I'm told by Northern Lights photographer?Tor-Ivar Naess.

This is certainly the 事例／患者 for us, having seen the dancing lights during our first of three nights in Tromso, Norway, on a 'bus chase' with Expedia?- where we follow the auroras and stop at a 場所 to take photographs.

It's 'the best 目的地 for seeing the lights' as there are bigger geomagnetic 嵐／襲撃するs that result i n 'stronger auroras for longer', says Tor, who …を伴ってs me on the 追跡（する）.

Delightfully dazzling: Laura 逮捕（する）s this image using her iPhone 12

The Northern Lights photographed using an iPhone 12?

Above: Laura 始める，決めるs up a 発射 of the Northern Lights using her DSLR camera?

Standing in the snow at 2am, snapping pictures of the luminous green 渦巻くs, he explains that we are 現在／一般に 証言，証人／目撃するing 'very low activity levels' and 率s it two out of 10.

I'm gobsmacked. 'What's a 10?' I ask.

'If there were a geomagnetic 嵐／襲撃する,' he 答える／応じるs, 'then, it can be like the Wild West up there.

'Auroras will cover the entire sky, as though somebody spilt space stuff, and you can see not only green light but pink, purple and even red.'

After fumbling with my DSLR camera in the snow, struggling to adjust the settings in my gloves, Tor 示唆するs I try photographing the lights with my iPhone. Surely not...

除去するing my gloves and exposing my 肌 to the elements, I only have a few minutes to adjust the camera settings before I 危険 getting frostnip - a 穏やかな form of frostbite.

Snap. The results are 驚くべき／特命の／臨時の.

The photo shows the mountains beneath a neon-green 一面に覆う／毛布 of light. But looking 支援する up at the sky, I see only a faint glow.

'It's real, it's up there,' Tor 安心させるs me. 'We can't see the lights so 堅固に with the naked 注目する，もくろむ but your camera, even on a smartphone, 選ぶs them up.'

補欠／交替の／交替するing between my iPhone 12 and my DSLR camera, 直す／買収する，八百長をするd の上に my tripod in 手動式の 方式, I enter into a five-minute photographing frenzy.

Then, it's time to enjoy the show.

I look up at the sky and follow the green shimmers until I can no longer feel my toes.

支援する on the bus, I kick off my s now boots and peel off some 層s to let in the warm 空気／公表する.

Having 証言，証人／目撃するd the Northern Lights on the first night, everything else feels like a 特別手当.

And there are lots more bucket 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる） experiences to be had, 儀礼 of Expedia, from dog sledding and 鯨 watching to ice ドームs and fireside 雑談（する）s with Sami reindeer herders.

Under a pink 煙霧, Laura rides through snow-laden valleys and 広大な snow fields on a sled pulled by five very eager dogs

The trip had begun in earnest under the cover of 不明瞭 the previous night.

We touch 負かす／撃墜する 負かす／撃墜する at Tromso Airport where I can just about see the もや dancing in the light of the street lamps as the 計画（する） 攻撃する，衝突するs the 滑走路.

搭乗 the minivan to the hotel, I'm struck by its modern 内部の featuring leather seats and blue LED （土地などの）細長い一片 lights that wouldn't be out of place in Magaluf.

What had I been 推定する／予想するing... a reindeer 好転?

Arriving at Clarion Hotel The 辛勝する／優位, our driver Viktor 株 some parting advice: 'In Tromso, it’s very slippery, every day, every hour. Be careful.'

It's true. Taking three steps 今後, I find myself slipping and 事情に応じて変わる.

The に引き続いて morning, we cross the Tromso 橋（渡しをする） in the dark on a one-hour bus 旅行 to our first activity - dog sledding in?Breivikeidet.

Laura's 着せる／賦与するing 始める，決める-up for the chilly excursions she enjoys 含むs three pairs of long wool socks and a snowsuit

Laura's hair is covered in 霜 as she steers the dog sled?

A 調印する reads 'moose danger'. Seatbelt... check.

People are 現れるing from snow-capped houses and making the 初雪 足跡s of the day.?My clock says 8.30am, though it feels more like 5am.

The water looks like an enormous mirror, if mirrors were made of liquid.?

Later, it becomes shrouded in もや, making it appear as though we are 運動ing above the clouds.

The sun begins to rise as we approach the 場所／位置. 気温 check, -19C.

Under a pink 煙霧, we ride through snow-laden valleys and 広大な snow fields on a sled pulled by five very eager dogs. And we are the drivers.

'Whatever you do, don't let go of the handlebar as the dogs won't stop running,' our guide 警告するs.?

長，率いるing 支援する to Tromso, the sun begins to 始める，決める, capping off just three hours of daybreak. This city doesn't?really wake up in winter.

Laura goes sledding with reindeer under the 監督 of 地元の Sami Herolina (pictured left)

Herolina 株 stories about her family's traditions by the 解雇する／砲火／射撃 in a 伝統的な Lavvu テント

'Hoofing' around: A 見解（をとる） of the mountains from the 支援する of the reindeer sled

The big 冷気／寒がらせる: The items Laura wears in a 選び出す／独身 day to stay warm in subzero 気温s

Arriving to the sound of church bells, we?take the Fjellheisen cable car to a mountaintop viewpoint. Home lights flicker on as 早期に as 2pm, as the sky 保持するs the last 微光s of daylight.

Tucking into my soup at the Fjellstua Caf? Og Restaurant, it very much feels like dinnertime.

The next day, we go sledding with reindeer under the 監督 of the 地元の Sami people.

Your reindeer is N?sti - not to be 混乱させるd with '汚い' - which means 'little 星／主役にする', our Sami guide Herolina explains.

After the 30-minute sled ride, Herolina joins us in by the 解雇する／砲火／射撃 in a 伝統的な Lavvu テント and 株 stories about her family's traditions.

The canvas テントs are used as 避難所, she explains, when they travel through the mountains with their 3,000-strong reindeer herd on a 250-mile (400km) 旅行 between their summer and winter 残り／休憩（する）ing grounds - in 気温s as low as -50C.

'The water is shrouded in もや making it appear as though we are 運動ing above the clouds,' says Laura of the bus 旅行 to Breivikeidet

It's a portable 代案／選択肢 to the igloo 避難所s 伝統的に used in Canada. Genius.

Norway never went in for igloos - but it does have a hotel formed from ice ドームs.

It's called Tromso Ice ドームs. And does 正確に／まさに what it says on the tin.?

We 減少（する） in and sit on furniture made from ice while enjoying 地元の fruit juices served 発射 glasses made from ice.

Fancy staying the night? The beds are made from ice, too.?

That night, we 始める，決める off on an 長期冒険旅行 to see more 野性生物, 乗る，着手するing on an 夜通し voyage through the fjords onboard?the MV 追求（する），探索（する）.

Wrapped up in my 層s, with my snood scarf pulled over my nose and mouth to 保護する me against 勝利，勝つd 冷気／寒がらせる, I join aurora chaser Carlo Alberto?outside on the 前線 deck, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights once again.?

Laura?乗る，着手するs on an 夜通し voyage through the fjords onboard the MV 追求（する），探索（する）, where she looks out for the Northern Lights on the 前線 deck (pictured)

Setting sail 支援する に向かって Tromso, Laura returns to the deck to savour the final sunset

Sailing through the 北極の waters, he tells me we are standing beneath the Big Dipper and points at a warm light in the sky. 'Jupiter,' he 追加するs.

It's 2.30am. The clouds have rolled in, covering up any 可能性のある auroras, so I 長，率いる to the captain's cabin to warm up.

The 乗組員 seem glad for the company and 招待する me to sit in the driver's seat.

'It’s challenging out here,' Captain Hordur Holm tells me as we gaze into the 不明瞭 catching the 時折の red flashing light from a distant 貨物 ship.

The 乗組員 招待するs Laura to sit in the driver's seat onboard the ship. 'It’s challenging out here,' says Captain Hordur Holm.?'There is a lot of ice. It may be 霧がかかった, or snowing, and on 最高の，を越す of this, we are mostly in 不明瞭'

The ship sails through the fjords 夜通し from Tromso to?Skjervoy, as 示すd by the white line on the captain's 航海 system here

'There is a lot of ice. It may be 霧がかかった, or sno wing, and on 最高の，を越す of this, we are mostly in 不明瞭. It's made me a much more 確信して 船員.'

Soothed by the gentle 激しく揺するing of the boat, I 退却／保養地 to my cabin and sleep through the night.

The morning brings a visit from a pod of sperm 鯨s, swimming の近くに to the boat off the coast of Skjerv?y.

A sperm 鯨 appears by the MV 追求（する），探索（する） and flicks its tail as it 急落（する），激減（する）s 支援する 負かす／撃墜する

Laura watches 鯨s gather and shoot jets of water into the 空気／公表する as they surface

First, a 独房監禁?鯨 shoots a jet of water skyward and flips its tail as it 急落（する），激減（する）s 支援する beneath the surface.?

Then several 鯨s gather in the distance, identified only by misty clouds of water in the 空気／公表する. In a grand finale, a mother and her calf make a 部分的な／不平等な 外見 above the water.

Setting sail 支援する に向かって Tromso, I return to the deck to savour the final sunset and imagine what it would be like to live in one of the cabins I 位置／汚点／見つけ出す by the water's 辛勝する／優位.

Guests can stay 夜通し at this ice ドーム, in beds made from ice. Pictured: The dining ha ll

LEFT: The 入り口 to the ice ドーム. RIGHT: Laura is 招待するd to try a 地元の fruit juice served in a 発射 glass made from ice

Just 冷気／寒がらせるing: All furniture inside the ice ドーム is carved out of 封鎖するs of ice

On the flight home the に引き続いて morning, we catch the sunrise, a Norwegian classic - a peachy 煙霧 licking the horizon. Only this time, it is topped by a 有望な blue sky and I see the sun for the first time in four days.

It's 12C when we touch 負かす／撃墜する in Gatwick - toasty - and the magical extremes?of the 北極の seem like a dream.

But frozen forever in my memory.?