There are moments in landscape-photography when just about everything comes together perfectly: you’re at the right place at the right time and the conditions are just right. These are rare and good moments. And then there are the moments when just about everything goes wrong. This is one these…

So, I planned a quick visit to the island of Senja, Norway. We had been there last year and I wanted to go back there and take some images for which the conditions weren’t right then. The forecast predicted something which promised to be rather dramatic conditions: meaning sun, clouds and mild rain. Perfect! By the time I started to write this in my car I was supposed to be just there; hopefully waking up in the morning after a night of successful photography. And it all came different…

Since you are already sitting in front of your computer, you might want to look up the city of Alta, Norway on Google maps and then follow the E9 with the direction to Kautokeino about 52km to the south. You might be able to find a parking spot there. It’s a nice small resting place where I stopped for a nap and it was just there where the battery of my car died. I’m not sure whether the lights were on before I fell asleep or if the GPS was draining the battery, either way, whatever it was, the car didn’t start.

In short: I was kind of screwed.

Why am I here and not on the island? Obvious question. Let’s go back in time about 14 hours…

Just after passing the border to Norway and arriving in Skibotn I follow my route along the road E6 to Trömsö which in the end should bring me to my planned location. It was just then, when I got stopped by an official, informing me that the road (which is the only one) got closed for an unknown time. If I’m in a hurry I could go to Olderdalen take a ferry to another island and continue my journey from there. This seriously ruined my schedule.

Later in the evening I got informed that due to the heavy rain during the last days, an avalanche came down from the mountains and blocked the road. Naturally it got closed, cleaned and kept closed for security reasons until the next morning.

A decision had to be made. Since the island seemed to be out reach, I decided to not go over to Senja, but instead chose to explore the area more to the north.

In pouring rain I explored the area and quickly found a nice waterfall nearby. I continue to explore of the area up to the city of Alta and since time is short then return home. And this is where I was when the battery died and I started to write this post.

Luckily the traffic along this road had been rather busy, but still it took me about 5 hours (and about 15 cars) before a couple from Essen, Germany stopped and had a starter cable available and I could finally leave from here (lesson to be learned: make sure you have a starter cable in the car).

This trip surely got an unexpected twist and wasn’t short of eventful happenings. Along the road I managed to capture a few successful images which I will post over the next few weeks. Also, the failure of reaching my destination gives me a good excuse to return as soon as I have time again. Hopefully in the next few weeks.