January 2026 - A Castel story by Daniel Dobitsch
A dream comes true: to the North Cape in the 911 Dakar
In the winter months, when the hotel is closed, renovation work is coordinated and things are quiet, January is usually a very quiet month for me. A time to pause for a moment as a host. To clear my head. And to treat myself to a reset.
Something that has been on my personal to-do list for a long time is something that not everyone can understand - not even in my family. And so I fulfilled my dream of travelling to the North Cape on my own.
By a stroke of luck, my car was transported all the way to Rovaniemi. This spared me the less exciting journey to the Arctic Circle. But the real advantage was that I had the full ten days available for the essentials - for the landscapes and routes above the Arctic Circle.
STAGE 1 FROM ROVANIEMI TO SAARISELKÄ
"Hello Daniel! You're lucky, it's getting warm."
I was greeted with this sentence by runner-up in the World Rally Championship Uwe Nittel - whom I have known for a long time - when I met him by chance at the Rally Test Centre near Rovaniemi, where I took over my car. It's all a question of perspective: compared to South Tyrol, the -12 °C seemed quite cold to me. Compared to the -38 °C of the previous week, however, it was actually "warm".
Before we set off, the mechanic fitted the Dakar with a fresh set of arctic winter tyres with studs and Uwe, in his role as "fuel attendant", got it ready for the journey.
Then I set off in the direction of Ivalo. I was very cautious for the first few kilometres. But I quickly got a good feeling - I was surprised at how excellent the grip was. The route itself was unspectacular, but as darkness fell at around 3 p.m., icy drizzle added to the excitement.
It quickly became clear what the Dakar was missing: a windscreen heater. Pure antifreeze concentrate in the windscreen was the remedy. Preparation is everything.
In the evening, I reached dear friends who had emigrated to Finland years ago. We had a delicious dinner - and later bingo in the local bar, where many villagers meet on Fridays. I didn't win anything. But I certainly had fun!
REST DAY IN SAARISELKÄ
Dog sledding tour, good conversation and excellent food
After a good night's sleep and a good breakfast, I travelled to Ivalo the next morning. A surprise awaited me there: a sled dog tour. The Dakar was snowed in overnight, but had a full rest day anyway.
The dogs were extremely excited when we arrived - not because of the hotelier from South Tyrol, but because they immediately sensed that we were heading out into the great outdoors today. After we had put on the harnesses and prepared the sled, I was given a brief introduction.
Then off we went. Six dogs in the front, me in the back of the sled - initially with respect. But they were patient with me. After a few kilometres, my nervousness gave way to confidence and I increasingly let go of the brakes.
Two hours through a snow-covered winter landscape - an experience that left me feeling very grateful. An experience that I can only recommend to anyone.
A short nap in the afternoon did me good. In the evening, I went to the Laanilan Kievari restaurant(www.laanilankievari.fi). The cuisine surprised me with very good quality and a great wine list, which you wouldn't expect up here. We shared various dishes - my highlights: Reindeer tartare, elk fillet (as tender as Gerhard Wieser's beef fillet) and reindeer shoulder cooked on an open fire.
STAGE 2 FROM SAARISELKÄ TO LAKSELV
Pure nature, the first reindeer and (almost) all alone
It was hard to say goodbye. But the stage was around 260 kilometres long and I wanted to make the most of the daylight.
The first two thirds ran through Finland, the last 80 kilometres through Norway. I had to stop after just a few kilometres - the vastness, the light and the tranquil landscape were overwhelming.
From Ivalo onwards, the route became particularly scenic: bends, hilltops, lakes, forests, clearings - the sun always in the rear-view mirror.
Shortly before the border, I encountered reindeer on the road for the first time. A risk not to be underestimated, as they prefer to walk on cleared roads rather than through deep snow.
I reached the Lakselv Hotel at nightfall. My fear of being the only guest turned out to be unfounded. Four other travellers arrived that evening. Lucky me.
ETAPPE 3 VON LAKSELV ZUM NORDKAP
Zwischenziel erreicht, aber ohne Happy-End
The last stage to the big intermediate destination was on the agenda. The further north you go, the shorter the window of daylight becomes. It's a good thing that the Dakar has powerful additional lighting.
After about 60 kilometres I reached Olderfjord and filled up again on recommendation. There I met four brave men with sidecar motorbikes who had returned from the North Cape the day before. They told me about glass-smooth roads and ten hours of riding time for 140 kilometres.
I continued my journey with a queasy feeling - and they were right. In some sections, the road looked wet, but it was actually bare ice. For the first time, I was very glad of my spikes. The Dakar did well.
A long tunnel under a fjord, then Honningsvåg - and finally on to the North Cape. The wind became stronger, visible in the beam of the headlights. The landscape seemed rougher, archaic, marked by metre-high snowdrifts and barren rocks.
Then the lights of the visitor centre appeared in the mist - designed for thousands of people who arrive here in summer. I walked the last few metres - even with spikes - to the famous steel globe. I made it.
Despite temperatures slightly above freezing, the wind made it feel icy. There were no Northern Lights to be expected that evening. So I drove back to Honningsvåg, where I had booked two nights as a precaution - to double my chances.
REST DAY AT THE NORTH CAPE
Exploration tour and finally northern lights
The morning view promised clarity for the evening. Until then, I explored the rugged, beautiful nature between Honningsvåg and the North Cape.
With the Dakar - almost 20 centimetres of ground clearance at the touch of a button - I found small gravel roads that led high above the fjords. Quiet bays, wide open spaces and many small fishing villages. One of them is called Skarsvåg. With 60 inhabitants, it is the northernmost fishing village in the world - with probably the smallest tourist centre.
At nightfall, I drove to the North Cape again. When asked about the Dakar, I met Christian and his daughter Sophie, who had been travelling from Munich in their VW camper van for three weeks - also with the intention of seeing the Northern Lights at the North Cape.
They invited me into their warm bus while we waited. We were about to give up after it even rained briefly, but then the magic began.
First delicately, then powerfully, the northern lights appeared in the sky. The wind died down. My first Northern Lights at the North Cape - a dream come true.
I happily drove back to Honningsvåg. The lights accompanied me, and I took many more beautiful photos of the Dakar under the northern lights.
STAGE 4 FROM HONNINGSVÅG TO ALTA
The first sunrise of the year
As impressive as the northern lights are, life this far north is also characterised by darkness. I realised this as I drove south - towards the light - and literally blossomed.
I was lucky enough to be travelling on one of the first days when the sun came out and the weather was nice. As someone who lives in South Tyrol and is spoilt by the sun, it's hard to imagine how much you can long for this light.
Overwhelmed by the sight of the sun, which was very low, many people stopped to consciously stand in the sunlight for a few minutes. I did the same - and it felt so good.
The temperatures dropped continuously the further I travelled from the sea: from -0.5 °C near the North Cape to -18 °C towards Alta. Nature was frozen, the horizon hazy. The road service was working with impressive machines.
When I arrived in Alta, I treated myself to a cinnamon bun as a reward - and enjoyed the beautiful, reddish sky.
STAGE 5 FROM ALTA TO MUONIO
Through the icy cold back to Finland
After a short, relaxing stay at the Sorrisniva Arctic Wilderness Lodge - including a visit to the igloo hotel - the penultimate stage took me back to Finland.
The first 50 kilometres meandered spectacularly through a small mountain range. After that it got even colder. At the border, the thermometer showed -24 °C. The Dakar was completely iced over.
For the first time since Lakselv, I came across reindeer again - this time a large herd. They looked at me just as curiously as I looked at them.
The last 60 kilometres were particularly nice to ride: clear air and, thanks to the good headlights, the best view of the road and the forests. After around 300 kilometres, I reached Nivunki Village(www.nivunkivillage.com) in the dark. I had reserved two nights here as a conscious end to the journey.
REST DAY IN NIVUNKI VILLAGE
Snowshoeing, sauna with ice bath and snowmobile tour
The eighth day was free of big plans - except for the evening "Northern Lights Snowmobile Tour".
From the warm bed of my private kota, I gazed out over the snow-covered landscape. Over breakfast, I got chatting to my host Sami Luoto - an exchange between colleagues. they opened this "hut village" in 2024, with a lot of personality and high quality standards. You can feel it - also in the food.
Sami recommended a winter hike. Ten kilometres through a picture-book landscape - over frozen lakes and through forests. Accompanied by the sunrise or sunset - the boundaries are blurred here.
Then a sauna with a view over the lake. And finally the decision: ice bathing at an air temperature of -21 °C - can I do it? I succeeded - feelings of happiness included.
The snowmobile tour followed in the evening. The northern lights were not long in coming - more intense than before. I fell into bed around midnight, exhausted but happy.
STAGE 6 FROM MUONIO TO ROVANIEMI
Back to Father Christmas and some more drifting
It was hard to say goodbye again. The route was less spectacular because it only led along main roads. Because I knew this beforehand, I started early so that I would still have time in the afternoon.
I passed the Levi ski resort - close to the Porsche winter test track, where my enthusiasm for the Dakar began. At -27 °C, it was the coldest here.
In Rovaniemi, I stopped off at Santa Claus Village - lots of kitsch, lots of people. Nothing for me, but I wanted a photo with Father Christmas for my children.
Then back to the Rally Test Centre - and a few hours of drifting with a Mitsubishi Evo X. In the end it was clear: as impressive as the Porsche is - the Evo is hard to beat on snow and ice.
A big thank you to Reinhold Renger from Drive Vision, who made this short intermezzo possible. Anyone who would like to try it out for themselves can register here with my best regards: www.drive-vision.de
© Image sources: Daniel Dobitsch
