6,388 Kilometres North: Gregor’s Arctic VOMAC Adventure

Some dreams take years to mature. For Gregor, the idea of driving his own Volvo to the Arctic Circle in winter had been sitting on his bucket list for more than a decade.

For Gregor, the idea of driving his own Volvo to the Arctic Circle in winter had been sitting on his bucket list for more than a decade.

He had travelled to Scandinavia countless times before, attended Volvo gatherings in Sweden, photographed the Northern Lights. Yet one event remained: the legendary Volvo Owners Meeting at the Arctic Circle, better known as VOMAC.

In January 2024, the dream finally became reality. Behind the wheel of his 2014 Volvo V70 T6 AWD, Gregor and his friend Christian set out from Switzerland on a journey that would eventually cover almost 6,400 kilometres through Germany, Sweden, and deep into Lapland.

Growing up on the shores of Lake Zurich in the 1980s, Gregor was surrounded by Volvo 240 police cars. Their presence clearly left a lasting impression, so years later, at the age of 26, he bought a Volvo 240 Turbo. That purchase sparked what he calls a “lifelong case of the Volvo virus.”

Gregor joined Volvo Team Switzerland and later served as the club’s president for a decade. More Volvos followed: a V90, a V70R, a 145, and the V70 T6 that would take him to the Arctic Circle.

Preparing for the Arctic

But winter travel in Lapland demands respect. Gregor knew exactly what awaited him. On previous trips to northern Finland, he had experienced temperatures as low as -40°C. At those extremes, even simple tasks can become painful.

“I once carried an aluminium tripod from the car after a long night photographing the Northern Lights,” he recalls. “My hand hurt for days afterwards.”

Preparation therefore became part of the adventure. Fresh engine oil, coolant protection down to -50°C, winter-ready washer fluid, and a healthy battery were all essential. Snow chains, a jump starter, a shovel, and even sleeping bags found their way into the V70’s generous cargo area. Thankfully, Volvo’s big all-wheel-drive wagon seemed purpose-built for exactly this kind of expedition.

The first challenge arrived before Scandinavia was even in sight. Heavy rain and strong winds accompanied the drive through northern Germany towards Kiel, where the Stena Scandinavica awaited for the overnight crossing to Gothenburg.

The rough weather continued at sea, making for an uncomfortable night. But the next morning offered a reward. As the ferry approached Gothenburg through the sheltered archipelago, a crimson sunrise painted the horizon.

Soon afterwards, the V70 rolled back onto Swedish soil, appropriate for a car built only a few kilometres away in Torslanda. At Gothenburg, temperatures hovered around 4°C above freezing and there was barely a snowflake in sight. That would soon change.

Heading North

Following the famous Inlandsvägen, the route led through the heart of Sweden. Starting in Gothenburg, the journey took them via Trollhättan, Amal and Karlstad to Mora, then on to Vilhelmina, before finally reaching the starting point of the VOMAC in Luleå.

With every passing kilometre, winter tightened its grip. Snowfields became a continuous blanket, the roads turned white. Ice, packed snow, and constantly changing grip levels demanded concentration.

“Every corner required a judgement call. One moment you were driving on grippy asphalt, the next on polished ice.”

The further north they travelled, the more challenging the conditions became. “Every corner required a judgement call,” Gregor remembers. “One moment you were driving on grippy asphalt, the next on polished ice.” Yet the scenery made every kilometre worthwhile. Endless forests, frozen lakes, and vast open landscapes created the feeling of entering another world.

And the V70? It never missed a beat. Despite carrying two occupants, luggage, winter equipment, and camera gear, the 329-horsepower wagon returned surprisingly modest fuel consumption figures. More importantly, it inspired confidence on roads where confidence mattered most.

One thing failed to meet expectations: the cold. Instead of the brutal Arctic temperatures Gregor had prepared for, Lapland delivered unusually mild weather. On one stage, the thermometer even climbed to 6°C, just a short distance south of the Arctic Circle.

The roads, however, remained unpredictable. Snow, slush, ice, gravel, and bare asphalt could all appear within a single hour of driving. Road maintenance crews had scattered coarse gravel on exposed sections, much to the frustration of every car enthusiast. Along one stretch of road, a group of reindeer calmly watched the approaching Volvo before returning to their business.

Chasing the Northern Lights

The official event had not even begun when Gregor experienced one of the highlights of the trip. After the welcome dinner in Luleå, he joined a small group of enthusiasts chasing clear skies and aurora forecasts. Twenty minutes outside the city they found an open spot facing north. Then it appeared.

A faint green glow emerged above the horizon before gradually developing into a true Northern Lights display. For Gregor, who had photographed auroras many times before, this moment was different. For the first time, he captured his own Volvo beneath the Aurora Borealis. “A dream came true,” he wrote later in his travel diary.

Ice, Snow and the Spirit of VOMAC

The 2024 VOMAC event brought together 55 participants and 29 Volvos from across Europe. The programme combined scenic drives, local culture, and the unique experiences that only winter in northern Sweden can provide.

One of the highlights was a frozen lake prepared as an ice-driving circuit. After an introductory lap, participants were free to explore the limits of physics and their Volvos.

Some drivers returned to the parking area after only a few laps. Others stayed for as long as possible. “It’s incredible fun,” Gregor says. “Accelerating across the ice up to 80 km/h, braking for the corner, and then catching the perfect moment to initiate the next drift.”

Years of winter driving experience paid off, and so did Volvo’s all-wheel-drive system.

The following day brought fresh snow, strong winds, and a convoy drive towards Jokkmokk. At times, blowing snow completely swallowed the vehicle ahead. Visibility changed from clear to whiteout within seconds. Eventually, the convoy reached a hidden Arctic Circle landmark deep in the forest. Warm drinks, local specialities, and good company awaited the participants.

The weather may have been milder than normal, but the wind ensured everyone appreciated their winter clothing. For Gregor, it was exactly the kind of Arctic experience he had imagined for years.

As the event drew to a close, another unexpected highlight emerged. A local ferry crossing was trapped in the ice, leaving participants with only one option: driving directly across the frozen river, including crossing paths with snowmobiles. For a few memorable moments, the Volvo enthusiasts experienced a taste of genuine Ice Road driving.

The Long Road Home

Soon afterwards, the long journey home began. This time, Lapland finally delivered the winter conditions Gregor had expected all along. Temperatures dropped to -18°C, fresh snow covered the roads, and the Arctic landscape looked every bit as dramatic as he had imagined. The V70 continued to perform flawlessly.

Just as a Volvo should.

When Gregor returned home, the trip meter read 6,388 kilometres. But it wasn’t about the distance: this trip fulfilled a dream, to share an adventure with friends and explore the Arctic at the wheel of a Volvo.

And like many VOMAC participants before him, Gregor immediately became a repeat offender.

After all, some dreams are simply too good to experience just once.

Photography on this page © Gregor Gubser, Ingo Franschak

About VOMAC

The first “Volvo Owners Meeting at the Arctic Circle” (VOMAC) took place in 2006. The two organisers, Ortwin Schroeder and Heiko Müller, met in Trollhättan whilst filming a TV feature for “Motorvision”. Together, they came up with the idea of a Volvo meet-up in northern Sweden. They opted for a classic car meet in winter, when the landscape is breathtakingly beautiful and the roads are covered in snow.

The meet took place annually until 2010, and from 2012 onwards only every two years. In 2016, to mark VOMAC’s tenth anniversary, 80 Volvo enthusiasts gathered in Kiruna. In 2024, 55 people with 28 Volvos from Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Sweden took part.

https://www.vomac.org