Wilderness dog sledding trip in Norway
| country: | Norway |
| departures: | 2008: 10 Dec, 17 Dec, 26 Dec 2009: 5 Jan, 14 Jan, 21 Jan, 28 Jan, 4 Feb, 11 Feb, 15 Feb, 18 Feb, 22 Feb, 25 Feb, 1 Mar, 4 Mar, 8 Mar, 11 Mar, 15 Mar, 18 Mar, 31 Mar, 9 Apr, 17 Apr, 23 Apr, 26 Apr, 4 May |
| price: | From £1415 (5 days) including flights from the UK. Price based on 2 people travelling, single supplement £190. Price includes full board cabin style accommodation, equipment, clothing and fully qualified instructors. This trip can also be booked without flights |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Our Norwegian partner’s credentials speak for themselves: An 11 time winner of Europe’s longest sled dog race and a top ten finisher in North America’s epic 1800km "Iditarod". This is dog sledding in the most exalted company.
Notes: This trip is suitable for anybody aged 16 years or over (this does not preclude anyone younger than 16 but they would ride the sled rather than driving a team).
Accommodation:
Wilderness cabins
On our wilderness safaris you will spend some nights in a wilderness cabin or cabins. Generally speaking the cabins are rather basic (no electricity or running water) but comfortable and cosy, especially once dinner is cooking over the open fire. The cabins are usually so remote that there is little or no light pollution, creating the best possible chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis.
Base camp and husky farm
On our travels, we see quite a few husky farms and this is without doubt one of the most impressive we've ever visited. For enthusiasts it is quite simply doggy heaven. Base camp is situated next to the Karasjohka river just 6km from Karasjok. It plays host to a husky farm with approximately 50 sled dogs who have been highly trained for both long distance racing and safaris.
Accommodation is in hand built log cabins which you will share with other mushers. The cabins are as cosy as cosy can be and sitting in front of an open fire chatting with your fellow adventurers is a lovely way to spend a winters evening. Each cabin has been individually designed, decorated and furnished to create a unique and personal atmosphere. Generally speaking, there are two bedrooms and additional loft sleeping spaces.
Meals are eaten together in the main building (again log-built) or in the specially constructed barta, a special turf covered log house where you gather around the open fire sitting on luxurious reindeer pelts. To help you while away the evening, there is a wood heated sauna and even a dog mushers library.
Notes: This trip is suitable for anybody aged 16 years or over (this does not preclude anyone younger than 16 but they would ride the sled rather than driving a team).
Accommodation:
Wilderness cabins
On our wilderness safaris you will spend some nights in a wilderness cabin or cabins. Generally speaking the cabins are rather basic (no electricity or running water) but comfortable and cosy, especially once dinner is cooking over the open fire. The cabins are usually so remote that there is little or no light pollution, creating the best possible chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis.Base camp and husky farm
On our travels, we see quite a few husky farms and this is without doubt one of the most impressive we've ever visited. For enthusiasts it is quite simply doggy heaven. Base camp is situated next to the Karasjohka river just 6km from Karasjok. It plays host to a husky farm with approximately 50 sled dogs who have been highly trained for both long distance racing and safaris.
Accommodation is in hand built log cabins which you will share with other mushers. The cabins are as cosy as cosy can be and sitting in front of an open fire chatting with your fellow adventurers is a lovely way to spend a winters evening. Each cabin has been individually designed, decorated and furnished to create a unique and personal atmosphere. Generally speaking, there are two bedrooms and additional loft sleeping spaces.
Meals are eaten together in the main building (again log-built) or in the specially constructed barta, a special turf covered log house where you gather around the open fire sitting on luxurious reindeer pelts. To help you while away the evening, there is a wood heated sauna and even a dog mushers library.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Flights, arrival & introduction. You will fly into Alta Airport and be transferred to base camp where you will be shown to your log cabin accommodation before dinner and a meeting with your guide. |
| Day 2: | Preparations and departure. The morning will be spent preparing for your two nights in the wilderness of Norwegian Lapland. You will be provided with all your protective winter clothing including a thermal snow suit and boots before meeting the huskies. The dogs will be organised into teams of 4 or 6 depending on the strength of each participant and you will receive a full briefing regarding the care of your animals and driving the sled. Once the sleds have been carefully packed your safari will start. You will almost immediately encounter a hilly stretch which gives you a great chance to earn both the respect and confidence of your team. You can help your team by pushing off with your feet, especially on the upward slopes and there is a certain satisfaction as they redouble their efforts in response to your assistance. You’ll cross lakes and frozen marsh land today en-route to your accommodation for the next two nights, a remote wilderness cabin. Given the nature of the elements and the terrain this far north, the weather and trail conditions may dictate where you spend the night. The quality of wilderness cabins can vary but once the fire is blazing and everybody is helping to prepare dinner you begin to appreciate just how exciting it is to be so far from "civilisation". |
| Day 3-4: | Wilderness husky safari. The great thing about spending two nights at the same wilderness cabin is that it allows you to spend all of day three travelling light. Unhindered by the extra baggage the dogs can move quicker and further which means you get to explore more of the region. Look out for wildlife as this is an important winter pasture for herds of reindeer. Today you could cover up to 50kms. After a second night at the wilderness cabin it’s a long mush back to Base Camp where a sauna awaits before a farewell dinner with your fellow adventurers. |
| Day 5: | Departure, transfers & flights. After breakfast you will be transferred back to the airport for your return flights after a fabulous wilderness safari. |
how this holiday makes a difference
 Tourism in Norwegian Lapland has become a main source of employment and income, replacing traditional industries such as forestry. Working within this growth industry in rural and remote areas means that we must take a great deal of responsibility; socially, environmentally and economically. We fully appreciate the impact of tourist visits on local communities and their residents and strive to ensure that we are having a positive effect. Karasjok is the centre of Sámi culture in Norway. A great deal of time and money has been invested in this area to educate both visitors and young Sámi people in the traditions and skills that have been passed down for generations. We have included a great deal of interaction with the Sámi culture and include a visit to the Sapmi Cultural Centre. In addition we encourage our clients to get involved in local events and activities whilst staying in Karasjok which help to sustain traditional values and customs. We always encourage our clients to respect and embrace the lives and culture of local inhabitants by learning a few important words: hello, goodbye, please, thank you etc. In all of our destinations we ensure that we use local suppliers, enabling locally owned businesses and the economies in which they work to benefit directly. The hotel Rica, although part of a larger chain of hotels, is Scandinavian owned and provides a vital source of employment throughout Norway in areas where employment opportunities can be scarce. Their restaurant serves a traditional menu with many local dishes available and the décor throughout the building takes inspiration from the Sámi culture. Through the tourism multiplier effect, this all helps to generate incomes and employment where the drift might otherwise be towards larger employment areas such as towns and cities. Our use of small businesses means that the tourism income, generated by our presence, stays where it should, in the local economy. We firmly believe in paying a fair price for all the services provided by our suppliers regardless of where they are in the world. Our holidays rely on visiting beautiful and un-spoilt areas. Naturally we wish to maintain the natural settings in which we work, not just for the future of our company, but also for future generations. We always insist that our local providers are equally conscious of this need. We do appreciate that some may feel that snowmobiles should not be included in such itineraries however in areas such as Karasjok they are a way of life. The alternatives to snowmobiles would in most cases be large, gas-guzzling off road vehicles. All snowmobiles are regularly serviced and kept as fuel efficient as possible. The snowmobile service industry is also another vital source of employment in this remote area. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |