Oh What Fun it is to Ride in an Eight Dog Open Sleigh: My Arctic Dog Sledding Adventure.
Ever dream of racing across frozen tundra, cold wind against your cheek, crisp winter in the air, behind a pack of beautiful, strong huskies bounding through fresh snow?
Good news, you don’t have to train for the Iditarod to experience the thrill of dog sledding!
I don’t often do paid tours or activities on my travels, it just gets too expensive, but when the opportunity to explore Svalbard’s wilderness by dog sled came up I couldn’t pass it up.
[You can check video of the adventure on my instagram @thereal_j.f.r ]
At the Top of the World
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, inside the arctic circle, is a small community. The old mining industry has mostly petered out. There are some scientific research facilities outside of town, a few locals, and then there are the tour companies catering to those brave enough to visit the most northern corner of the world.
They have skiing, snowmobiling, arctic hikes and of course dog sledding, and there are more than a few companies to choose from.
After researching, I booked with Arctic Husky Travellers. (Yes, it's two 'L's - that's the UK spelling.) They are reasonably priced and offer combination tours where the dogs will take you to an ice cave to explore, but most important for me was the fact that they were a much smaller company than the other tourist organizations.
Husky Travellers cap the number of dogs in their pack at 50, so they have the time and ability to give the dogs individual and concentrated care, training (and love!) (They currently have 45 sled dogs - the website features a great profile page with each dog’s “headshot”)
Family run, Tommy Jordbrudal and his wife Janne E. Søreide, are experienced mushers (isn’t that the best job title!) who have been working with dogs for 25 years. Tommy also races his pack. He and his Alaskan huskies have competed in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race (the longest sled race in the world from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska) as well as Europe’s longest dog race, the Finnmarksløpet in Norway. (They’ve never won, consistently coming in center of the pack, but they keep returning for the joy of the run) The team have even braved the moving pack ice on expeditions to the North Pole. His tourist sled tours aren't just a way to pay the bills, they are great training for his pack, offering the opportunity for each dog to get out on several runs a week.
Prepping the Dog Team & Sled
The lead dogs on our excursion were already pros, but the rest of the team dogs were still in training - some as swing or point dogs, (those behind the leaders who's job it is to help with transitions when changing direction) and others as wheel dogs (those closest to the sled, who learn to run wide to smooth out turns.) And it was so much fun to see the excitement of these younger dogs - they were as enthusiastic about going out as we, the guests, were!
When our small group arrived for our excursion, Tommy gave us the low down on how to approach the dogs, maneuver the sled and safely ride.
The sleds themselves, where quite small. It has an area in the front, called the basket, for storage of supplies but the portion you ride, is actually open to the sides and ground.
It’s basically just two metal rails, called runners, and a U shaped handlebar or driving bow, you hold and steer with. You stand straddling the runners with one foot on either footboard.
Soon we got to meet our dogs in the yard as the handlers began the harnessing process. The back of the dogs harnesses are attached with a tugline to a central gangline to pull the sled. Their collars are also attached to the gangline (or each other) with a neckline so they stay together while running.
The gangline runs down the center of the pack and attaches to the bridle, which is a sort of harness for the body of the sled that distributes the pulling force of the dogs to move the sled smoothly.
When the rigging was complete we split into groups of two and were assigned to our teams of 6-8 dogs.
My team had a precious, precocious pup, about 2 years old, named Lakris (Sweet Root/ Licorice)- I was immediately smitten.
The few minutes the dogs had to wait harnessed to their sled as the last team was rigged the whole yard was filled with yelping, everyone was so anxious to get going!
Into the Winter Wonderland
Finally the gate opened and we were off, across the ice road and into the valleys below Svalbard’s mountains.
The ride was incredibly exciting. The dogs kept up a swift pace and the challenge to stay upright and on the sled was a real balancing act; learning to shift your weight to lean into or against the direction of the sled as it maneuvers over humps and around turns, (a bit like leaning into the turn on a motorcycle.)
Faster than any snow skiing I have ever done, it felt a bit like riding a fast motor bike, only less secure, with nothing to squeeze between you legs and the added balance challenge. Water skiing on snow might actually be a better analogy!
On steep inclines we sometimes had to assist the younger/ smaller dogs in getting the sled up the hill, pushing off with one leg like you do a skate board, (called pedaling,) or even jogging along side for a minute and then leaping back on the sled runners.
The open sled was just unpredictable and dangerous enough to make the drive a true thrill. (You aren’t harnessed in any way, incase you fall off, you don't want to be dragged.)
And it is that, a drive, more than a ride. Like horseback riding, you and your sled partner (who is also a novice, not a guide) have to drive to sled, controlling the dogs just as a rider must control a horse.
Amazingly, with 80% of our dogs still learning the ropes, the biggest challenge in training was getting the young ones to slow down! They are so eager they want to run at top speed straight out of the gate. But they have to learn to pace themselves, both to pull safely and so they have enough energy later in the run. I was surprised to discover mushing a team of dogs was more brake than mush!
Braking on most sleds consist of pressing either a bar/pedal that pushes a spike or anchor of sorts into the snow, or pressing on a rubber drag mat to increase drag and slow down the dogs. As a result of this most of the time I found my weight was on just one foot, either the stable foot on it's runner, with the other foot hovering over the mat or pressing my weight into the brake bar.
For really steep declines, metal chains, called rough locks were added to the runners to slow down the sled even further.
It’s a lot of work and surprisingly good exercise for an activity that appears from a distance to be ‘just standing’ while dogs pull you around.
Lunch at the Ice Caves
At the foot of a mountain, when we'd reached the cave entrance the dogs got a break.
We fed them a treat of raw fish while we had some rehydrated 'exploration' ration packs, (which were only decent) and solbærtoddy, a hot blackcurrant drink (which was delicious!) in an underground igloo-like burrow in the snow, before we explored the ice tunnels.
The tunnels form naturally from melting glacial waters that flow through, and beneath, the mountains every summer. In the winter all the guides have to do is a but of digging at the base of the peaks to find an entrance to these tunnels. They are so warm inside that sometimes people will camp inside them!
The caves were beautiful and fascinating but hard to navigate and also a bit claustrophobic. I'm thrilled to have explored them but was definitely ready to get back to the surface when it was time to go.
When we got back to the basecamp we assisted in de-harnessing and removing the cute blue paw-booties that many of the pups wore for protection. After briefly meeting some of the newest born pups, not old enough to go out yet, we had to say goodbye to our new friends.
Our excursion was only a few hours, but there are also overnight versions available where you camp with the dogs.
The young women who lead our team out that day where students doing an internship of sorts with the company, and I was tempted for a moment to take off a year from traveling and join them, I had enjoyed myself and the dogs so much!
My dog sled adventure was an amazing experience and absolutely worth the cost, and I wouldn’t hesitate to go again, perhaps on an even longer, overnight adventure. If you ever get the chance I highly recommend it, it's an amazing experience!
To contact Arctic Husky Travellers in Svalbard -
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