ACROSS SNOW-COVERED A PRIMAL FORCE
MOUNTAIN PLATEAUS Come dog sledging with Hurtigruten
When travelling with Hurtigruten, you can also experience real dog sledging at two of our ports of call. There is truly no better way to travel across snow-covered plateaus. People living in the polar regions have known that for centuries. So did the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen when he, with the help of his Greenland dogs, became the first man to reach the South Pole in 1911.
The most common breed used for dog sledging today is the Alaskan Husky. These are hardy dogs that can handle great vari- ations in both temperature and weather conditions. They are happiest when their strong de- sire to run and pull is fulfilled, which makes them perfect sledge dogs. An author once wrote: “A husky is a mixture of a wolf and an outboard motor”, which is actually a very good description. Dogs that are well equipped to live in the polar regions are not the fastest runners, but they have unparalleled stamina. And they are naturally predisposed never to wear themselves out completely, because the key to survival in this harsh climate is always making sure you never deplete your energy reserves.
Imagine experiencing this: the sledges are being prepared and the dogs’ harnesses put on. Once they realise they are going out and running they
Take to the snow with a pack of loyal husky dogs leading the way
start howling like there is no tomorrow, they bark and yelp and pull on their harnesses, but the moment the snow anchor is loosened and the sledge starts to move, everything goes quiet. It is a strange, spine-tingling, experience. The only sound you can hear from the dogs, that just a second ago made such a ruckus, is the rhyth- mic beat of their breath. That, and the hiss of the sledge runners gliding over the snow, are all that break the po- lar silence. The dogs want to get going, they know the way, they know exactly what to do. Our dog sledging lasts around half an hour. The scenery is fantastic; you see the ocean, mountains and plateaus. And if you are lucky the Northern Lights will make an ap- pearance too.
“The participants go out in small groups so we can give everyone the attention they need. They connect with the animals, nature and silence. It makes a solid impression, and many tell me afterwards that this has been the best experience of their lives”, says one of our dog sledging part- ners. If you join one of our sledging excursions you will know what he means. You will know what it feels like to sail through the white land- scape, just like an explorer, like Roald Amund- sen, pulled forward by the pure primal force of man's best friend.
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