Dog Sledding in Sweden
Posted at 04:37 PM on 12 Aug 2011 under Sweden
Being South African and therefore having grown up in a warm climate, there is nothing I love more than a skiing holiday or a holiday up in the North of Scotland or Canada during the winter months. These holidays are packed full of winter activities, wood fires, mulled vine and lots of fun. So, when a friend suggested we go dog sledding, I was super-keen.
Myself and 8 friends flew from Gatwick airport, London to Stockholm, Sweden. From there, we caught a connecting flight up to Karuna in the North of Sweden, within the Arctic Circle. We were greeted by the welcoming smile of our tour guide.
An outing to the Ice Hotel proved chilly to say the least but it was most interesting to hear about how the rooms and sculptures are made. We were served a drink in a glass of ice. I am personally glad we did not stay a night at the Ice Hotel as you pay a high price to freeze – I would rather do the tour and then sleep in a warm bed.
Alcoholic drinks in Sweden are extremely expensive so I would recommend bringing a bottle or two of liquor with you if you are a keen on a drink or two.
We spent the first night in a hostel in Karuna, which was clean and comfortable. The next day, we were given a safety talk by our two guides. We were told ‘Vatever you do, neva let go of da sled’. Apparently if you fall over and let go, the dogs will not stop running and you will be left ‘sled-less’.
We each had our own sled and were taught how to steer and stop. Managing the sleds was pretty easy except on our first day, I leaned the wrong way on my sled when going around a corner, resulting in the sled toppling on it’s side. I was dragged 50 metres or so before the dogs stopped and I was able to get back on. I was proud of myself that I did not let go but I was still the laughing stock of my friends. The only bruise I had was a bruised ego!
The trip was amazing – riding through forests and across iced over lakes. We went ice fishing – everyone caught fish except me. I managed to drop my torch, which bounced and fell down the 15cm diameter hole in the ice into the river below - never to be seen again. Our guides prepared the fish as a starter – delicious!
We spent nights in log cabins with reindeer skins as linen. Washing took place in the sauna, with the ladies first and then the men afterwards. We alternated between staying in the sauna and then having snow fights in the nude when we got too hot – quite a giggle.
We kept a look out for the Northern lights but were unfortunately not lucky enough to see them during our visit, which was 4 days and 4 nights long.
One of the things that I was a bit worried about before our holiday was whether or not dog sledding is cruel to the dogs. I am a big dog lover, we have two of our own and I would hate to do anything that was harmful to animals. However, after going dog sledding, I can honestly say that those dogs love nothing more than running and I did not think that it was cruel. The dogs were beautiful!
I have nothing but fond memories of my holiday in Karuna. I do believe that it was made all the more fun because I went with a large group of friends but I am sure it would be a fun holiday and great experience for couples and families as well. I score the holiday 8/10.
