The Artisan Travel Blog

Dog Sledding in Sörbyn

After a short stay at Brändön Lodge, we continued our journey north and ventured further into the Lappish wilderness. We were heading for a small village called Sörbyn, in Northern Sweden, where we would undertake perhaps the most anticipated activity. Dog sledding conjures up a variety of magical images but nothing quite compares to the reality.

We arrived at the location of our activity in the early afternoon but already the sun had begun its descent casting an orange glow on the surrounding snow. Three teams of dogs lay in wait and the moment they saw us approach they began to realise the time had come for another journey. Never before had I witnessed such excitement amongst dogs. They were eager to set off, climbing on top of one another, barking and trying to pull a sleigh which was anchored into the snow.

For the first half of the tour, two of us would control our own sleigh and the other two would sit on the guide's sled, then we would swap over. As the guide went through a list of instructions on how to control the dogs I began to feel quite nervous, and as a gentleman was about to offer my companions the opportunity to have their own sleds. Unfortunately, my colleague seemed equally nervous and had sat down on the guide's sled before he had finished speaking and thus I had no choice but to throw myself straight into it.

Michael Sweden trip 46ssssssss

I stood on the sled and the dogs became even more excitable. The guide removed the anchor and I had to put all my weight on the foot brake in order to stop the dogs from shooting off into the distance. The guide went first and after a few seconds, the next sled followed. It was then my turn and I must confess that I was wary of the first corner as it seemed impossible that a wooden sled could make such a turn. I took my foot off the brake and we were off. After navigating the first corner with ease the dogs burst onto the snowy plains. All nerves disappeared as I listened to the gentle sounds of the sled on the snow. The sled itself was fairly easy to control. There was a brake between your feet and when you wanted the dogs to slow you simply pressed your heels down and the brake would dig into the snow. For this reason, I was able to simply enjoy the experience.

Michblog

It was a surreal moment to think that only days ago, I was in the office and now I was in the middle of Swedish Lapland, guiding a team of huskies amidst a stunning Lappish sunset and fragrant pine forests. The terrain was beyond tranquil and it was hard not to become lost in the experience. I gazed at the stunning sky reflecting on the pristine snow whilst moving peacefully through the wilderness and I did not want this day to end. I can honestly say that husky sledding is, without a doubt, one of my most memorable travel experiences.


Experience husky sledding in Sörbyn here!

Read 4582 times Last modified on Friday, 29 January 2021

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