AN EXTREME 7 DAYS HUSKY EXPERIENCE.

Have you ever wondered what its like to drive a dog team under the Northern Lights? Dreamed of travelling along the northern trails of Lapland with a team of amazing huskies? wanted to feel like a tru musher, travelling in unison with his dogs to reach a distant goal?

Then this unique and rare experience is for you!

We hope to share with you the awesome feeling of travelling with dogs! Not a predictable and easy little tour along well trodden husky trails, but a magnificient journey from Rovaniemi, Finland, the home of Santa Claus all the way to the famed Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden.

Almost 500 kilometers we will travel passing through many of the different types of forest and fjells that Lapland has to offer! Driving at night, in the morning and during the day we will see Lapland as not many others get the chance!

Make new canine friends and just be awed by how amazing these huskies are!

For those with a sense of adventure. Eat, Sleep, Run, Repeat!... An extreme 7 days Husky experience.

An adventurous and unique husky expedition to the famous Ice-hotel in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden.

Comfort level: Primitive wilderness / Winter Camping.

ONLY ONE TRAVERSE IN 2017:

2.4 to 9.2.2017

Price: 3.999 € /person (minimum 2 persons, max. 4 persons)

 THE PRICE INCLUDES:

- All transfers and activities mentioned in the program.

- 4 overnights in wilderness shelters/guesthouses/trail bivouacs/cabins, 1 hotel/guesthouse overnight in Jukkasjarvi, 1 overnight in the Ice Hotel in a double ice or

   snow room.

- All meals, drinks and snacks during the program, except lunch on the free day in Kiruna.

- Thermal outer clothing (overall, gloves, boot, woolen socks, balaclava, hat), arctic expedition sleeping bag, bivy bag, high power headlight.

- Dog-team (6-8 dogs) and all necessary dog care and mushing related equipment.

- Briefing, safety instructions and mushing academy.

- Professional guiding in English, Dutch and Finnish.

- Safety support follow car.

THE PRICE DOESN'T INCLUDES:

- International flights.

- Recommended stay in Rovaniemi before and after the tour.

- Travel insurance.

- Beverages at the Ice-Hotel in Jukkasjarvi, entry fees, lunch and activities during the free day in Jukkasjarvi/Kiruna.

ARRIVAL AIRPORT:

- Rovaniemi, Finland.

DEPARTURE AIRPORT: 

- Kiruna, Sweden.

- Rovaniemi, Finland.

Day 1, Rovaniemi - Kienaja Joki Shelter (60-80 km).

In the morning you are picked up from your accommodation and arrive at the kennel about 09:30 h. After an introduction we have our expedition briefing (safety, trail, gear, etc.) packt the sleds, familiarize ourselves with the dogs and gear and have lunch. In the afternoon we have a small snack, get our final instructions, hook up our dogs and head out on the trail around sunset.

The first leg of our adventure takes us past some sleepy lappish villages as we head north into the arctic taiga forest. When we get a feel for the dogs, the trail and our sleds, the going gets easier. This will be a night ride so large parts will be with just the light of our headlights to guide us.

Once we have crossed the Kienaja river we have our first resting stop at the Kienaja kota (shelter) hopefully before midnight. This primitive shelter will be our resting spot for a few hours while we feed the dogs, eat ourselves and have a short nap.

- Morning pick-up from your hotel/airport/train station in Rovaniemi.

- Meeting and greeting the group.

- Expedition brienfing, preparations and personal gear packing, handing out of clothing and gear, use of gear.

- Lunch break around a campfire and meeting the dogs.

- Safety briefing, packing of sledges, driving instructions, dog handling instructions and a short training run.

- After the training run we harness the remaining dogs and depart on the first leg of the journey (60-80 km).

- Dog driving till almost midnight with a few breaks. We stop for a longer break at the shelter and feed the dogs and ourselves, then we rest.

Day 2, Kienaja Joki shelter - A cabin near Ylläs (70-90 km).

Waking in the early hours of the morning when the stars are still bright, we prepare our dog-teams, pack our bags and head down the trail well before sunrise.

When the sun is high in the sky and the weather warms, we stop for a long lunch break to rest and feed our dogs and to get a well deserved power nap. Depending on the trail and weather we might rest 2-8 hours.

In the late afternoon we call up our own rested dogs and head north on our way to Ylläs. Late at night we arrive at a warm cabin near Ylläs and can just for a short while appreciate the luxury of a hot sauna and a warm bed. Here we have a chance to meet up with our safety car to exchange tired dogs, repair broken sleds and fill up our sleds for the next stretch of trail.

- Early morning departure and mushing till the lunch break.

- Wilderness lunch and break on the trail.

- Afternoon/evening leg of the trail and arrival at Ylläsjärvi.

- Dog-care, sauna, evening meal and overnight in cabin.

Day 3-4, Cabin near Ylläs - Muonio - Kätkäsuvanto (130-150 km).

Today is one of the longest trails we run! 150 km of mushing divided into 2-3 sections to get to our destination in Kätkäsuvanto.

This leg of the journey is long and at time challenging. Large hills, bumpy trails and shelter is sparsely located next to the trail.

The trail takes us past Yllärjärvi, over some extreme fjells, through Muonio village, over the Tornio river, past the Pallas Ounas national park and finally to the remote border village of Kätkäsuvanto.

If we are lucky the shelter cabins along the route align with our rest stops, if not we camp next to the trail, such is the live of a musher. We rest when our dogs are tired and run when they are not.

When we arrive at the cabin in Kätkäsuvanto we have a soft bed, a warm sauna and the support /safety car waiting for us. Hopefully we have the chance to rest 10-16 hours at the cabin.

- Early morning departure and non-stop mushing till we arrive in Kätkäsuvanto the next evening. Breaks will be had along the way, in shelters, cabins and along the trail. 

- Arrival in Kätkäsuvanto, a longer break and overnight in a cabin with sauna. Chance to refresh tired dogs and replenish supplies from the safety /support car.

Day 5, Kätkäsuvanto - Tobacco trail - Ice Hotel, Jukkasjärvi (140 km).

The 5th day of our expedition is the big one; we cross the Tornio river into Sweden in the early hours and head east toward Jukkasjärvi, our final destination.

The trail we run is know as the Tobacco trail, it is an old trade trail and is also used for a sled dog race held in february.

This part of our journey has a magical quality to it. The trail winds through that special border area between tundra and taiga, mountain and valley.

In the late afternoon we arrive at the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi and drive right up to the hotel. Our amazing dogs will now have run around 500 km, so we load them up in the dog-truck and move them away from the Ice Hotel to a quieter place where they can enjoy some well deserved rest under the watchful eye of our trusty handler and support car driver. For tonight do not have any dog chores and can enjoy a nice dinner and a peaceful and full nights rest with the knowledge that tomorrow we don't have to wake up extreme early the next day.

- Early morning departure. crossing the border into Sweden.

- We mush the "Tobacco Trail" till we arrive in Jukkasjärvi 140km.

- Overnight and dinner in a hotel/guesthouse in Jukkasjärvi near the Ice Hotel.

Day 6, free day.

We sleep as long as we want without missing breakfast! After that we can explore the village of Jukkasjärvi, maye even visit the town of Kiruna and have a generally relaxed day. In the afternoon we visit the famed Ice Hotel. This is the Ice Hotel that started i all years ago and is still the most imposing of them all. A night in the Ice Hotel will be the fantastic end of our trip and after all the wilderness camping in our sleeping bags. The idea of sleeping in an igloo will sound positively warm!

- Free day in Jukkasjärvi, possibility to visit Kiruna.

- Overnight in the Ice Hotel in a snow or ice room with dinner.

Day 7, return to Rovaniemi.

After breakfast, we rendezvous with our dogs help pack the dog truck, load all the expedition gear, sleds and dogs and head home to Rovaniemi. It si guaranteed that everyone will be catching up on much needed sleep, after an exciting, exhilarating and extreme, but also exhausting week.

On our way to the hotel in Rovaniemi we stop at the kennel, unload our dogs and have what will most likely be an emotional farewell to our canine travelling companions.

- After breakfast we pack the dogs and gear and drive to Rovaniemi.

- Afternoon arrival in Rovaniemi, unpacking of gear and final farewells.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

- Group size is maximum 4 people plus 2 guides and a support driver/handler.

- Previous experience is prefered as well a good condition and an adventurous mindset.

- You will be provided quality thermal outdoor outfits and boots for the duration of the expedition. We will ask you for your sizes before hand the outfits will be          waiting for your on spot. There is no personal outdoor equipment required but functional long sport underwear and extra warm layers beneath your jacket are          recommended for your own comfort. (Ask for our packing list)

- During this tour customers will be expected to independently take care of their dog team (of cours supervised) and help with the chores related to staying in the        cabins and camping.

- The accommodations for these tours are primitive wilderness cabins, wilderness shelters and just camping along the trail. Each participant will receive a expedition    weight sleeping bag and safety bivy bag for the duration of the tour.

The cabins are all heated with wood stoves and fireplaces, have an outside toilet and a wood heated sauna for washing and refreshing in. The cabins have no running water. The wilderness shelters are non heated and mostly have an outside toilet. Camping along the trail will be in the wilderness under the stars in a sleeping bag and bivy bag.

- The menu for this tour is based on easy to prepare wilderness and camping food. We can cater for allergies and specific dietary wishes. 

PAYMENTS

- Payments must be made by bank transfer. We do not accept other types of payments.

- Payments send by bank transfer have to include transfer cost.

Polarguide and Logistics strongly recommend to purchase a trip cancellation and interruption insurance, at the time you pay your initial deposit, as protection against an emergency which may force you to cancel or leave an expedition or activity while it is in progress.

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