Guides note
March is a beautiful month for dogmushing. The
tracks are getting harder and we will go faster with
the dogs. The sun is warming us up during the day.
The chances to see the Northern light and the Arctic
light are still very good. On this tour we maybe will
meet some people in the mountains, but we will still
feel that we have the mountains for ourselves.
During the tour you can choose to be involved as much
as you like to help with everything, take care of
our teams together, bring water, cleaning after the
dogs, and feed them and so on. The guide cooks all
the meals during the tour.
On all our tours we follow our tracks in the biggest
Naturereserve in Europe – Vindelmountain Naturereserve.
In March the temperature is around -5 to -30 C.
Daylight from around 07.00 to 18.00. This month is
normally a very sunny time in Lapland but of course
nature is always nature.
8-days tour program:
Arrival day
When you arrive in Lapland, Hemavan airport, you
will go by car the last 80 km to Umnäs. The first
thing we will do in Umnäs is to go and say hello
to the dogs. After that we have dinner at host home
or something lighter like sandwich/lunch depending
on what time you arrive. We also take a look on what
gear and clothes you need to borrow from us. We talk
about the tour and how to handle the sled and dogs.
We also have a practice time with the sled and the
pulling lines. Your first day and night you will stay
in a nice, cosy and warm Swedish house with electricity,
water, shower and internet connection. The house is
warmed up with wood.
Day 1
The first day out with the dogs. You eat breakfast
in your house around 8.00. Around 9.30 we meet in
the dog yard and pack the last stuff in our sleds.
You learn how to harness the dogs and you also get
to know the names of the dogs in your team. After
that it is time to pull the anchor, stand on the brake
and GO FOR IT! Överstjuktan is our first destination;
the distance this day is 50 km. We go up and over
a forest plateau, crossing three lakes and climb up
over a mountain and down to our lodge for the night.
The lodge in Överstjuktan is a cosy mountain
lodge and have 10 beds. We even have electricity from
a nearby church. We bring fresh water from the lake.
When we arrive we feed the dogs and give them straw
to lie on, we also feed them in the evening after
we had our dinner. If it is cold in the evening we
also put a jacket on the dogs for the night.
Day 2
Your guide wakes you up around 06.30 with breakfast
ready. After that we pack our bags and go out to the
dogs to feed them. After feeding we pack our sleds,
help out to clean after the dogs and harness them
up. Tärnasjön is our destination today;
the distance is 65 km. We go out on the big lake Juktan
for 16 km before we start going up and into a beautiful
mountain valley down to Biellojaure Lake. We go over
a big plateau to Tärna Lake before we reach the
lodge. When we arrive to Tärna lodge we help
each other to take care of the dogs and feed them.
We bring water from a nearby stream and make ourselves
comfortable in the lodge before we have a nice dinner.
After dinner we go out to the dogs. Tärna lodge
is a Swedish tourist organisation lodge and have 22
beds, a big kitchen and drying room. It lies at the
beautiful Tärna Lake surrounded by mountains.
Day 3
The guide wakes you up around 08.00 with breakfast
ready. After our morning routine with the dogs we
go out on Tärna Lake towards Dalovardo Lodge,
30 km. After 10 km we get in to the forbidden area
for snowmobiles in Vindelmountain Naturereserve. We
follow the Ältsriver to we get to a big openness
surrounded by mountains. The last kilometres we do
in birch forest land before we reach the lodge that
lies in a beautiful mountain valley. Today we bring
water from a little stream nearby the lodge.
Day 4
Your guide wakes you up around 07.00 with breakfast
ready. This day we mush to Ammarnäs, 50 km, it
is a Sami village that lies in the end of a road.
We start this day by mushing out the same way we came
in. After two km we go down to the famous Vindelriver,
we follow and go on the river all the way down to
Ammarnäs. The river goes in the most nicely mountain
valley. In Ammarnäs we stay at the guesthouse;
we eat dinner and breakfast in the restaurant. The
guesthouse has shower and sauna and that’s really
nice.
Day 5
Today we feed the dogs 8.00 before we go and eat
a nice breakfast in the restaurant. This day we go
to Överstjuktan, 35 km from Ammarnäs. We
start to climb uphill, mush over Guvertmountian and
then we get a very nice and funny downhill to the
lake Överstjuktan. We go on the lake for 10 km
and then the Victoria church appears. When we arrive
to the lodge at Överstjuktan we help each other
like the days before.
Day 6
Last day out with the dogs. Your guide makes breakfast
before he wakes you up around 07.30. After that we
pack the sledges for the last time and are on our
way to Umnäs, 52 km. The last mushing day goes
over mountains, lakes and in to a fairytale landscape
of forest. We mush directly in to the dog yard; we
take of the harnesses and let the dog lose in the
dog yard so we can give them really nice thanks for
the tour. We eat a three course dinner at hosts home
to celebrate the tour and remember all things that
happened during your Dogsledding adventure. Last overnight
for this time in your cosy house in Umnäs.
Departure day
Breakfast in your house. After breakfast we go
out to say goodbye to the dogs. We eat lunch, write
the guest book and mark the maps over your days in
the wilderness (if you like).