Guides note
This is one of the longest tours of the season; it
is a small expedition tour that means that you will
face all weather and condition that the nature will
give. During the tour all of us have to help with
everything, take care of our teams together, bring
water, cleaning after the dogs, feed them and so on.
The guide cooks all the meals during the tour.
We start in Umnäs and go to the North of Sweden
and mush all the way through the Swedish mountain
range to the north of Lapland. The tour is around
450 km. Exceptional it is that you will get to know
your team and yourself more than on any other tour,
which will leave you with a sense of wisdom and belonging
you can cherish for life. We will discover incredible
openness, mountains views and nature. On this tour
we cross the Arctic Circle on our way through the
mountain world. We also do 3 days in Padjelanta National
park and 2 days in Vindelmountain Naturereserve.
This is for you who really would like to do something
special for yourself together with a team of dogs!
In the end of March/beginning of April we have daylight
the whole day and evening and the sun warm up during
the day. The temperature is around 0 – 20 minus
C in the day and a little colder during the night.
But in April the weather is a little bit funny, it
can change a lot from hour to hour during the day.
The tracks are often very good and the snow is normal
settled and hard.
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 will 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 mush the sled and dogs we
also have a practice time with the sled and the pulling
lines. The first night you will sleep in a nice Swedish
home near your host and the dog yard.
Day 2
Your first day out with the dogs. We meet in the dog
yard after breakfast and pack our sleds with the last
stuff, like your bags. We let all the dogs loose in
the dog yard and harness them up. We pull our anchors
and leave Umnäs for a 50 km tour to Överstjuktan
lodge. 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. We feed the dogs when we arrive
and in the evening. Dinner and overnight at this lodge.
Day 3
The first morning out on tour. This day is not
so long, 35 km to the Sami village Ammarnäs.
So we can take it nice and easy this morning. We wake
up and eat breakfast, pack our stuff and feed the
dogs and do poppy work before we harness up and leave.
Today we go out on the big lake Juktan and climb up
and over the mountain down to Ammarnäs. Here
we stay at a nice guest house with dinner and breakfast
in the restaurant. You can take a sauna and shower
before dinner.
Day 4
Today we have 52 km to our next destination Bäverholmen.
After breakfast we start to harness up the dogs and
clean after us. We go out from Ammarnäs on the
Vindelriver and follow that on the side before we
start a big climb up on the mountain, we stay on the
mountain today going down to a big mountain plateau
for 30 km before the long downhill to Bäverholmen.
Here we can have a shower and sauna before or after
dinner. We sleep in lodges. Here we also have electricity.
Day 5
Today we go to Laislodge, 45 km from Bäverholmen.
We do most of the day on the beautiful Laisriver with
amazing mountain views. We travel further in to the
mountains and you will feel it. Here we bring the
water from Laisriver, no electricity.
Day 6
45 km to the next stop at Guijaure lodge. After
breakfast we have our routines settled now and we
work more as a team. We start out from Laislodge along
the river, after some kilometres we climb and climb...
Today we get very close to the Norwegian border and
after the climbing we stay in a mountain valley with
mountains all around us. The lodge lies beside Guijaure
Lake. This day we have to see if we get water from
a river nearby or if we collect it from the lake.
The lodge lies in an open area in a new mountain valley
and maybe we have to make wind shelters for the dogs.
Day 7
Depoe day. Today we mush out on Guijaure lake all
the way up to Pieskejaure lake, 65 km today. After
30 km through the mountain valley with views to Norway
we come to the Silver road that goes in between Norway
and Sweden. Here we will meet a car with food for
us and the dogs for the rest of the tour. We keep
on going with new loaded sleds for 35 km up to Pieskejaure
lodge along the Norwegian border. This day we have
to go up early if we like to have a sauna at the lodge.
Day 8
In to Padjelanta National park. This is an early
morning so we have time to our next lodge, Staloluokta.
It is 40 km today but a lot of climbing in to the
park. We go up to a very narrow mountain pass before
we see one of the big plateaus in Padjelanta. Padjelanta
National park is a universal heritage and the big
plateaus are one of the reasons for this. At Staloluokta
lodge we have a beautiful Sami church in wood and
sod. Here we also have the most amazing view over
west Padjelanta. Here we stay for two nights so the
dogs and we can have a rest day.
Day 9
Rest day. But of course we feed the dogs three
times, clean after them, make lunch and dinner and
collect water from the little river beside the lodge.
Day 10
This day we go 45 km through Padjelanta and along
the border to Sarek National park. Today we will see
more of the big open areas and plateaus of Padjelanta.
The nature here is really special and beautiful. In
the end of the day we leave the park and go down to
Sommarluoppa lodge for our last night out on tour.
Day 11
Today we go out on the river Tarrajåkka
to do the last 40 km down to Kvikkjokk. We follow
the river along the mountain Tarrakaise.
In Kvikkjokk we have a nice shower before our final
dinner together for celebrating the tour. Now you
have the knowledge of a small expedition tour in our
beautiful mountains, you will know your team very
well and the dogs will know you. Overnight at Kvikkjokk
mountain station.
Departure day
Today we eat breakfast in Kvikkjokk and say good bye
to your team and the rest of the dogs. You go by car
or bus to the nearest airport Arvidsjaur, Gällivare
or Luleå.