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
and mountain 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 the north of Sweden, Kvikkjokk and go
south to our home Umnäs. We mush all the way
through the Swedish mountain range from the north
to the south 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 and
Sarek National park and 3 days in Vindelmountain Naturereserve.
This is for you that really like to do something special
for yourself together with a team of dogs!
In April we have daylight the whole day and evening
and the sun warm up during the day. The temperature
is around +5 to – 15 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, Arvidsjaur, Gällivare
or Luleå airport, you will go by car the last
way to Kvikkjokk. The first thing we will do in Kvikkjokk
is to go and say hello to the dogs.
After that we will have dinner at Kvikkjokk mountain
station. 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.
The first night you sleep in Kvikkjokk.
Day 2
The first day out with the dogs. We meet for breakfast
around 7 a clock and after that we pack our sleds
with the last stuff, like your bags. We clean after
the dogs and harness them up before we put them on
the pulling line. We pull our anchors and leave Kvikkjokk
for a 40 km tour to Sommarluoppa lodge. Today we go
out on the river Tarrajåkka and follow the river
along the mountain Tarrakaise. Sommarluoppa lodge
lies beside the river and we bring fresh water from
the river. We give the dogs food when we arrive and
in the evening after our dinner. This we do every
day. No electricity in this lodge.
Day 3
Today we are going to Staloluokta in Padjelanta; it’s
a short day with around 30 km to do. We start out
from the lodge for more or less a directly climb over
a mountain pass and then down to the big lake Virihaure.
At Staloluokta lodge we have a beautiful Sami church
in wood and sod. Here we also have the most amazing
view over west Padjelanta. We bring water from the
nearby river, it’s no electricity.
Day 4
After breakfast we start to have our routines
settled now and we work more as a team.
Today we go 40 km to Pieskejaure lodge, early wake
up so we can get in a proper time to the lodge for
a sauna and bucket shower. We start to go out on Virihaure
Lake and up to 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.
After the plateau we climb up to a very narrow mountain
pass before we leave the National park. Downhill and
small plateaus all the way down to the lodge.
Day 5
Depoe day. Early morning. 65 km to the next stop
at Guijaure lodge. We start out from the lodge down
to Pieskejaure Lake. After some kilometres we go down
and down... and then up to a mountain plateau before
we get down 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 30 km up to Guijaure
lodge. Today we get very close to the Norwegian border.
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 6
This day we go to Laislodge, 40 km in a beautiful
mountain valley before we get to Laisriver and follow
that down to the lodge. Laislodge lies on a nice place
beside Laisriver and from here we bring the water.
The lodge lies just before the line of the birch trees
and where the river starts to get bigger.
Day 7
Today we go in to Vindelnmountain Naturereserve,
one of the parts that are forbidden for snowmobiles.
We have 36 tough km to Dalovardo lodge. We start out
down to the river for a while before we start to climb
up and in to the Naturereserve and one of the big
plateaus before we climb a little bit more. An amazing
day with views you never forget. The last kilometres
to the lodge is nearly all downhill’s. Here
we bring water from a little stream beside the lodge.
Day 8
Rest day at Dalovardo lodge. But of course we
feed the dogs three times, clean after them, make
lunch and dinner and collect water from the little
stream.
Day 9
Today we go down the nicely Vindelriver to the
Sami village Ammarnäs 52 km, we are still in
the part of the Naturereserve that’s forbidden
for snowmobiles. The Vindelriver lies in an amazing
valley before we get down to Ammarnäs where we
sleep at the guest house. Here we eat dinner and breakfast
in the restaurant. The good thing with the guesthouse
is the shower and a sauna. We have electricity here.
Day 10
After breakfast in the restaurant we go out and
clean and harness up as we do every morning before
we pull our anchors for a 35 km tour over the mountain
to Överstjuktan lodge. First we go out on the
river before we start to go over the mountain and
down to Överstjuktan Lake, beautiful view behind
us over Vindelnmountain Naturereserve. The last 10
km we go on the Lake. The lodge lies beside a nicely
church and have electricity.
Day 11
Last day on tour and we have 55 km to our village
Umnäs. This is a nice day with one mountain and
three lakes and a forest plateau. In Umnäs we
go right in to the dog yard where we let all the dogs
loose so we can have really nice thanks for the tour
before they jump in to their dog houses. After shower
we eat a three course dinner and celebrate 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. The last day
you spend in a Swedish house beside your host’s
home and the dog yard.
Departure day
Today you eat breakfast in your house before we
go out to the dog yard and say good bye. If you have
a late flight we eat lunch together. You go by car
to Hemavan airport.