Meet the spring in Lapland on a Husky Adventure!

8 Days

Length

April

Season

Demanding, Moderate

Difficulty

max. 4 participants

Group Size

Cabin, Mountain Lodge, Tent, Youth hostel

Accommodation

When most tourists have left the mountains, we start out on the final husky adventure for the season. In the dog sleds we bring everything we need to make this a nice experience and go straigth out on the mountains.

Follow on this husky adventure and meet the light and spring in the Swedish mountains. The nights are bright, the migratory birds arrive and the reindeer herds have returned after their long migration from the forests to their calving land in the mountains. Among the locals here in the north it’s well known that the last weeks of the season can become the absolute best ones.
The exact route for this tour will be decided after taking into account the weather and snow conditions at the moment. We will travel in both mountain and forest terrain, everybody driving their own dog sled.
The setup is simple! We go for a real adventure, straight out on the mountain with our well-trained huskies. In the sledges we bring tents, gas stoves, food and everything else we need to make this a nice experience.

Dog paws sled dogs huskies. The Final Spring Adventure.

Strong dog paws running mile after mile.

Two dog teams at the husky adventure called The Final Spring Adventure.

Two dog teams crossing over the lake.

Pick sky over winter mountains in Sweden Lapland. The Final Spring Adventure.

Beautiful pink sky over the mountains.

DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION

The tour starts at Saltoluokta and ends in Jokkmokk.

» How to get here

INCLUDED

Experienced wilderness guide
One dog team per person
Warm jacket, pants, warm shoes, hat, gloves
Sleeping bag and equipment for the tour
Fullboard from breakfast day 1 until breakfast day 8 (Typical Lapland and Swedish food)
Accommodation, 1 night at Saltoluokta Mountain Station (group room), 1 night in Jokkmokk Hostel Åsgård (group room) and 5 nights in mountain huts and tents

NOT INCLUDED

Travel as well as transfer to Saltoluokta Mountain Lodge and from Jokkmokk
Travel insurance
Alcoholic beverages

Day 1 - Arrival to Swedish Lapland

We meet at Saltoluokta Mountain Station. Check in. You will meet the huskies and we eat a 3-course dinner together in the restaurant.

2-7

Day 2 - 7 - Dog sledding over white expanses

We start the with breakfast at Saltoluokta Mountain Station before we go outside and make the dog teams ready. We explain how to load the sleds and why we are doing it in a specific way. How to drive and brake a sled, the simple commands and how we work with the dogs. Then we harness the dogs and hook them in in front of the sleds.
In the coming days, we have different routes that may be relevant. We will decide where the route goes based on the prevailing weather and snow conditions, and in respect to the reindeer. There are four alternatives that are most likely.

Alt 1

Alt 1: Expedition from the mountains to the woodlands

If it’s good snow conditions and the weather forecast looks promising, we will try to run all the way from Saltoluokta down to Jokkmokk and our kennel. This will be a journey of 220-250 km. Initially along the famous King’s Trail but then through The Pearl River Nature Reserve and east towards Jokkmokk.
We will pass places like Aktse and the Rapa valley, Kvikkjokk the small mountain village at the end of the road, Årrenjarka and Lillselet which is one of few villages without road connection, and at the end come down to Jokkmokk. We will both stay in cabins but also stay several nights in tents.

Alt 2

Alt 2: The Kaitum valley and the Kebnekaise area

We travel east along the Great Lule river valley and then follow the winter trail north towards Tjuonajokk. Here we turn west and follow the Kaitum Rivers valley up until we reach the King’s Trail, then go further north to the classic area west of Kebnekaise. If there is a lot of snow we can go past the Kebnekaise Mountain Station down to Nikkaluokta and then southwards back over the mountain plateau towards Tjuonajokk and Kirjaluokta. Some years it is very little snow on parts of this route. If it’s less snow we will stay in the high mountains and run west towards Hukejaure and onward down to Sitasjaure and Ritsem. From Ritsem we will go by car down to Jokkmokk in the afternoon on day seven.

Alt 3

Alt 3: The outskirts of Sarek

We follow the Kings Trail southwards towards Sitojaure and Aktse. Here we travel in classic areas with Sarek National Park west of us. We visit the classic Rapavalley and see the large accumulations of Whooper Swans in the lake Laidaures outlet. We will travel through the old primeval mountain forests in to the Manak area up towards the high mountains in the outskirts of Sarek National Park. We will end the tour in Kvikkjokk, Årrenjarka or other suitable place to be picked up by car to drive down to Jokkmokk in the afternoon on day seven.

Alt 4

Alt 4: The Ritsem area

If we get an early spring with less snow and warm temperatures we have a plan for that too. Then we move up the start to Ritsem where we normally have good snow conditions until the end of May. Here we go straight out on the bare mountain north towards the high mountain region west of Kebnekaise. The goal is to run to Hukejaure, Alesjaure, Sälka and then back to Ritsem. A nice tour where we will be traveling above the tree line most of the time. Weather and wind conditions will decide the exact route during these days. In the afternoon on day seven we will go by car down to Jokkmokk.

Setup:

Most of the nights are spent in tents. Regardless which of these routes we take, we will go through the beautiful nature types of Swedish Lapland with bare mountains, virgin mountain forests, river valleys, wide open plains and frozen lakes.
If we were able to book the weather we would be happy if we could book different kinds of weather, everything from snowstorm to calm sparkling days with blue sky, so that you get to experience them all. Now it doesn’t work like that, so we must take the weather as it comes.
During the afternoon at day 7 (if we haven’t run alternative 1) we will have a car transport down to Jokkmokk. Check in at Jokkmokk Hostel and eat a nice dinner together.

Day 8 - Departure from Jokkmokk

After breakfast it’s time to leave Jokkmokk and Swedish Lapland.

Tour conditions:

All activities are mostly moderate but sometimes hard. In wilderness cabin we sleep on bunk beds in mixed room with both gentlemen’s and women’s. The wilderness cabins are heated with wood/gas and have no electricity or running water. Dry toilet is available at the camps but at tent camps we dig hole in the snow.
No former dog sled experience is required but you must like animals and feel compassion for them.

How physically demanding will it be?

How physically demanding it will be depends very much on the snow and weather conditions during the tour. But, to go dogsledding requires that you have good balance and are reasonable fit. In up-hills and heavy snow conditions you must help your dogs by kicking beside the sled and sometimes also run and push the sled in steep up-hills (which can go on for quite a while in the mountains.)
You also need to have in mind that you will be physically active outside in the cold for many hours each day. Our tours are not made up touristic adventures but real experiences where everybody work as a team and helps with everything from taking care of the dogs, cooking, loading the sleds, fetching water and setting up tents etc.

If you are unsure if you are able to take part don’t hesitate to send us an email and tell us about yourself and your worries. Women seem to underestimate them self very often, while men sometimes overestimate their own physical capacity. On our tours, we have people from all over the world of all genders and ages up to 70 years old.

For who?

Minimum age is 18 years old.

Location:

We all meet for dinner in the restaurant at Saltoluokta Mountain Station at 18:00 on the arrival day.
NOTE! The tour starts at Saltoluokta and ends in Jokkmokk.

» How to get here

Dates:
20 – 27 April 2020

Group size: Max 4 participants

Before you book, make sure you read all information about this tour, such as tour conditions and what is required of you as a participant.

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Note! We will manually review the booking to make sure that the minimum number of 2 participants is reached to conduct the tour. We will confirm availability within the shortest possible time after we receive your order.
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