Dog sledding is one of the most sought after experiences we offer at The Aurora Zone and has almost universal appeal.
There is something about travelling in this time-honoured fashion that really puts you in touch with nature and allows you to experience the landscape from a unique perspective.
We offer all kind of husky sledding experiences during Aurora Zone trips, from full day adventures to a short taster session. We have safaris that allow you to enjoy the scenery by day and also those that take you out in the darkness in search of the Northern Lights.
You will be accompanied by expert mushers who know the trails and their dogs extremely well. They will give you full instructions on how to handle your sled and loyal team of dogs before you set off into the wilderness. Though this is not your typical form of transport, you will soon see that stepping into the role of a musher is an exceptional way to explore the Arctic landscape.
For those who prefer to ride as a passenger, we also offer many experiences where our expert mushers stay in the driver’s seat and you can simply sit back and watch the breathtaking winter scenes unfold around you.
Scroll to learn more about this brilliant activity.
The relationship between men and dogs dates back many thousands of years and it is believed to be around 3000 years since dogs were first trained to pull sleds for the practical purpose of transporting goods across the northerly regions of North America, Siberia and Scandinavia.
By the 19th century, the use of husky sleds grew as a recreational activity and today it is not only a popular excursion for visitors to these remote regions, but is also a hugely competitive and much loved sport. This can be witnessed at famous, multi day husky sled races which take place across the Arctic regions including the Finnmarkslopet in Norway and the Iditarod in Canada which attracts thousands of spectators each year.
The dogs that are used to pull the sleds vary between locations but they are generally Alaskan malamutes, Alaskan huskies and Siberian huskies which are selected based on their stamina, speed, strength and friendliness towards humans. Choosing the correct dogs is an important part of dog sledding with lead dogs selected for their intelligence and others for their strength.
Dogs are trained from a young age to be highly obedient to their mushers and as pack animals, they quickly establish a hierarchy in a team.
Once you have experienced husky sledding it is easy to see why it is so popular with visitors. When you travel across the snow it is an almost silent experience in contrast to activities such as snowmobiling.
The dogs will be eagerly harnessed up in teams of four to six, filling the air with excited barking, desperate to be off. They soon settle into a steady pace behind their musher and will pull you with great enthusiasm across the snow with the only sounds you hear being the padding of excitable paws on snow and the swish of the sled’s runners.
The joy of husky sledding is perhaps best described as a mix of giddy exhilaration and a sense of a real connection to the environment – there is really nothing else quite like it in the world!
