Husky Sledding and Northern Lights on the Finnmark Plateau (Norway)

Beginning in the morning of Day 1 from the kennels, you will spend three days on a husky adventure across the Plateau, bringing you to the comfortable mountain lodge at Suolovuopmi for two nights. Typical daily distances will be around 30km or more depending on the routes taken.

Food during the tour is a particular highlight - the lodge has a strong focus on using local ingredients, with fish caught in the lakes and rivers and berries picked from the forests. The evening meal will be a welcome touch of luxury after an exciting day of mushing in the wilderness. Lunch will be taken outdoors on the trail during each day's sledding.

The hospitality of the mountain lodge is also very much a feature of the experience. Photo: SF.

The lodge offers traditional Norwegian hospitality and a very cosy atmosphere, with accommodation in rooms or cabins and with sauna available. Will you brave a roll in the snow when you've warmed up in the sauna?

On Day 2, you make a day tour from the lodge before your last day of sledding on Day 3 brings you back towards Alta to the kennels via the classic viewpoint at Beaskádas.

Lunch outdoors on the trail. Photo: GH.

Sledding in Tandem

Husky Sledding and Northern Lights on the Finnmark Plateau uses "tandem" sleds, with two persons actively driving at a time and larger dog teams (typically with teams of 6-8 huskies per sled, though the size of the team will be adapted to best suit the ability and experience of the participants). Each person takes an active part in controlling the sled and the team.

Tandem sleds offer a number of advantages when sledding in the open terrain of the Finnmark Plateau:

Tandem sleds are an excellent way to manage the particular challenges of dog sledding on Finnmarksvidda, with both drivers active at all times. Photo: Nature Travels.

• The tours run in exposed fell terrain and there may be no pre-prepared trails. A tandem arrangement offers much greater control and the sleds handle better, as there are two persons available to assist the teams and sled by pushing uphill and with braking the sled on descents. When minor problems arise such as a tangle in the lines, one person can anchor the sled while their partner sees to the team.
• With a tandem sled, you are able to experience driving a larger team than would normally be used for a single sled.
• Neither person is riding as a passive passenger - both persons stand behind the sled and take an active part at all times, but a tandem arrangement does provide more opportunity to enjoy the views and perhaps take pictures compared to a single sled arrangement.
• Tandem sleds offer increased safety both for participants and dogs when sledding in challenging terrain.
• All persons will have regular opportunities to change position/tasks during the tour.
• Where groups contain an odd number, odd-numbered participant may share driving with the guide.

The landscape is awe-inspiring and the food delicious, but you may well find it's the dogs that leave you with the fondest memories! Photo: GH.

Take some extra days to discover the Alta region

As Husky Sledding and Northern Lights on the Finnmark Plateau features sledding on all three days of the tour, you will need to overnight locally in the Alta area before and after your dogsled tour.

Alta, the "Gateway to Finnmark", is the regional administrative capital and offers wonderful opportunity for additional activities (arranged independently) if you wish to extend your stay. There are many possibilities, including winter fat-biking, snowmobiling, Northern Lights tours, boat tours on the fjord, snowshoeing, Sámi cultural experiences, fishing or visiting the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel.

You'll be feeling like a true musher by the end of the tour! Photo: GH.

Watch the skies above for Northern Lights

You will be staying in a remote area far from light pollution, so chances for Northern Lights during your tour are good. Watching the Aurora dancing above in the night sky after an adventurous day of mushing, a relaxing sauna and delicious dinner may be the perfect end to a perfect day!

There are good chances to see a display of the Northern Lights when the day's mushing is over. Photo: GH.

Of course, displays can never be guaranteed - the skies must be clear, there must be activity, and you must be awake! But keep your fingers crossed and your eyes peeled, and you may well be rewarded. You can always go inside to the cosy lodge to warm up!

Getting Involved

As with all our dogsled tours, you will be involved in all aspects of the trip, and this is very much part of the experience. You will assist with caring for your dog team, including harnessing, feeding (and, yes, picking up poo!), as well as tasks around camp such as fetching water, chopping wood, preparing food, washing up, etc.

Included

Accommodation:

• Two nights in Suolovuopmi mountain lodge. Rooms or cabins may be used depending on availability. If family rooms are used, these have bunk beds and en-suite WC/shower. Other 2-person or 3-person rooms have single/twin beds with shared facilities. Sauna is available.
• The lodge offers comfortable accommodation with restuarant-quality food, modern facilities and areas for socialising.

Mountain lodge accommodation during the tour. Photo: GH.

Meals:

All meals from lunch on Day 1 to lunch on Day 3. You may wish to bring additional snacks for energy between meals when sledding, etc. Please let us know in advance if you have any special dietary requirements.

Equipment and Clothing:

• Husky sledding equipment including sled dog team and services of local guide. Tandem sleds with both persons standing are used, typically with 6-8 dogs per team.
• Warm winter outer clothing: Thermal snowmobile suit, winter boots, warm hat and mittens.
• Goggles and headtorch.

Guide:

• Instruction in harnessing and sled handling.
• Services of local guide during the tour.

Not Included

• Travel: We do not arrange flights or domestic travel, but are happy to advise on suitable connections and assist you with any aspect of planning your journey. See under "Getting There" for general travel information.
• Transfers: Transfer between Alta and the kennels at the start/end of your tour is not included. The kennels are located approx. 25km from Alta town. Local taxi services are available, typical fare around 900 NOK (around £65) one-way.
• Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase at the mountain lodge).

Required

Health requirements/experience:

General good level of fitness. No previous dog sledding experience is required.

Minimum age 18 (or 16 when accompanied by adult) for public tours. For private tours, children aged 12+ may also be possible by arrangement. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Dog sledding is suitable for a wide range of participants, but can be physically demanding. You will need to assist your team when going uphill by pushing or "scooting", especially in deep or soft snow, and will need moderate strength and balance to brake the sled effectively when going downhill.

If weight >95kg, please contact us to discuss suitability.

What makes this "Medium"?

The Finnmark region is a remote area and you will be sledding in exposed terrain where weather conditions can be variable and change quickly. Tandem sleds are used as the most suitable option for sledding in this terrain, offering greater control and increased safety for both guests and dogs.

The tour has an accessible level of challenge and features accommodation on both nights at comfortable mountain lodge with full facilities.

NB: Perception of difficulty is very subjective. What is hard to one person may be easy for another and vice versa, depending on factors including level of fitness, age and previous experience. Weather conditions/temperatures can also dramatically affect the actual level of challenge encountered.

Equipment/clothes needed:

For information on any equipment and/or clothing included as standard for this experience, please see under "What's Included".

A detailed recommended packing list for personal items to bring will be sent with your booking documentation.

NB: We advise you not to buy equipment or clothes for your trip or to incur other non-refundable expenses such as flights until you have received confirmation of your booking from us in writing. Note of course that the most appropriate clothing to use as well as the level of challenge experienced during any outdoor activity may vary significantly depending on factors such as the time of year and the particular weather/temperature conditions during your trip.

Preparing for your trip:

For further reading, we also have a number of general information articles to get you ready for your trip, covering a wide variety of topics from what to do on a city break before/after your tour, advice on packing, eyewear for winter and considerations for female travellers.

Minimum number:

There is no minimum number of persons required. Scheduled tours are guaranteed to run from the first booking. You are of course welcome to book as a solo traveller.

Groups

Maximum group size 8 persons for public tours.

For private tours, slightly larger groups may be possible by arrangement. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Eco Info

This provider is a small-scale, family-owned local operator.

Will I see the Northern Lights?

This experience is located in the far north of Norway, one of the world's best locations for seeing the Northern Lights, and offers good chances to see a display during your tour. Wonderful displays are regularly seen on the tours. However, it is important to bear in mind that the Aurora is a natural phenomenon and sightings can never be guaranteed in any location - it is not possible to search for a display. The skies may be cloudy, there may be no activity, or you may be fast asleep after a day of adventure on the trail!