Husky Expedition to the King's Trail in Lapland (Sweden)

Your experience begins with a day tour from the kennels on Day 2 to get used to the equipment and to working with your team. Then the expedition begins! For the next 5 days/4 nights, you will sled through forests, across frozen lakes and along mountain trails as you travel through a remote fjäll landscape towards "Kungsleden", the King's Trail.

Drive your own large dogsled team of 6-7 competition-trained huskies

The head guide at the kennels is a veteran of the renowned Iditarod, a 1850km dogsled race from Anchorage to Nome in Alaska, and has participated in the race seven times - more than any other non-US musher - as well as being a regular competitor in the Finnmarkslöpet race in the far north of Norway, the longest dogsled race in Europe.

The guide for your tour may be the head guide or another experienced member of the team. Many of the dogs which will be used on this tour are themselves competition-trained huskies. Husky Expedition to the King's Trail in Lapland gives you the opportunity to handle some of these elite canine athletes as you journey together into a starkly beautiful mountain wilderness.

Overnight in mountain cabins and winter camping along the route

Accommodation during the tour will usually be a mix of winter camping (in Sámi-style tipis and/or expedition tents) and overnights using part of the cabin network in the King's Trail area, such as those at Kaitumjaure or Singi. Some of the cabins which may be used have sauna facilities, so sauna may be available on 1-2 nights of your expedition depending on the route taken.

The Sámi, the indigenous people of northern Europe, divide the year into eight seasons. March and April is the "spring winter" period, when snow is still thick on the ground, but spring is definitely in the air, with long hours of daylight and typically milder temperatures. This is the ideal time for dogsled tours in the Swedish mountains, especially for tours featuring winter camping.

On return to the kennels on Day 7, you can relax and celebrate with a sauna and, if you still have a taste for adventure, take a dip in the icy lake waters.

Husky Sledding Expedition to the King's Trail will leave you with a host of memories - more than enough to last until you return for more mushing adventures the following winter!

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:

• Day 1 and Day 7: Shared 2-4 person rooms at the kennels with shared WC/shower facilities. Standard of accommodation is simple but comfortable. The accommodation has limited electricity (using generator) and a large common room with fireplace.
• Days 2-6: Five nights' shared sleeping accommodation along the trail. This will normally be a combination of winter camping in "kåtas" (Sámi-style tipi tents) at fixed locations along the route and/or expedition tents brought with you on the sleds, and staying in mountain cabins on the King's Trail. Winter sleeping bag and sleeping mattress/reindeer skin are provided.

Sleeping accommodation on all nights of the tour is shared. Cabins along the trail have bunk beds or mattresses. Sauna is available on Day 7 on return to the husky kennels with possibility for a dip in the lake.

Standard of accommodation along the trail is simple (no running water or electricity). Water is drawn from nearby rivers and lakes. Dry outside toilets may be available at some locations. Sauna may be available on 1-2 nights along the trail if staying at cabin(s) with sauna facilities, but this cannot be guaranteed as route taken and overnight locations used for the tour are variable.

Everyone assists with tasks such as caring for the dog teams, pitching/breaking camp, fetching water and washing/tidying up.

Meals:

All meals from dinner on arrival day to breakfast on departure day (breakfast, lunch, dinner + coffee/snacks, etc). Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements.

Equipment and Clothing:

• All necessary equipment during dog sledding tour including sleds with own dogsled team. Each participant drives their own sled, usually with 6-7 dogs per team.
• Warm winter clothing for all activities: insulated parker and snow trousers, winter boots/overshoes, mitten and balaclava. Please bring own winter hat.
• Winter sleeping bag with liner, mattress/reindeer skin for winter camping night(s).

Guide:

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

Transfers:

• Return transfer between Kiruna airport or Kiruna station (or from accommodation locally) and the kennels in connection with your 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.
• Alcoholic drinks.

Required

Health requirements/experience:

Husky Expedition to the King's Trail in Lapland is a challenging experience. While this will often be chosen as a "next step" tour, previous dog sledding experience is not required, but you should have a general high level of fitness and stamina and be used to and enjoy the outdoors in wintertime.

You should also be comfortable living in close proximity with others, such as when camping in shared tents or staying in wilderness cabins.

Recommended min. age 18. Participants aged 16-17 with suitable fitness accompanied by adult are also welcome.

Dog sledding can be physically demanding, especially in the mountains. You must be able to brake the sled when going downhill, which can be hard when you are working against gravity and the pull of your team of huskies, and also assist the dogs during uphill sections by stepping off and running behind the sled. Tasks around the camp can also be physically demanding and the element of winter camping will add to the challenge level compared to a tour with cabin accommodation only.

Daily distances covered may be very flexible depending on snow and weather conditions, but you should prepared that some days may be long and challenging, perhaps with up to 10-12 hours "out".

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

What makes this "Hard"?

The tour takes place in a remote mountain landscape where weather and trail conditions can be changeable. You will need to work hard to assist your teams when going uphill, especially in deep snow, and be prepared for a range of conditions. The experience of winter camping adds to the overall level of challenge.

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:

A total of minimum four persons is required for scheduled tours to run. You are of course welcome to book as a solo traveller.

Combine This With

This experience makes a good combination with the following before/after your dogsled tour:

• Lapland Sámi Retreat at the Reindeer Camp (60 mins by transfer, ideal for extra night(s) locally before and/or after your tour)
• Reindeer Encounter and Sámi Experience in Lapland (afternoon activity for arrival or departure day, 60 mins by transfer)

Groups

Maximum group size 8 persons for scheduled tours.

This experience may also be available as a private experience for groups. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Eco Info

This provider has a written environmental policy.