Dog Sledding / Dog Mushing

Dog sledding is an experience like no other. But be warned: once you've traveled the Far North behind a team of dogs, there's a real risk you'll get hooked. The wilderness and the trust you build on a journey with a team like this will leave no one cold, even at minus 30 °C (-22 °F).

Our main dog sledding attraction is a five-day trip through the Brooks Range to a beautiful lodge.

To prepare, you'll visit mushing legend Brent Sass at his winter camp in Eureka. It's far from any kind of civilization: the nearest village, Manley, is 50 kilometers (30 miles) away and, with 40 residents, more than manageable. With Brent you'll get to know the life of a real musher. You'll live in a rustic cabin and help out with the daily work at a dog kennel (the technical term for a dog farm). That includes training runs with the dog sled and taking care of nearly 100 dogs. The absolute highlight is the hot springs along one of the training trails: natural pools of hot water right beneath a frozen waterfall! Of course you'll also have to look after yourselves: preparing firewood, fetching water, cooking and so on. And anyone with energy left over is welcome to chop wood for the little sauna.

Once you're familiar with the dogs and the sport, we load all the gear and the dogs onto the trucks – and off we go to the Brooks Range.

On the trip we cover 50 to 70 kilometers (30 to 45 miles) a day by dog sled. If you're feeling especially ambitious, you can also let two or three dogs pull you on cross-country skis instead of riding the sled. That's called skijoring.

Along the way you'll spot plenty of wildlife and get to follow many a track. The four-legged locals you'll see most often are moose, caribou, lynx and beaver. And with a bit of luck, you'll witness the spectacular show of the northern lights at night. We provide the gear and food for the nights in tents – but you'll have to do the cooking yourselves.

Mushing adventures with a higher level of comfort are possible too! For instance, you can take a bush plane straight to Iniakuk Lodge in the Brooks Range.  Here you can head out with the dogs during the day and enjoy all the luxury of Iniakuk Lodge in the evening. A multi-course dinner or a soak in the hot tub under the open, starry sky (with luck, under the northern lights too) is the perfect way to  look back on a great day of dog mushing.