Viking Magazine - February 2022 - 14

As other colonies were introduced to dogsledding, it spread even
more throughout the U.S. and eventually found its way to Great
Britain and other European countries.
going to the dogs
During times of confl ict,
sled dogs were oft en
chosen over horses
because they cost less
and could pull equally
heft y loads in all kinds
of weather. The FrenchCanadian
military
famously used canines
in the Seven Years' War (also called the French and Indian War)
that raged from 1756 to 1763 and spanned fi ve continents.
Dogsledding grew even more in the late 19th and early 20th
Inuit with skin sled on Victoria Island,
Northwest Territories, ca. 1914
centuries when the Alaskan Gold Rush sparked an urgent need for
additional hauling methods. Hearty animals were bred and then
trained to transfer cargo between the rural gold camps-many of
which could only be reached by sled.
No matter what time in history, people living in wintry climates
probably would not have endured without their canine friends.
Especially in the Arctic, these rugged animals, when harnessed,
were at one time humans' primary source of transport. Not only
for getting themselves from one place to another, but also for
hauling food, supplies, fi rewood, mining equipment, mail and
more. The dense fur and tough, padded paws sported by breeds
like the Alaskan Husky and Malamute, Siberian Husky, Chinook,
Greenland
Dog, Canadian
Eskimo/
Inuit Dog
and Samoyed
allow them
to not only
survive but
thrive in frigid
conditions.
Polar
Mail leaving by dogsled for Fort
Vermilion, Alberta, 1908
adventurers
also depended
on them
during their
quests. Aft er Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen learned about
dogsledding from the Inuit during his 1903 Northwest Passage
expedition, he employed a team of hounds to help him reach the
South Pole in 1911.
Around the 1920s and beyond, the part sled dogs played in
everyday life began to wane as the use of trains, cars, trucks,
airplanes and snowmobiles took over (though dogsledding is still
used in some rural areas of Alaska, Canada and Greenland). But
that simply pushed their nature-loving owners to shift from a
utilitarian model to a recreational one. Races started popping up all
over the world, and there's even been a campaign to get the activity
added as an offi cial sport of the Olympic Games. ▼
14
February 2022
NORTHERN NORWAY
ARCTIC ADVENTURES on Kvaløya
has more than 20 years of experience and
provides a variety of options, including a
self-driving experience that lasts four hours,
week-long outings and small-group kennel
tours in which guests interact with and learn
about the dogs. arcticadventuretours.no
> Choices abound at the HOLMEN
HUSKY LODGE in Alta. Visitors can book
a package that includes accommodations
the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel. There are also
two- and four-day jaunts that can include
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across the Finnmark Mountain Plateau.
holmenhusky.no
Professional guides from GREEN DOG in
Svalbard lead several types of treks through
the Bolterdalen valley. Half-day tours allow
for full immersion. In its nighttime outings,
participants learn the basics of dogsledding.
:KHQ WKH KHDG ODPSV DUH WXUQHG Rơ ULGHUV
might even see the Northern Lights as they
zoom across the moonlit horizon. greendog.no
CENTRAL & EASTERN NORWAY
At GEILO HUSKY in Geilo, competitive dog
sledders lead groups small and large on tours
WKDW Rơ HU HYHU\WKLQJ IURP D TXLFN WDVWH WR D
full-day, immersive experience in Skurdalen.
Twelve-mile trips in the mountain plateau
of Hardangervidda National Park are also
available in the spring. en.geilo-husky.com
RØROSHUSKY and HUSKY POINT
RØROS are excellent options in the
UNESCO World Heritage mining town
RI 5ºURV (DFK RI WKHVH RXW WV KDV HQRXJK
options to satisfy whatever guests are looking
to get out of their time in the forested
terrain alongside teams of Alaskan Huskies.
roroshusky.no/en, huskypoint.no
SJUSJØEN HUSKY TOURS opened in
2014 and has grown to include more than
100 dogs. The animals lead groups of two or
more over a varied landscape in and around
Mesnali. At the end of one 18-mile, adultsRQO\
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and be treated to warm drinks and snacks.
sjusjoenhuskytours.no
sonsofnorway.com
3+2726 ǧ/()7 %<
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http://www.arcticadventuretours.no http://www.holmenhusky.no http://www.greendog.no http://en.geilo-husky.com http://www.roroshusky.no/en http://www.huskypoint.no http://www.sjusjoenhuskytours.no http://www.sonsofnorway.com

Viking Magazine - February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - February 2022