DAY 1
You will be picked up by the guide at your hotel at 9 and driven to Green Dog’s kennel. Here the dogs wait impatiently, ready to go sledding! You will be given clothes for the trip and the guide will help you pack your personal luggage.
When everyone is ready, you will receive a thorough instruction in dog sledding before the sledding trip starts. The guide drives in front with one or two guests and 10 – 12 dogs. The rest of the participants ride together in pairs with their own six dogs. Before the start, there is a lot of happy and expectant dog barking, but as soon as we get started, it gets silent and Svalbard’s nature can be enjoyed and experienced to the fullest.
“…We get an introduction to dog sledding; attaches the dogs to the sleds and behind us, the world disappears. It is as if nothing else exists. The sound of the sledges, the ringing from 28 dog collars and the deafening silence are all that remain. Running a dog team is magical. It tickles the soul. The dogs’ paws hit the snow so quietly with all their power. It is not heard. Its like we are flying…”
From the kennel in Bolterdalen, we drive north-east and after crossing Adventdalen, we drive into Helvetiadalen towards Krekling Pass, which offers winding and exciting sledding. Today’s goal is the Juva cabin, which is beautifully located in Brentskaret, where we will spend the night for the next two days. The dogs enjoys being on tour and we get to know each one of them and their personality better. Our guests are welcome in the daily work, helping looking after the dogs, feeding, putting on and taking off harnesses, etc.
At Juvahytta you get to experience the freedom and special nature that Svalbard has to offer, without the primitive aspect. The cabin is equipped with comfortable beds, a cozy fireplace, living room, kitchen, indoor toilet and a brand new sauna. It is possible to charge mobile phones and cameras, so that the batteries will not limit the number of pictures we take home. If the northern lights don’t lure us out of the cabin to photograph in the evening, we use the time to enjoy ourselves with good food and wine, stories, cabin warmth …or maybe a cold beer in the sauna, while watching the breathtaking view through the big window.
Green Dog provides full catering on the tour.
DAY 2
The next morning we harness the dogs and continue into Eskerdalen, through Trehøgdalen to Vendomdalen and Sassendalen. We stop at the impressive frozen waterfall Eskerfossen, which is Svalbard’s largest waterfall and located at the end of the valley. The terrain is exciting and varied and both we and the dogs enjoy the many visual impressions. Maybe we’ll have lunch at the frozen waterfall near the mouth of the Sassendalen or we’ll find another cozy place to stop. After a good day behind the sled, we arrive at the Juva cabin again. In February and March, when the light is magical and the daylight hours are limited, it is wonderful to enjoy the evening in pleasant surroundings after a day out with the dogs. The dogs get their well-deserved treats before we have dinner and enjoy ourselves in the warm, comfortable cabin.
DAY 3
The next morning we harness the dogs and drive through the narrow passage south of Janssonhaugen and on into Adventdalen. If time permits, we will also reach Foxdalen with its characteristic vertical slate mountains. Along the way, we stop to eat lunch and enjoy a hot drink. The last part home to Green Dog is the end of our three-day journey with the dogs. We give ourselves plenty of time to say goodbye to our new four-legged friends – together with them we have gained a fantastic memory for life. We are back at the hotel between 3 and 6 pm.
