Unfortunately time has run away with me for when I last checked, it was the first of february, 2011 and I haven't written a single blog since last year!! So hurtling forward in true Nic spirit I've decided to skip what's happened in between then and now and to blog about my next adventure which involves snow and dogs!! As I'm turning the milestone age of .... 21 again this year, I've decided to go to Finland dogsledding with huskies! For those of you who know me I've had a life long infatuation with huskies and the lands where they originate and it's been a dream for sometime, so I'm well and truely excited to finaly have the opportunity to be able to do it.
The January issue of BBC Wildlife magazine did a fantastic write up on 'why dogs rule the world' and how their social and loyal traits which endear them to us have underpinned their extraordinary success in their wild counterparts, the wild members of the Canidae family, wolves and foxes. It's well worth a read or subscription if you're stuck for presents. It feels like xmas every month when I receive my mag through the post :)
For those of you living in the UK or with Sky channels, the BBC have been doing a fantastic series called Human Planet which is an awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, heart-stopping series that marvels at mankind's incredible relationship with nature in some of the most arduous places on the planet today. The series explores the remarkable stories of people who make their homes in places on the planet most of us would think of as uninhabitatable. The arctic episode shows a family set out across the sea ice with their beloved dogs in the springtime to catch a Greenland shark and shows how the Inuit mussel-gatherers venture underneath the sea ice at low tide, risking their lives in a perilous race against time as they gather vital food stores to last them the winter months. The relationship between these ancient hunter-gatherer people and their dogs is moving. Their dogs are their livelihood as well as their best friends and only companions on what can sometimes turn out to be never ending journey's in the search for food. So if like me you're all inspired to go and visit somewhere even colder than England but to have an experience of a lifetime here are a few suggestions:
Five great places to go dog sledding
1. The North Pole- Obviously this type of adventure is best not done in flip-flops and your old backpack from Mallets. For those tough nuts amongst you this is the mother of all dog sledding trips, but you’ll need some help. There are several companies who will help you ski or dogsled to the North Pole, providing all the kit and support, but obviously its not cheap.
2. Greenland- Ever fancied hurtling through the frozen tundra with only the sound of your dogs, the snow beneath the sled and wind to distract you from the breathtaking beauty of the arctic? Inuit hunters will take you and your dog team out over the ice flows, show you the ropes and teach you how to build true igloos.
3. Finland. Imagine sliding through the dark forests of the Finnish north, visiting the Sami people with their massive herds of reindeer, then each evening, after a sauna, curling up in the warmth and bliss of a wood cabin beneath the Northern Lights.
4. Canada. A little more sedate, Canada offers the same rush but with all the luxuries and ease of a North American holiday. Don’t forget to try the Mongoose jerky when you tire of the maple syrup and pancakes.
5. Kent. What?! Yes for those of you who aren’t fans of the cold, travelling too far or foreign foods you can now learn to dog sled in the England’s Apple Orchard.
Until next time, I promise not to leave it as long...
Nic x
sounds awesome nic, would love to do it, how did you go about organising it?
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