Lapland The Husky Trail

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Mark Allison
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Further Information Lapland This document has been compiled by our challenge leaders. Please do take into account your own personal preferences and common sense!

1 Further Information Lapland This document has been compiled by our challenge leaders. Please do take into account your own personal preferences and common sense! We welcome feedback on how this document can be improved upon your return from your challenge. Lapland is not a country in itself, but is in fact made up of regions in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Lapland is traditionally the home of nomadic reindeer herders and of course Lapland's most famous resident - Santa Claus! Lapland among other Arctic areas has something unique and world known The Arctic Circle. In other words a border, where north of it the sun does not set in mid summer and does not rise in mid winter. The Arctic Circle is perpetually moving and its geographical position is not static, in fact it can move almost 2 metres in a day and more than 100 metres per year. During our challenge, the sun rises approximately 7-8am and sets about 5-6pm and you can expect clear blue skies with the most amazing colours. Outside of these times it will be as night-time in the United Kingdom, with the exception that as the area is covered in snow from November to May, there is a good level of reflection making it possible to see where you are walking. There are many hills sheltering a rich fauna and flora. If you are particularly lucky, you may see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) which appears in the sky as white, red or green lights dancing through the atmosphere. As you are in the Arctic Circle expect a challenging climate with snow and ice as far as the eye can see, which lasts from November to May. Our challenge takes place in spring when the daytime temperature is just above freezing and relatively pleasant. However, it can still be very cold at night and temperatures can drop to below -20 C. It is essential that sleeping bags are graded to a minimum of -20. Due to the changing weather patterns in the Arctic Circle, the itinerary (as published) may be subject to change to incorporate amendments to the route due to excessive snow, etc. GMT + 1 hour The main source of food is fish, with meat, cheese and bread in plentiful supply. Breakfast consists of porridge (full of energy to set you on your way), followed by a cold lunch and hot dinner (usually meat and potatoes). The watchword here is high energy. Each tent (two mushers per tent) will be supplied with a Food Box this will have all you need to make your own breakfast, lunch and dinners. The dinners are boil-in-thebag foods which are very tasty and nutritional. Camp stoves will be provided. The celebratory meal in Tromso on Day 7 is not included Norway is a very expensive country so please budget approximately 50 for food and drinks.

2 Some of the sledding will be fairly demanding as we travel through mountains and hills, dismounting to help push the sled when the gradient becomes too steep for the huskies to pull alone. Full training will be given on how to steer and brake the sled. It is essential that you work on your general fitness before the challenge. The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy this challenge. Any form of endurance exercise would be good training. You should particularly work on your cardio-vascular fitness and stamina levels. can offer training days and weekends to help you prepare - please contact us at enquiries@globaladventurechallenges.com. Expect a long, but extremely rewarding day at least 14 hours. You will participate in all aspects of the challenge, including feeding, bedding and preparing the dogs, putting up and taking down tents, making hot drinks and generally helping around camp. Your typical day begins at around 8.30am when you will prepare the dogs (feeding, harnessing and clearing up after them) and your sled for the day. You will then depart for the first leg of the day s sledding at about 10.30am. The day ends with you again feeding and preparing the dogs for the evening, setting up camp and any other campsite duties as required. Water in Norway is extremely clean and you can fill your drinking water bottles at camp every day from the rivers and water holes you are camping next to. This is perfectly safe and no sterilisation tablets (or their equivalent) are required. If desired, you can carry a hot drink (eg. tea/coffee) in your thermos flask during the day. Essential items are shown on the kit list. Snow-boots will be provided by the Villmarkssenter for sledding and are worn throughout the day. Participants may wish to take extra shoes to change into, although these are not necessary. Nightwear due to the very cold temperatures, participants usually wear their thermal clothes rather than normal nightwear. Tracksuit bottoms may be useful to sleep in for extra comfort. As purchasing some of the kit mentioned on the kit list can prove to be expensive, the following kit will be provided to you on arrival and is included in the cost of your challenge: Parka and trousers Snow-boots Hat (windproof) Gloves (mittens x1 pair) Sleeping bag Double sleeping pad Neck-gaiter Your waterproofs need to fit over everything else that you'll be wearing, including your parka and trousers, so we recommend that you use cheap, lightweight one that are at least a couple of sizes bigger than you normally need. 2

3 Whilst we are sledding, your main piece of luggage with any items that you don t need on trail will stay at the Dog Sled Centre and be transferred to our Hotel in Tromso, ready for when you return from your challenge. All other items and baggage will go in your sled. Leave valuables at home if possible. One main important rule if you don t need it, don t bring it! It is advised that you take anything of value (passport, money, etc) on trail with you in your sled remember to wrap them in plastic bags/bin liners though to stop them from getting wet! It is highly recommended you consult your Doctor about what immunisations are required for Norway The vaccinations below are given as a guideline only always consult your own Doctor: Immunisations Confirm primary courses and boosters are up to date as recommended for life in Britain including vaccines given to special groups because of risk exposure or complications (e.g. hepatitis B for health care workers). Vaccines sometimes advised tick-borne encephalitis. You must discuss your own particular needs and contra-indications to vaccines or tablets with your doctor or practice nurse. In the event of severe injury, you would be transported by sled to the next available reception area where a phone call would be made for medical assistance. There will be an advanced First Aid Kit carried with the group at all times, along with Satellite Telephone. All leaders are 16 hour Outdoor First Aid qualified. As well as the leader, there will also be at least one local English speaking guide in attendance throughout the trip. The ratio of guides to participants is 1:5 ensuring everyone is well looked after. Our first night will be spent at the Dog Sled Centre in a traditional lavvo (a large static tent) with a roaring fire in the middle to keep us warm. Reindeer skins will be used as matting for extra comfort, in addition to our own sleeping mats. Whilst on trail, we will be camping with two people per tent. Upon return to Tromso after the challenge, we ll stay in a comfortable hotel, twin-share, with en-suite washing facilities the hotel is right in the middle of the city centre and also just a stone s throw away from the bar where we hold our celebratory dinner! Obviously, there is no electricity available on this challenge until we get to our hotel AFTER the expedition. 3

4 There is only ONE shower available at the Dog Sled Centre and none during the trip. There are no toilet facilities on the expedition itself. Participants are issued with their own roll of toilet paper (which must be burnt properly after use) and the nearest tree. Remember this is a CHALLENGE! Hygiene is very important to avoid stomach upsets wash hands wherever possible, especially before eating. If washing facilities aren t available use antibacterial hand gel or wipes. Use high factor sunscreen! Global Positioning Systems are used by the ground operator so that current location is known at all times and Satellite Telephone is also carried throughout the duration of the challenge. British passport holders do not require a Visa. Currency used is the Norwegian Kroner (NOK) and this is readily available from your local high street. The current exchange rate is 9 NOK to 1GBP. You can use Norwegian Kroner at The Ice Hotel and in Sweden so there is no need to take 2 different sets of currency. There will be NOT be an opportunity to visit a bank until we are back in Tromso AFTER the expedition, so please ensure you take all necessary currency with you. Norway is a very expensive country so please budget approximately 50 for your food and drinks at the celebratory meal. We suggest taking approximately spending money but this depends on how many presents you wish to bring home and how many beers you may have at the celebratory meal (see below)! Norway is a very expensive country, for example the average cost of a pint of lager is 75NOK ( 8)! Every participant must be covered for the activities throughout the itinerary. A comprehensive travel insurance policy is available through at a cost of A travel insurance application form will be sent to you approximately weeks before departure. If you are opting to use your own personal travel insurance then details of your policy should be sent to. 4

5 There is no departure tax due on leaving Norway. Tipping your guides is appropriate, customary and always appreciated. Your guides work in teams and evenly split all gratuities they receive. Your gratuity should reflect the quality of service you received and anything special your guides did to enhance your trip it also depends on your budget, and what you feel is appropriate. Ask your leader for guidelines. At the end of the expedition you will visit the Ice Hotel (yes, it is a hotel made entirely out of ice!). There is a small entrance fee of approximately (as at April 2010) but is well worth the visit. To say hello to someone in Norway use hallo or hei Anything that you don t want to freeze overnight eg. spare batteries, contact lens solution - pop it in your sleeping bag and have it as a sleeping partner! Don t treat your dogs as pets, they re working dogs and only respond to specific commands given by the dog sled leaders they are however, very friendly and you will develop a special bond as the week progresses! Mobile phone signals are available in Tromso and you will be able to get some reception at the beginning and end of the challenge, but whilst on trail signal is non-existent. Please don t rely on being able to use your mobile phone. If you would like to stay in Norway after the challenge we can arrange an extension for you. Please submit your request for an extension with the relevant dates by to enquiries@globaladventurechallenges.com as soon as possible. There is a 60 + VAT charge for having your return airline ticket extended. Please note all extensions are strictly limited, subject to availability, given on a first come first served basis, and the final decision always rests with the airline. Your request will be placed on a list in order of receipt and we will contact you approximately four months before the date of travel to confirm whether the extension is possible. In our overseas destinations we work with small local ground handlers that employ local guides, using as much infrastructure as we can locally, to boost economy and income. We aim to ensure that all local guides involved with our events are given a fair wage in accordance with appropriate local standards and each of our challenges is designed using the knowledge of local people. We need to preserve and respect the locations in which our challenges take place in order for future generations to experience the fantastic times and views we also are going to experience. We want you to have the best experience from this challenge. More information regarding our Responsible Tourism policy can be found on our website. 5

6 Full country name: Kingdom of Norway Area: 385,252 sq km Population: 4.9 million Capital City: Oslo Currency: Norwegian Kroner (NOK) People: 97% Nordic, Alpine and Baltic, with a Sami minority Language: Norwegian Nynorsk, Norwegian Bokmal, Northern Sami Religion: Christian (86.3% Evangelical Lutheran) Government: Constitutional Monarchy Major Industries: Oil, natural gas, computers, high technology, fishing, fish farming, forestry, shipping, shipbuilding, paper production Major Trading Partners: EU (esp. UK, Germany & Sweden) Climate/Temperature: In spring the weather is mild and in the summer, there is the amazing midnight sun. Winter of course is much colder with plenty of snow. 6

Further Information. Lapland the husky trail. Believe you can

Further Information. Lapland the husky trail. Believe you can Further Information Lapland the husky trail Our challenge is to spend five days sledding through the rolling highlands and deep forests of Lapland covering over 250km from Norway you will journey into