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  • Three white sled dogs from Ilulissat in Greenland. By Andre Schoenherr

6 dos and don’ts of dog sledding

Bask in the glorious nature, 
your invitation to break away from regular life

It’s pretty easy to unplug from the outside world while travelling in Greenland, and dog sledding is one of the very best ways to do that. Here are six do and don’t suggestions to think about while experiencing the dog sledding world.

DON’T LOOK AT YOUR MOBILE PHONE

…Unless it is to take a photo, because you most likely won’t get a working signal in the backcountry of Greenland. The grandeur of the Greenland Ice Sheet, which covers 80% of the country, builds a physical ice wall across the land, and the tiny settlements scattered across the fringes of the country create a remoteness seldom found in today’s modern world. In fact, connectivity is so limited that Lonely Planet even used it to explain Greenland when it named us a Top 10 ‘Best in Travel’ destination in 2016.

DO WATCH THE MAGNIFICENT SNOWSCAPES PASS YOU BY

The landscape is oh-so-white, but you’ll soon realise that the undulating white pathway that you are travelling on will slowly change as you venture deeper and deeper into the backcountry. Of course, it depends on whether you are taking a short drive around the block, or a multi-day adventure passing by skyscraper icebergs wedged in the frozen fjords. Travelling via dog sled is, in general, rather slow-paced, so you’ll have plenty of time to soak your experience in.

The grandeur of the Greenland Ice Sheet, which covers 80% of the country, builds a physical ice wall across the land

Continues further down the page...

Package Tours

Arctic Dream: Arctic Jewel 8 days of dog sled tour in East Greenland

Arctic Dream

Arctic Jewel 8 days of dog sled tour in East Greenland

8-day winter adventure with 5 days of authentic dog sledging on Ammassalik Island in warm huts incl. Greenlandic food and meeting locals.

FROM €2,700
Tasermiut Expeditions: Thule Dog Sledding Expedition

Tasermiut Expeditions

Thule Dog Sledding Expedition

Expedition in total freedom using traditional Greenlandic sledges. Share with authentic Inuit their daily way of life.

FROM €8,950
Greenland by Topas – Dog Sledding, Igloo Lodge and Northern Lights in Ilulissat

Greenland by Topas

Dog Sledding and Northern Lights in Ilulissat

Sled dogs are in their element under the frosty sky, crackling snow and fluttering Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) of the Greenlandic winter. Overnight stay in Igloo Lodge.

FROM €2,946
Greenland Travel: Experiences North and South of Ilulissat Icefjord

Greenland Travel

Experiences North and South of Ilulissat Icefjord

This is a variation of our summer bestseller. You get close to the Greenland Ice Sheet at Kangerlussuaq and the unique tundra landscape.

FROM €3,280
Show More

DON’T GET IN THE WAY OF THE FLYING POO

Especially when they’ve eaten seal blubber! The sled dogs of Greenland eat whatever they get, and like humans you can tell what they’ve digested. When learning to run in teams, the sled dogs very quickly learn how to use the bathroom when they run so as not to reduce the tempo of the sled. Typically, they will move to the outer side of the pack and do their business. Just be a little wary when the dogs are running downhill. You might get a whiff of something… fishy.

DO GET TO KNOW YOUR DRIVER… AND LEARN HOW TO ‘SPEAK DOG’

Many of the dog mushers grew up dog sledding and learning how to survive in the wilderness by practising the knowledge and techniques passed on by their forefathers. Your dog musher might be able to speak English, but if not you will still be able to communicate a lot through sign language and gesticulation. If you can, it’s worth learning a few preparatory words for your journey to make things easier.

While you’re sitting there on the sled anyway, you might also pick up a few phrases of ‘dog mushing language’, which is how the dog musher communicates with the dog pack.

DON’T FALL OFF THE SLED

We’ve already suggested that you’re in for a slow adventure, and that your heartbeat will slow down to the peacefulness of your surroundings. You might even fall asleep while dog sledding due to the clean fresh air and steady rhythm of paws pitter pattering. But if you’re sledding over mountainous or rocky terrain, be prepared for a little bumpy ride! Just to make sure that you stay awake.

DO KEEP RUNNING

Sometimes you might even chose to get off the sled to warm up your body when you begin to feel a little numb. No matter how many layers of clothing you have on, if you are sitting idly for many hours in minus 30 degrees Celsius, you will start to feel the cold. Take a page out of the dog mushing guide and run with the crew. We can guarantee that you will warm up in no time, and your dog team might even appreciate the extra help (read: lighter weight) going uphill.

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By Tanny Por

Tanny Por is Head of International Relations at Visit Greenland with responsibility for international market development, press and PR. She loves building and nurturing ideas and connections that will help to contribute to the sustainable tourism future of Greenland. Her favourite experience of Greenland is one winter in East Greenland where she saw purple northern lights overlooking the icefjord one completely silent evening!

https://thefourthcontinent.com/

Editors' pick

Gill is winter hiking in Ilulissat. Photo by Gill and Alistair Campbell

A senior’s guide to adventure in Greenland

There are more and more active travellers who are over 60 but still looking for adventure and new places to discover.

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