Dogsledding - Svalbard Wilderness

Longyearbyen · Norway

Moderate6 daysEurope~£2,800 est.

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Overview

Nothing about Svalbard is tame: polar bears outnumber people, rifles are legally required outside the settlements, and in March the archipelago is still locked in white - which is exactly when the dogsledding is at its best. You learn to drive your own team of Greenland dogs within an hour, then settle into the rhythm of runners hissing over wind-carved snow as you cross Adventdalen and the glaciated valleys beyond Longyearbyen, covering up to 30 kilometres a day. The silence when the teams stop, broken only by panting dogs and wind, is the thing people try and fail to describe afterwards. Nights are spent in heated wilderness tents or trapper cabins, with a real chance of aurora overhead into early April. Cold management decides your trip: minus 20 Celsius with wind is normal, so use every layer the operator issues and nurse your camera batteries somewhere warm. No experience is needed, but expect to work - feeding, harnessing and anchoring dogs is half the fun. Six-day expeditions from Longyearbyen run about £2,800 including expedition clothing; fly via Oslo or Tromso, and carry your passport, because Svalbard sits outside the Schengen area.