Dog Sledding / Swedish Arctic
Fjellborg Artic Journey’s in Jukkasjärvi
This has been on my bucket list for years, and I’m finally able to say that not only have I experienced it, but that it was everything I wanted it to be.
I’ve had the fortune of living in the Swedish Arctic for 3 years between 2015 and 2018. As such, you meet people and make contacts. When searching around for a good reputable dog sledding company, one that I kept hearing about was ‘Fjellborg Arctic Journeys’ which is situated a 5 minute drive across the river from the famous Ice Hotel. As I lived and worked about 3 hours away and had a car, I was able to drive there and back, but flying and bus routes are very easy. In fact, if you make your way to the Ice Hotel itself, your own personal dog team will come and pick you up and then scoot you back across the river to their kennels. I believe the company does offer personal pick-ups from the local airport too if needed.
The package I signed up for was a one day expedition that took you on a sled run through the forests to a log cabin where you stop for hot lingo juice, followed by elk stew for lunch, a play around with the dogs if you’d like, and then a trip back along the Torne River. In all, it’s a good 6 hours, and covers about a distance of 35-40 kms in all. But there are many more packages available to suit all your needs. Again, fortunately I’ve been lucky enough to have seen the aurora a lot in my time so I want feel the need to spend a night out in the wilderness in the hope of seeing it, but there are many expeditions that this company offers. It’s run by a very generous and friendly family who would only be too happy to help you plan your own little trip into Lapland!
The standard of the gear is superb (including the rental clothing if you need, the level of competence of the sled teams and their ‘runner’ is second to none and the views are incredible! It was only a chilly -8 or so when I visited but be prepared for it to get a lot colder! As I’ve said, they do have ample gear for you to borrow if you need.
As a side note, Fjellborg Arctic Journeys are the company that Fjallraven use for their Arctic expeditions which run every winter. Have a google to find out more about that! But these dogs are the dogs that are used. They cover an immense distance over 2/3 weeks in some of the most desolate areas. The standard of these dogs at this kennel, and the kennel itself, is probably the best in Scandinavia!
If you have any questions, or want to get in touch to know more, feel free! Happy sledding!