Earlier this year, we spent about two weeks in Norway. We went to several different parts of the country but skipped a few of the popular spots in exchange for some places that had special meaning to our family.
Before I go into our dog sledding adventure, here is a little taste of what else we were up to in Valdres.
As far as I know I’m not Norwegian, but Brett has Norwegian on both sides of his family, and researching his family heritage has become a huge interest of his in recent years. On this trip we not only saw places where his ancestors came from, but we had the opportunity to meet many new family members.
Part of the family research led us to the region of Valdres, where some of Brett’s maternal ancestors came from.
From Oslo, we drove roughly 3 hours northwest to Fagernes. The sun was shining and the temperatures were dropping fast as we worked our way up into the mountains. Here we explored a few churches and nearby farmland where Brett’s great, great grandparents lived before emigrating to the US.
Even in the frigid temperatures, the girls were entertained by the scavenger hunt of looking for names on gravestones. They were also so happy to play in the snow.
Nature and outdoor sports are the main attractions of this area. Jotunheimen National Park and the surrounding mountain range offer hiking, fishing, mountain biking, skiing and…dog sledding.
Being an animal lover and travel enthusiast, I’ve learned a lot over the years about responsible animal tourism. Sadly, many tourism attractions involving animals are inhumane and cruel. Because of this, I had a lot of apprehensions about dog sledding. Unfortunately, not all husky dog sledding companies follow ethical methods, so it was important to me to do some research before booking a dog sledding experience.
The human and dog bond is very strong with huskies, as they have a long history of living close to people and working with them in harsh Arctic climates. The dogs at Beito Husky Tours are loved, well-kept and were all friendly, happy and so excited to pull those sleds!
Personally, I would put dog sledding in the same category as horseback riding. Most people don’t find riding horses cruel, but it does matter how the horses are treated and cared for. It was lovely to learn that many of the dogs at Beito are so well socialised that they go on to retire as family pets after their time as sled dogs. The guides and handlers know the names of each dog and told us funny stories about their quirky personalities. We each had our favourite.
After being fitted with a snow suit and boots, we spent time with the dogs and learned how to harness them up and attach them to the sleds. The dogs, sensing what was happening, were delirious with anticipation, barking as if to say, “pick me!”.
We had two people to each sled – one person sitting inside (one of our kids) and the other person acting as the musher, controlling the sled (one of the parents). Our guide suggested that the girls try standing with us to control the sled for a bit, but we each tipped over when we tried that. Apparently, the lighter sled is harder to control! We were all surprised to learn that dog sledding is hard work. But the experience was so much fun and the scenery was incredibly beautiful and vast – the land stretched on and on in every direction. There is really nothing like being out in the remote wilderness on such a unique adventure.
We stopped for a coffee break and the dogs had a chance to rest, play and eat some snow.
Not only were we dog sledding, but we were staying the night in a cabin in the woods. Beito Husky Tours have a ‘glamping’ option, and although it was going to be well below freezing overnight, we couldn’t pass it up. Little did we know, our wood stove was so efficient that we actually ended up getting too hot. In the middle of the night we had to open the door to let the outside, freezing air cool us down.
That evening, overlooking the frozen lake, we had a nearby sauna all to ourselves. We roasted hot dogs and watched the stars for as long as we could bear the cold.
It was an incredible few days. In fact, Matea said that our dog sledding day was the best day of her life and it was hard to disagree with her.
