The Dog Sledding Challenge is a unique Arctic adventure through the snow-covered forests and mountains of Swedish Lapland. Drive your own team of huskies across almost 200km of frozen wilderness while embracing Sami culture and, if you’re lucky, witnessing the spectacular Northern Lights.
Keep reading this essential guide for tips and first-hand insights to help you prepare for an incredible dog sledding adventure.
What is the Dog Sledding Challenge?
Swap everyday life for an other-worldly expedition through the Arctic wilderness, where you’ll learn to mush your own team of huskies across nearly 200km of snowy trails. Along the way, you’ll embrace life in the wild, experience Sami traditions and discover the beauty of Swedish Lapland from a truly unique perspective.
Highlights include:
- Drive your own team of huskies across almost 200km of frozen wilderness.
- Learn how to manage and care for your dog team.
- A chance to witness the spectacular Northern Lights (subject to them appearing!).
- Stay near traditional Sami villages and discover their culture.
- Set up camp, muck in with cooking and embrace life in the Arctic wilderness.
You can also read Charity Challenge Director Simon’s first-hand account of this challenge here.
What will I achieve?
This 7-day trip includes five days of dog sledding, covering almost 200km through the frozen wilderness of Swedish Lapland. Here’s what you’ll accomplish (and can proudly share with your sponsors):
- Driving your own team of 3-4 huskies for around 5-7 hours each day, covering almost 200km over five days.
- Challenging your balance, core strength and concentration while navigating snowy trails, hills and forest terrain.
- Embracing life beyond your comfort zone, with overnight stays in basic wilderness cabins with no running water and a traditional Sami tepee.
- Experiencing temperatures that can drop as low as -40°C, while learning to care for your dogs before yourself.
I’m thinking of booking, what do I need to know?
For a quick overview of what to consider, we’ve pulled together some advice below – including top tips from our past challengers. For full details, please visit our Dog Sledding Challenge webpage.
1. How to Train for a Dog Sledding Challenge
While no previous dog sledding experience is needed, a good level of fitness is essential. You’ll spend long days on your feet, using your core strength, balance and coordination to control the sled, while occasionally running alongside it on uphill sections. Activities such as hiking, skiing, strength training and balance exercises can all help you prepare for the physical demands of mushing!
Top tips:
- “The sled sits on two skis, so the best training you can probably do for this is to get skiing lessons (even on a dry slope), so you can understand how the balancing and steering works.” – Sarah Bartram, Challenge Participant
- “It’s true that the dogs do most of the physical exercise on this challenge, pulling you along on your sled, through the snowy Lapland terrain, but don’t underestimate the nature of the challenge for participants.”
- “The distances aren’t huge but the physicality for short bursts can be very demanding.” – Simon Albert, Charity Challenge Director
2. What is Dog Sledding Really Like?
Driving your own team of huskies is unlike any other challenge. After a full safety briefing, you’ll quickly learn the basics of mushing before building your confidence over five days on the trail. As the days progress, you’ll take on more varied terrain while also learning how to care for your dogs, creating a unique bond with your four-legged teammates!
Top tips:
- “Don’t read too much about it… a lot of the experience was because we didn’t know what was coming (in detail)…that makes the adventure!” – Simon Jesson, Challenge Participant
- “The dogs are lean running machines with open hearts and a willingness to please that brought a tear to the eye when it was time to part.” – Kirsty Strachan, Challenge Participant
- “The dogs are incredibly powerful and when they pull off from a starting position, you need to use your strength to hold on. There’s no first gear, second gear, they go from nothing to full power instantly! You can’t switch off your focus for even a second and that’s particularly challenging.” – Simon Albert, Charity Challenge Director
3. How to Prepare for the Arctic Cold
Preparing for the cold is just as important as preparing for the sledding itself. Although specialist snowsuits, boots, mittens and hats are provided while you’re mushing, you’ll still need to pack high-quality thermal layers and warm clothing for time spent around camp. Temperatures vary depending on month, so it’s best to refer to our webpage information and check the forecast prior to leaving. Be sure to check out our full recommended kit list before you travel.
Top tips:
- “Don’t over pack – there were things we didn’t need due to the weather (keep an eye on the forecast before you finally pack your bags).” – Simon Jesson, Challenge Participant
- “Power banks are useful to have to recharge camera batteries. Also, hand warmers in your pocket along with your phone help prolong it’s battery life for pictures!” – Pandora, Challenge Participant
- “With each intake of breath through my nose, I could feel the hairs in my nostrils freezing!” – Simon Albert, Charity Challenge Director
Embrace Life in the Arctic Wilderness
Life on the trail is about far more than dog sledding. From feeding and caring for your huskies each morning to sharing meals in remote wilderness cabins, every day brings new experiences and lasting memories. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to spot wildlife, immerse yourself in Sami culture and, if conditions are right, witness the unforgettable spectacle of the Northern Lights!
What our challengers loved most about the Dog Sledding Challenge:
- “Without doubt, the best experience I have had the pleasure of completing. The cold, the Dogs, the camaraderie, the silence, the excitement… Raising money for worthy charities all goes towards making lifelong friendships through shared hardships. I would recommend to any other adventurous souls.” – Andrew Foster, Challenge Participant
- “…the pure joy of being led through a magical landscape by our majestic dogs… we’d all say the trip was a moment in our lives that was unparalleled – we’re missing it already!” – Simon Jesson, Challenge Participant
- “The in-country guides were absolutely fantastic… it was great to be able to sled along such remote and varied trails, and to care for your own team of dogs for the week, and have that opportunity to bond with them. I just wish it could have lasted a bit longer!” – Sarah Bartram, Challenge Participant
- “This is a fantastic experience and you get the ride of your life, but be prepared to muck in. You will have fun.” – Nigel Hearnden, Challenge Participant
Why book the Dog Sledding Challenge with Charity Challenge?
Our Dog Sledding Challenge has been carefully designed to deliver an authentic Arctic adventure, combining expert local knowledge with exceptional safety standards for both participants and the huskies. Here’s what makes this challenge so special:
- Expert Arctic guide – Your challenge will be led by an experienced English-speaking Challenge Leader who lives and works in Swedish Lapland. Their expertise ensures you can safely enjoy this unforgettable wilderness adventure
- Exceptional care for the huskies – The welfare of the dogs always comes first. Our trusted local partners, Kent and Jordana, have dedicated their lives to raising and caring for around 70 working huskies, ensuring every dog is healthy, happy and never overworked.
- A truly immersive Arctic experience – From learning to mush your own dog team and caring for the huskies, to staying in wilderness cabins, discovering Sami culture and searching for the Northern Lights, every day offers a genuine taste of life beyond the Arctic Circle.
- A challenge unlike any other – Combining adventure, teamwork and life in the wilderness, this is an experience that stays with participants long after they return home. “I’ve been privileged to have taken on many of our challenges over the years, and this really has to rank as one of the best!” – Simon Albert, Charity Challenge Director
Fundraising – Since 1999, we have specialised in operating challenges for charity fundraisers. We partner with 1000’s of UK and Irish charities already – and our team is happy to reach out to a charity of your choice to make your dream fundraising challenge happen. (Or, if you don’t fancy fundraising, the good news is you can simply self-fund and join us anyway!).
To conclude… start prepping!
If you are now seriously considering taking on the Dog Sledding Challenge, we recommend heading over to our website to read through our full Itinerary, Costs, Kit List and extensive Essential Information tabs. You’ll find everything you need to know here in detail, from timings, locations, accommodation, difficulty level breakdowns, training advice, group safety and much, much more (including answers to those all-important ‘what if?’ questions).
Our blog also hosts a wealth of resources to help prepare you for your fundraising challenge.
Remember, the Dog Sledding Challenge is graded as ‘Challenging’. From mastering your own team of huskies and navigating snowy Arctic trails to embracing sub-zero temperatures and life in the wilderness, this adventure will push you beyond your comfort zone while rewarding you with spectacular scenery.
As one of our short-haul adventures, it’s also an excellent choice for exclusive charity or corporate groups looking to strengthen teamwork through a shared expedition.
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