Debbie Collins Dog Sleds from Norway to Sweden

Sweden is a country full of woodland where we passed along narrow hazardous bumpy winding tracks and past frozen lakes where the wind could cut you in two. I, and others who I have since asked, for some strange reason hadn’t given much thought to what travelling by sled would mean as we were standing on the back and not sitting inside. It was like skiing with your skis tied together with a ton of weight in front of you. (Our sleds were full of all our provisions, tent, food, dog food, etc.). The dogs also had some influence over the direction of the the sled, due to our lack of experience in handling them, not to mention the fact that our Norwegian is non existent. I was calling out ‘hup’ thinking I was telling them to go straight (by the way, that is 'Yup') and I was actually telling them to go left which is exactly what they did.

I had some very close calls with a few trees. A tree is very scary when you think you are going to be embedded in it. I closed my eyes more than once. I did come off the sled twice: the first time George, who was travelling behind me, said I looked like something out of "007", as my sled took off when I hit a long flat stone that was like a ramp except my landing wasn’t as graceful and I can tell you it wasn’t pain free the second time. it could have been bad but luckily I landed on my head and apart from knocking myself out for half a minute or so no damage was done. I am proud to say I fell off the least out of the group. And luckily no-one had to be airlifted out as that was the only way out.

I now know how to ride a sled, harness and un-harness huskies, tie them to their lines, stamp down over two foot of snow to pitch a tent (remember, I have never camped before), cook a meal on a small camping stove, build a loo in the snow and yet I was still able to make a joke and have a laugh when I felt so exhausted that it took every ounce of energy just to get my boots off and manoeuvre myself into my sleeping bag and the -20 night temperature meant I shivered myself to sleep.

I have never had six days without a bathroom, and all the amenities it provides, but I would do it again. I came back feeling calm and yet alive so I would recommend a week in the wilderness to all.

I have to mention my five little dogs - working huskies are quite small, they are bred to run and run and they don’t have a pick of fat between them. They were so gentle and friendly, never a growl or a show of teeth at feeding times. Strength is not how big you are on the outside but how big you are on the inside and those dogs are as big as elephants.