A sled dog adventure through Sjaunja and Kebnekaise - Jokkmokkguiderna
The white wide open spaces stretch out in the west close to the border of Norway. In the east the massive Kebnekaise Mountains rise against the deep blue sky.
We travel with our dog teams between the comfortable cabins and enjoy the joy of living in nature with the huskies.
A life only depending on the weather goods and when we need to eat, sleep and of cause enjoy the silence and peacefulness of the mountains of Lapland.
Day 1 Arrival to Saltoluokta Mountain Station.
The bus/transfer stops in Kebnats. This is as far as you can get with car. From here we get a ride in sleds behind a snowmobile over the ice of the Lule River. Check-in at the Mountain Station. Here you have the possibility to take a hot sauna or shorter snowshoe walks along the trails. We say hello to the huskies and eat a nice dinner in the cosy restaurant.
Day 2 Our first day of mushing.
The morning starts by the fireplace in the restaurant with a delicious breakfast buffet with home baked bread directly from the oven. After breakfast we pack everything we need for the week in our sleds and you get instructions in how to drive and handle your team of huskies. Together we harness the dogs and put them in front of the sleds and soon the teams are ready for take off.
We go with the huskies over from Saltoluokta to Kebnats and load them and the sleds on the car and drive up to Ritsem where we restart. From Ritsem we go with the dogs north up to the Sitasjaure cabin.
We take care of and feed our faithful soft coated friends, cook dinner and enjoy the silence and peacefulness that you only get in the mountains close to the stars.
Day 3 Hukejaure cabins.
From Sitojaure we will follow the trail towards the Hukejaure cabin. If we are fast we will have time to make a shorter snowshoe hike or make a detour with the dog teams to the Norwegian border and Ivarstein. We will spend the night in the cabins in Hukejaure, a place that sometimes give you the feeling of being on the moon. By the cabin everybody help each other to take care of the dogs, bring water, chop wood for the fire and feed the dogs. We eat dinner and have a nice evening before we go to bed.
Day 4 Close to the Norwegian border.
We drive along the border between Sweden and Norway. In the afternoon we will come back to the tracks of the northern Kings Trail. The final destination of the day is the Tjäktja cabin beautifully situated at an altitude of 1100 metres above sea level. We all help out with the daily chores.
Day 5 The Tjäktja Mountain Pass.
Today we drive over the notorious Tjäktja mountain pass, the highest point of the Kings Trail. If the sky is clear we will get a fantastic view south with the Kebnekaise massif in the west. We spend the night in the Kaitum cabins.
Day 6 Camp Tjuonajokk.
We are now in the area of the Kaitum Rivers headwater, an area known for the great grayling fishing in the summer. Today’s stage will be to follow the east part of the Kaitum valley eastwards to Tjuonajokk fishing camp. We spend the night here and get the luxury to of wood heated sauna and the restaurants delicacies.
Day 7 Forests, frozen lakes and rivers.
We start with our husky teams by Kaitumriver and travel west through the low rolling landscape of Sjaunja nature reserve. We will see marsh areas, small lakes, birch forests and also some spruce and pine trees later on. In the end we come down to the Great Lule River that we follow westwards all the way to Saltoluokta Mountain Station where we our adventure started. In Saltoluokta we have all the conveniences of showers, sauna and a three course dinner again.
Day 8 Departure day.
We eat breakfast together and say good bye to the dogs before we leave from Saltoluokta.
ALTERNATIVE ROUTE FOR DAY 2 AND DAY 3.
Day 2 Our first day of mushing.
The morning starts by the fireplace in the restaurant with a delicious breakfast buffet with home baked bread directly from the oven. After breakfast we pack everything we need for the week in our sleds and you get instructions in how to drive and handle your team of huskies. Together we harness the dogs and put them in front of the sleds and soon the teams are ready for take off.
We steer the dogs over the lake Langas frozen ice and go west towards Stora Sjöfallet further up along Teusajaure Lake to the final destination for the day, the Teusajaure cabins.
We take care of and feed our faithful soft coated friends, cook dinner and enjoy the silence and peacefulness that you only get in the mountains close to the stars. Possibilityfor sauna.
Day 3 Hukejaure cabins.
Today we are heading for the Hukejaure cabins. If the snow conditions and the weather are good we will find our way on high altitude without any tracks. The leader dogs have to find the best way to go along the exciting valleys, ravines and frozen lakes. When we arrive to the cabins in Hukejaure we help each other to take care of the dogs, bring water, chop wood for the fire and feed the dogs. We eat dinner and have a nice evening before we go to bed.
FACTS
Dates:7 - 14 April 2012. Other dates on request.
Group size: Minimum 2 persons, maximum 6 persons.
Included in the price: Thermo overall, warm shoes, hat, gloves. Sleeping bag and equipment for the tour. Wilderness guide, one dog team per person.
Fullboard from dinner day 1 until breakfast day 8. (Typical Lapland and Swedish food). Accommodations (2 nights at Saltoluokta mountain station, 5 nights in wilderness cabins).
Not included in the price: Travel insurance, alcoholic beverages, international and domestic air fare (the tour starts and ends in Saltoluokta)
Tour conditions: All activities are mostly moderate but sometimes hard. In wilderness cabin we sleep on bunk beds in mixed room with both gentlemen’s and women’s. Dry toilet is available at the camps. The wilderness cabins are heated with wood/gas and have no electricity or running water.
Price: 19 200 SEK/person (inkl. V.A.T.)
Winterseason 2012
Single room supplement in Saltoluokta 280 SEK/night/person.