photograph courtesy of Viven Kim Thorp 

Yes, the 2007 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships are still going strong in Åre, Sweden. But we’d like to take some time to talk about one of our favorite Åre activites—hundspann, or dogsledding!

Though the best known dogsledding option in Åre is the highly organized Åre Sleddog Adventure, we opted for a tour with a laidback dogsledder named Peter. Our three-hour trip looped around the Undersåker ski area, across fields of untouched snow, frozen ponds and trees aglow with icicles. Peter drove the first sled, and we followed close behind with our own set of 10 slightly slower dogs.

Now, driving a dogsled is fairly easy, as long as you’re not going too fast or up a steep hill. One person stands with a foot on each rail, shifting weight to steer. When things get too fast, you dig the break into the snow with your foot. Meanwhile, the other person bundles up on the sled.

According to Peter, dogs require very little training before being hooked up to the sled. It’s canine instinct to just run and run and run when placed in packs. We asked him if poodles would be up for a sledding adventure and he assured us that even a pack of Pekinese would be up for it.

You can reach Peter and book your own hundspann adventure at +46 0647 50333. To find other fun things to do in Åre, try the Turistbyrån.

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