 Poster: A snowHead
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Any body had any experience? Having watched a group of little kids learning the basics (sans chiens) I asked at the Tourist Office today about driving lessons for adults, which are quite widely advertised along with other"non skiing" activities. She looked dubious and told me that all the "promenades en traineaux" were fully booked and that learning to drive was "beaucoup plus sportif". I think what she really meant was I was too old....
Has anybody tried? How "sportif" do you need to be?
The major local dog sled race is around this area at the end of this week and a "bapteme" is only 5 euros. Having just read Nicolas Vanier's book about his participation in the famous Yukon Quest race a year ago I'm keen to try and to learn a bit more about it.
And yes, I have heard about the flying poo-poo!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@pam w, we did this in Canada, I'd have thought your level of fitness would be perfectly fine. Yes, you had to run a bit and be able to jump on the sled. We didn't have too much of a problem with flying poo either.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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That's good to know, @Hells Bells. Did you enjoy it? How did it work? presumably they don't let you loose with a sled on your own?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@pam w, there were quite a few of us on quite a few sleds. It was amazing. I don't think hubby and sons were particularly looking forward to missing a day's skiing, but I'd booked it already. They had a great time too, with the exception of son no 1 who ended up sitting in the sled for most of it after suffering a bit from the altitude.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Any body had any experience? ! |
#
My 11 year old has done quite a bit. It is best to start somewhere flat. My son did his first run at Meaudre - which is like Holland in the mountains. Dogs are a bit like horses. They don't really care too much about the person they are dragging and tend to want to go straight from A to B and don't really care if there is a valley or stream in the way. For example the first time my son did it they had to cross a small river which required a right then left, of course the dogs wanted to take the bridge diagonally, which was ok for them but meant the sled would tumble into the river. My son, being small and light was fine but a woman was not so lucky!
He's also done the Col de la Sarenne at l'alpe d'Huez. Ok if you don't think about the sheer drops on the right and le Revard - much more sporty as it was on forest trails. One bloke got dragged through a gorge and trees when his dogs saw the lead dogs across a valley (the trail did a U turn) and decided they wanted to be first.
Remember that Huskies are wolves at heart, very wild and Malamuts... well they are fearsome beasts.
As for poo, you have to be quick witted as when a dog stops for a poo you have to brake to stop the sled going into him, or her and breaking his legs. Often lead dog is a female as they seem more intelligent and less prone to fighting. Big males go at the back to provide some power.
So yes, good fun but find somewhere flat and without obstacles to start.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Fri 29-01-16 14:20; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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BTW you have the Queen of the Huskies, Isabelle Travadon, around your way
http://www.isabelle-travadon.com/
If you are watching TV there is an article about dog sledding on TF1 around 20h20 tonight
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The dogs they used in Canada were Northern Inuit breed. Smaller than the Siberian ones but much more of a working dog. Another company had the more photogenic Siberians.
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@davidof, thanks, just saw that item on TF1. Certainly looked sportif, leaning on the brake and leaping between the patins to keep the traineau upright! My rubbish internet signal won't permit me to see that website of Isabelle Travadon. Will look properly when I get home. Did she do the Iditarod?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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She did and finished in 12 days, 4 days after the winner.
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Very impressive! Your lad's efforts are, too. Un vrai musher?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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No, he's a husky fan and a tourist musher like you will be soon.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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They do leave the musher behind sometimes, it seems. That's a great photo, @Weathercam. They're not new round here. But my interest was piqued by reading Vanier's book which I came across by chance, looking for a book worth reading in French even if I didn't understand everything. I have a rule to read only French books when I'm here and that one fitted the bill nicely as I've seen the traineaux round here for years without understanding anything about them.
I don't, however, have any ambition to spend nights curled up with a load of dogs in minus 40!
That reminds me. My electric blanket will be nicely warmed up now. Time for bed...
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You know it makes sense.
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| pam w wrote: |
Has anybody tried? How "sportif" do you need to be?
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I have tried it for half a day in Finland. You needed to be able to run and push to help the dogs pull the sled uphill, which was fairly "sportif". But I'd have thought most who are ski-fit would not have a problem.
The dogs aren't wolves, they are dogs who look a bit like wolves. They clearly love it and if you like dogs it's a joy to be part of. The periodic smell of dog poo is part of the experience, especially in the first few miles.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| dogwatch wrote: |
I have tried it for half a day in Finland. You needed to be able to run and push to help the dogs pull the sled uphill, which was fairly "sportif". But I'd have thought most who are ski-fit would not have a problem. |
Yes, we had a similar day out in Akaslompolo with a couple who had been finalists in the Finnish dog team racing champs. My wife somewhat naively was expecting something out of Dr. Zhivago, i.e. lying back on a sled underneath some furs admiring the countryside as it slid by which of course it wasn't. We each had a sled to ourselves and whilst she certainly stayed on the sled much more than me as I'm about 90kg I probably spent more time pushing than not as it had chucked it down with snow for the last couple of days making the trails very hard going, especially up any hills. Nevertheless it was a great trip, indeed it was a holistic dog sled experience as we did the whole thing from getting the dogs into their harnesses and attached to the sleds (under guidance of course) to then feeding them when we had lunch at the half way point before we returned and then putting them back in the van and going back to see how they were treated at the couple's farm / home.
Thoroughly enjoyable by both of us (but quite hard work, well for me at least)
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Poster: A snowHead
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That does all sound good. I think I'll take a "promenade" when I come back in March and talk to the musher about the "conduite".
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I enjoyed watching the start of tonight's stage of the Ikharod race. The dogs were so desperate to run that it took several people to hold them at the start, as well as the musher standing firmly on the brake. they'll be running in heavy snow now, through the darkness.
Some beautiful dogs amongst them. Those blue eyes are mesmerizing!
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FAQ
