The journey to Sweden went smoothly, they didn’t even want to see my negative Corona test at the border, but my dogs’ vaccination certificates were meticulously examined and the chip numbers of three of my dogs were even read out.
After the brief interruption, I continued on to Klaus and Doris. The journey would still take quite a while though, and I arrived there in the evening pretty exhausted. That’s where I met Carla, who would later turn out to be the perfect tour partner.
Looking back, the whole thing seems a bit crazy, going on tour with someone I only knew from previous phone calls. Especially on such a long and demanding tour as I had planned. But the fact that she had quit her job for this showed remarkable courage in my eyes—exactly the kind of person I needed on the tour.
In Särna, at Carla’s home, we spent the whole evening until late at night unloading things and equipment, packing, discussing the problem with the sled that still hadn’t arrived, and checking everything through.
Packing the tour food was on the agenda first thing the next morning.
By the time we had everything prepared it was already late afternoon and we harnessed five of my dogs to Carla’s sled and Odin to her pulka. The first two kilometers turned out to be absolute horror. Knee-deep snow, a temperature of -28°C and the snow so soft that the dogs kept sinking up to their bellies and with me on board had to work so hard that they could barely move forward.
I was constantly running behind the sled and that tired me out quickly and gave me wet feet.
When we finally reached a solid trail I had to change my boots immediately, because as wet as they were, they got cold just as quickly and that would have been dangerous.
Because now, I knew, I no longer needed to run myself but would be pulled, and standing still would have given me such cold feet that this condition would have caused frostbite. The mistake was wearing my ski boots and they were no longer waterproof.
With my warm Sorel winter boots I had warm feet again within a few minutes and everything was fine for me. Meanwhile my pack was howling at the top of their lungs and wanted to keep going. I hadn’t quite pulled the snow anchor out of the snow yet when the sled jerked and pulled me along. Darkness was slowly setting in and it got even colder. Carla and I first had to coordinate our pace—at the moment my team was still much too fast and Carla could barely keep up with the pulka and Odin. Now and then I waited for the two of them, which caused some discontent with her and the distances were too great for her. We talked about her fears of not being able to keep up the pace on the tour and a warm hug created a good feeling for both of us and I assured her that I would do the tour together with her and that we would become a good team.
The good trail gave the dogs a lot of fun running and we made good progress. Around 10:30 PM we arrived at a shelter where we wanted to camp. Carla took care of lighting the fire and my task was to start the stove and cook.
We set up the tent together the first time so that Carla could do it alone in the future.
Carla cursed my air mattress because you have to pump it with both hands.
A small air cushion integrated in it draws air when released and then pushes it into the mattress when pressed down.
This process takes time.
I poured the snow I had melted into the dog bowls, which already contained the food and some salmon oil.
With the work the dogs had to do on such a tour, they burn between 2,500-4,500 kcal per day and for that you need the right food or the right mixture. I’ve been feeding Meradog Care Energy for several years now and it forms a great foundation for me to achieve the necessary performance with the dogs.
In addition there’s always some ground beef fat. However, I couldn’t store this well in the depots, so I switched to salmon oil and planned an additional 100 grams for each dog. So the dog food consisted of 500 grams of dry food and 100 grams of salmon oil. However, I had to learn one thing during the journey: FAT FAT FAT.
We noticed during the first two weeks that in this cold the dogs were burning more energy than we had food for, or rather we had to get the amount of food into the dogs. So we mixed the Energy food with 100 grams of salmon oil and 100 grams of other fat (mostly coconut fat). So the dogs averaged their 3,200 kcal per day. Next time, I would try a mixture of 500 grams of dry food and 300 grams of fat per day and feed three times a day. We gave the dogs their main meals morning and evening. The beef scalp that we occasionally gave the dogs at midday served as entertainment and consists of 95 percent protein.
The joy was great in any case and everyone pounced on the food.
We sat by the campfire for a long time, telling each other stories and exchanging experiences.
The next morning on the return trip the sun was shining and it even got almost warm. HAHA
We arrived back at Carla’s place at midday and things continued right away—there was hardly time for a breather and I had to prepare the car for departure the next day, the depot boxes etc., everything had to be loaded and ready.
But since I don’t want to bore you with how exciting the car ride was, I’ll keep it short. I distributed all the depot boxes, parked the car in Abisko and took the train back to Särna.
4 days later…
Fortunately the sled had arrived and we could load it. This time we took our time with everything and finally set off on Friday midday, February 5th. The route via Grövelsjön to Rogen National Park was well prepared and we traveled quickly over the trail.
From there we followed the ski trail and from where it was no longer tracked, Carla went ahead and showed my dogs the direction. Splash gave us trouble—those are spots where there’s still water between the snow and ice layer on a lake and what disguises itself as ice then sticks firmly under skis and sled runners, which is heavy as lead and won’t come off.
Between the lakes we kept traveling over land tongues on whose snow layer my dogs and I kept breaking through and slipping between the large stones that lay underneath. That was an extremely dangerous affair and apart from the fact that the snow was so deep that you couldn’t travel faster than walking pace anyway, that would have been another reason.
After only 26 km we gave up and set up our tent. I was pretty exhausted and neither the dogs nor I had any fun with the torture. The backs of the legs were torn open in this snow and were raw, especially for the lead dogs. We kept swapping the dogs at the front and so we made some progress and the pain was distributed evenly among the dogs.
We continued through Tänndalen towards Ljungdalen. The dogs’ paws had to be cared for daily and treated with fat ointment. We booted all the dogs every morning and thought about where we could get more booties and paw ointment if the condition continued. The weather remained persistently cold, always between -20 and -30°C and the trail was firm and hard.
It was almost 60 km to Ljungdalen and on the way in that direction we exchanged the idea of traveling the whole way that same day. It got later and later, Carla didn’t look good in my eyes and I was worried. When I asked, I was told that everything was fine.
Our communication was very brief. Under these conditions you don’t waste time and energy on unnecessary chatter. There was chocolate for Carla at regular 20-minute intervals, who was still diligently hanging on skis on the sled. When we arrived we were all the happier when we found out that we could sleep in a cabin that night and didn’t have to set up a tent anymore. The warmth in the house did us good and my somewhat chilled nose thawed out again. In fact, I still had a tingling feeling on it for a few days and I was well advised to pay better attention to it in the future.
Two days of rest followed, as we and especially the dogs needed a break and the weather also changed and it was stormy in the mountains. On the third day we started despite a poor weather forecast—it was stormy and visibility was poor. Freya often turned around and we swapped the lead dogs more often to keep the dogs’ motivation up.
We continued west via Åre. When the snowmobile tracks left us and we had to travel through the deep snow, not only the dogs reached their performance limit, but I did too. One day we traveled a whole 17 km in 9 hours and I no longer cooked food—Carla was kind enough to take over my task that day. Running behind the sled exhausted me much faster than Carla on her skis. The kilometers dragged on like chewing gum and it was hard work for all my hardworking dogs, but also for Carla who laid the track for us. Odin was limping and we loaded him into the sled.
When we arrived in Gäddede and were allowed to stay with Eva, a kind-hearted musher with Alaskan Malamutes, it had already been so warm for several days that the lakes were starting to thaw and there was often water on top of them. I had never experienced such generous hospitality as Eva showed us. Not only were we allowed to stay overnight with her, but the dogs had wood wool in their boxes and Odin’s limping forced us to go to the vet, for which we got her car. The bitter diagnosis was tendonitis on the inside of the shoulder. An injury with which he definitely couldn’t continue. My mood had hit rock bottom and I thought about canceling the tour. After all considerations and a long conversation on the way back from the vet, I decided to entrust Odin to Eva. So we continued on and said goodbye to Gäddede and drove off with 5 dogs.
The weather had improved, the trails were hard and easy to travel on and everything ran like clockwork. The sunrises and sunsets just rushed past us and we traveled quickly over the trail. Meanwhile my GPS device counts over 1,000 km and we feel overwhelmed every day by the beauty of this nature. A kind of wilderness that is threatened by climate change, pollution by humans but also by deforestation.
I don’t think we can even estimate the damage we’re causing through our greed. The infinite growth that capitalism strives for will ultimately lead to our downfall if we don’t get the curve before then. We had been living on the bare necessities for several weeks—that means a bar of soap, three sets of underwear, two different running pants plus the layers. The food we had with us was limited to a minimum. Our luxury was a piece of dried reindeer meat for Carla and for me, occasionally a piece of cheese. Otherwise we live almost vegan. We’re constantly occupied with the question of what does a person really need and what drives them to consume so much in “normal life”? Why are we here on this beautiful earth? To be diligent all our lives and save for retirement? Or go to work to buy a light switch that you can talk to so you don’t have to get up from the sofa on Sundays anymore because I’m so exhausted from the work with whose money I bought the thing? No thanks, a liberating feeling not to be crushed by these vices for once.
In Saltaluokta we started in the morning at a cold -20°C and didn’t set a specific destination yet. We raced over the trail and Carla didn’t get to stand on skis without being tied to the sled. At the ascent to Tjuonakk we took our lunch break and got ready for a tough tour into the mountains. Unbuckle skis and take off jacket so we could both run ourselves. The dogs didn’t allow this for long—suddenly they pulled and Carla could just jump onto the sled. We didn’t have to run a single step ourselves for the remaining 350 meters of elevation. A reindeer motivated my pack to do this and it stayed ahead of us until Nikkaluokta. It was 31 km in total and so it was possible for all of us to cover the distance of 78 km in one day. Carla tried to convince me the next morning to continue. But after this mammoth stretch I refused, fascinated by her incredible will to keep going, but I decided against it anyway. I couldn’t overextend my dogs’ performance and sometimes less is more in my eyes. Unlike in a race, five dogs pulled the luggage for three days, Carla on skis behind and me on the sled.
Since the weather forecast unfortunately predicted deterioration, we had to pause for two days, which the dogs were grateful for. On the second day we met Doris and Klaus, who had done a tour through Padjelanta National Park with their Malamutes. In 2018 the two of them also did the Vita Band and beforehand I was able to learn many tips and tricks from them. I also have them to thank for the contact with Eva, without which our tour would probably have ended prematurely.
Many thanks for that!
After two days of rest and recovery for the dogs and me and a few kilometers on skis for Carla, we continued towards Singi.
Past the Kebnekaise mountain station the wind got stronger and skiers passed us in the opposite direction. Further up in the mountains a large Greenland team with two people came towards us. After a brief chat (as far as that was possible in this wind) we wanted to continue.
I was standing at the front with my dogs and looked back, then I saw the woman from the other team pointing her arm in my direction. I looked at Carla and she had already disappeared behind the sled. When I turned around I knew why! A snow wall about 50 meters high and 300 meters wide was coming towards us and I had about 5 seconds to get to safety. I jumped behind the sled and my team was right there with us, rolling up. None of us knew what was happening at that moment—I thought of an avalanche. What came was dense snow dust that was blown in our direction from an avalanche that had gone off in front of us. “Phew, lucky” went through my head. I was about to turn around and return to the mountain station. I still have our brief conversation clearly in mind.
“Continue?”
“Continue!”
“OK, but if something like that happens again, we turn around!”
“OK”
“OK, then let’s continue”
Who said what here, I think everyone can figure out for themselves.
We continued in the hard wind and Carla ahead as so often, she showed the dogs the trail. I’m deeply impressed by this tenacity, mental toughness and a relentless will to keep going. But also this simply outstanding physical performance that Carla displayed at all times often amazed me.
A few hours later we arrived at Singi and were quite agreed on staying there. Northern lights in the evening gave this challenging day a beautiful ending.
Visibility was poor the next morning and so we continued quickly in hard wind. Arriving at Alesjaure the wind was still blowing properly and we looked for a while for a wind-protected place for our four-legged companions. In the evening the two hut wardens came and told us about the weather forecast for the next two days, which didn’t promise anything good.
The following day there should be 14-25 m/s wind from the southwest, so for us so far OK.
The day after that however, from midday up to 35 m/s wind!!! Which makes it impossible for anyone to move safely. No, it’s simply not possible to stand on skis in such wind gusts. I remembered another day at speeds up to 24 m/s when the wind knocked Carla over once and we were on the verge of not continuing.
This could be life-threatening for anyone who was outside.
After a restful sleep the tailwind gave us a push from behind, we moved forward well. Until suddenly there was a jerk and the plastic coating came loose from my sled in one place. We did have replacement coatings with us, but it didn’t seem possible to me to do the repair in this lousy weather. I decided “keep going on wear”. The sled glided well and so it could work out!
At a shelter we met a school class from France.
Together with the two teachers we discussed the weather forecast and suggested they walk/drive north with us, where they came from. After some internal consultation time, the two decided to continue and use the time between the storm subsiding that day and the storm picking up the following day. We continued and later it turned out that everyone arrived at their destination safe and sound.
But before I come to the end of a very enriching tour, I would like to thank a few people from the bottom of my heart.
My faithful Greenland dogs:
Freya, Odin, Marwin, Suka, Yuka and Fridtjof Nansen, “without you this wouldn’t have been possible”.
My tour companion Carla, “you made this journey an unforgettable experience for me that has had a lasting impact on me”.
The harnesses I got from Carsten Flauger have done their job both during training and then throughout the tour and have now been holding up for over 3,000 km of hard pulling work.
At Gottfried Schulz Hagen, who helped me financially to be able to do the tour,
at Meradog for the food and at Pfotenharmony for the chew articles.
But also to Eva, for taking such good care of my Odin.
My family, who supported me with equipment (batteries, boxes for the depots) and taking care of Taiga.
For the many tips and tricks, contacts and background support from Kimbears (Doris and Klaus).
Many dear people (like the campsite owner from Kjättelfjäll, who brought me back my phone when I had lost it again), who are not all mentioned by name here.
The wish not to reach the destination but rather to continue traveling had no place to unfold for now. The weather was too bad and the snow dust crept into every crack and after a few minutes of standstill there was an ice shell on each of the dogs.
Further and further downhill just before Abisko, that feeling came up in me again, a feeling of deepest humility, happiness, contentment, a connection to one’s environment and above all to oneself. The connection to one’s own core is lost far too often in the hectic pace and stress of everyday life in civilization.
For me it was clear—I’m pulling the ripcord before I pick up so much speed in the hamster wheel again.
In any case, I quit my “secure” job and am starting to live…
