Silence of Winter

The first snows have fallen and the dogs are eager to pull us out in to the wilderness. We will move along frozen rivers and through beautiful pine forests, all is shimmering white. We stay overnight in old wood cabins and on the last evening before dinner we enjoy a traditionally hot sauna. This tour will take you into a northern midwinter dream

Availability :Availability for the coming season: From January until March Tour Dates 2011: January 5,12,19,26 February 2,9,16,23 March 2,9,16,23
5 Day Itinerary - 4 Nights	Staying in wooden wilderness cabins
Fully Catered	Extreme weather clothing is provided
Adult: £1195-00 minimum party 2 adults – Singles £40.00 supplement

Day 1 Afternoon

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After the flight to Kiruna or Luleå airport, you will be greeted by your hosts Johan or Sara. They drive you along the road to Kangos, a small village 150 km north of the Arctic Circle and set in the northern Torne river valley. We stop along the way to eat lunch or refreshments depending on your time of your flight. On arrival to Kangos you will meet the huskies and get a chance to learn a little more about these remarkable animals. We enjoy a hot cup of coffee by the bonfire and then it’s time for a short introduction into the practical side of "mushing". When everyone feels ready we will prepare the sledges and harness the huskies and begin this amazing journey through the stunning Arctic countryside

Day 2 40-60km

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After a good night sleep in a small wood cabin we start the day by taking care of the dogs while the guide is preparing breakfast. After feeding the dogs we will all sit down, eat our breakfast and discuss the tour of the day. Then we harness the huskies and head off. The only sounds that can be heard are the breathing of the dogs and the noise of their feet on the snow. We stop after 2-3 hours and enjoy lunch out in the wild. After a short while the dogs are eager to run, so we will keep on mushing for another 2-3 hours. The day ends with a nice home cooked meal and before settling down to a well earned sleep

Day 3 40-60km

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After having one day of mushing we are confident that you will all feel that you have got the hang of it, therefore you can relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. We move along frozen rivers, deep forests and on shimmering white mires. We stop after a while to warm up our bodies with a nice soup, made over an open fire. The last part of the trail is through a winterfeeding area for reindeers. The dogs are so used to the animals so they don’t care, on many occasions we will within just a few meters from them. In the centre of the area we reach the cabins were we are going to spend the last night. Maybe you will be lucky enough to see the amazing Northern Lights

Day 4 40-60km

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Start the day by taking care of the dogs while the guide is preparing breakfast. After feeding the dogs we will all sit down, eat our breakfast and discuss the tour of the day. Then we harness the huskies and head off. By now we are confident that you will have mastered the art mushing and will be ready to really relax and enjoy your final full day in the beautiful northern wilderness, we will take a break and enjoy some hot soup before moving on through the last part of our trail which takes us through the winter feeding area of the reindeer, the dogs don’t mind so we pass within a few meters of these beautiful animals. We will spend the final night in a traditional winter cabin

Day 5 Fore-noon

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After taking care of the dogs and eating breakfast we start our journey back to reality. After about one hour we reach the Husky camp. Then after saying a last goodbye to the dogs we will travel by car to the airport for your return flights, along the way we will stop for lunch.

What to bring:

2 x Thermal undergarments (long johns & vest) – 2 pairs of thin socks, Warm fleece, pants & sweater, 2 pairs of thick socks (wool), thermal sweater or jacket, liner, gloves, hat, scarf and goggles or glasses, backpack or duffle type bag to pack your tour gear, (not just a suitcase) hygiene, toiletries and personal medications.

This package includes:

The accommodation as described, return scheduled flights from LHR, local transfers, activities as described, guides, all safety equipment and a team of 4-6 huskies.
Please-note
Occasionally the weather conditions may be unsuitable or other circumstances may cause changes to the itinerary. We reserve the right to change the programe should it become necessary Alcoholic beverages are not included in the price
Clothing
Although we provide all guests with high quality extreme weather clothing for the duration of their visit; in the form of hats, boots, suits and mitts. We must point out to all visitors that we strongly recommend that you travel in warm clothing; waterproof footwear and wear hats and gloves. Additional personal clothing should include thermal under garments, wool or thermal socks and additional layers of lightweight clothing such as vests. The temperatures really can be quite extreme and it is much more fun when you are warm!
Insurance
Should you wish to source specialist activity insurance; please visit the Columbus link which can be found at the foot of this page or on the front page of the Arctic Discovery web site, they offer a special online "Arctic Discovery" package which includes cover for the activities we provide.
Flights
The package is displayed including return flights from London Flights may also be available from the following regional airports: Belfast, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh & Dublin: A supplement of £45.00 per person will be charged. Due to the recent changes in tour operator flight pricing policy: in-flight meals are no longer included on the international flights