Dogsledding is a sport, a team effort, an adventure in the wilderness beofre being a nice experience for you.
Sled dogs are living & independant creatures, and although they are trained and love running they are not an engine with a start/stop button. In order to have the safest trip for you and for them, there are some rules you need to follow.
1- Never let go of the sled
Whatever happens, hold on to your sled for your own saftey and your passenger's.
2- Never overtake
Always keep a distance between your team and the sled in front of you. There are people, dogs and tools around. We avoid all tricky situation by staying one behind the other.
3- Both hands on the stirring bar
Keep your balance, be flexible on your knees, stay in control of your sled. Let the passenger take pictures.
4- Always look in front of you
It's like driving a car. You need to see what's coming up in order to react in time. Be a capable driver and stay focus.
5- PUSH ! Help the dogs
This is a shared effort. In uphills, you need to help your team by pushing the sled up. Jump back on the skis when they catch up on a normal pace.
6- BRAKE ! Stay in control
In dowhnills, it is crucial to control your speed, but it is very important in general. The sled can be faster than the dogs, slow down in time before you reach them.
7- Always brake when stationary
As we said, they love running. They will try to go again if you don't stand on the brake everytime we stop. You are the one in charge of your sled.
8- Keep your gangline tight
All your team is pulling from the gangline. Its has to be tight at all times. The gangline is your best clue to know when slowing down/stop. If it is slack, start braking until the dogs catch up.
9- Don't touch the snow hook
The snow hook can be ddangerous if not handled properly. Don't use it unless specifically told by your guide.
10- Don't yell at the dogs
Keeping your calm is the best way to have them listen to you. You can encourage them and great them during the trip.
Now that you have all the informations to be the perfect driver, come and join us on our tours ! You will see that dogsledding brings up the best feeling and is worth all the efforts :)
