Dog sledding
Drive your own sled or sit and enjoy the tour
An exciting winter experience for all the family
Price
winter 2023/24
5km*: 550, – per person (Children under 10 years: 425, -)
10km: 1000, – per person (Children under 10 years: 800, -)
*The 5km tour lasts about 30 minutes, in fast snow conditions it will take a little less time.
Dates and times
During the winter season we offer dog sledding on Thursdays, plus some additional dates:
Christmas 2023:
Thursday 28th December and Saturday 30th December
First tour departs at 12.30h
From January 2024: Every Thursday plus
Saturday 17th and 24th February
Saturday March 9th and 30th (Easter)
First tour depart 12.30h
Age limits
To drive your own sled you must be 15 years old.
Group size
There is space for 4 adults on each tour, or three adults and two children. One sled accommodates the driver and one passenger.
“Eager huskies are ready for today’s trip. They are harnessed to the sleigh, and know what awaits soon; kilometers of trails and a run with the pack in the mountains. When the trip starts, there is a small jerk, then the sled glides easily on the snow, and we’re off!”
Become a musher!
Realise a dream: drive your own dog team or sit and enjoy the romance of skimming through the frozen wintery landscape.
Venabu works with experienced dog team leader, Egil Killi, to offer weekly dogsledding tours. The dogs are willing Huskies, well trained and used to pulling sleds in the mountains.
Out on the tour
The tour starts with an introduction to how the team works and how to manage the team.
On the trips, Egil always leads the tour and has room for one passenger. The rest of the group follow. The sleds are designed for a driver with space for one passenger. You can try driving or sitting in the sleigh. It is possible to change halfway through the trip, so everyone has the opportunity to drive their own team. The age limit for driving a sleigh yourself is fifteen years of age.
Dog sledding, polar exploration and a race against time
Dogsledding has been used as a means of transport in Arctic areas for upwards of 9000 years. Dog teams were used in the exploratory expeditions in North America and to both poles. Famously Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen used dogs on his successful expedition to the South Pole in 1911. He and his team reached the pole a month before Scott’s ill-fated British expedition.
Dogsleds are used in racing. Many are long distance races such as the Iditarod and Norway’s Finnmarksløpet. This latter race is the northernmost dog sled race and takes place in daily stages totaling 1100kms.
The Iditarod trail was established after an epic challenge to get a lifesaving serum to the Alaskan town of Nome in the winter of 1925. There was an outbreak of diphtheria and the closest serum was in the town of Nenana. This was only accessible by dog sled so a dog sled relay was set up. Teams of dogs and their mushers covered more than 970km in six days to deliver the serum.
Dog sleds are still used today by communities living in remote areas of Canada, Alaska and Greenland.
“Thank you!”
If you have questions about dog sledding please contact us:
Tel: +47 61 29 32 00
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“Excellent guiding team!”
“An amazing week. The whole guiding team was excellent and very patient for me as a beginner. Music in the evening and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Hope to be back soon.”
Josephine (UK)
“Fantastic holiday!”
“We had a fantastic holiday, new snow, fantastic tracks, superb hotel, food out of this world, staff so helpful and polite. Already booked for Christmas.”
Martin, Ruth and Keir (UK)
“Kindness”
“Thank you to all of the staff for your kindness, positivity and friendship. This is a very special place.”
Katie and Richard (UK)
“A special place!”
“Thank you for another wonderful stay. It really is a special place and we will be back. Amazing weather and cross country skiing too!”
Kathleen and Craig (UK)