
+5
This was the best experience our group had during the trip. Once we arrived at the property, about a 25 minute drive from the Arctic Treehouse Hotel, we were all fitted with the gear they provided. The waterproof one-piece jumpsuit, boots, and gloves were perfect for this excursion, especially since you can get wet sitting on the wooden sled seat.
As we walked over to the sleds, we could hear all the dogs barking excitedly. It was hilarious watching them jump around, eager to run. There were two people per sled, and our group had six sleds total. No one went alone on the sled.
We started with a demonstration on a stationary sled, where our instructor, Jim, explained everything we needed to know about driving. He was kind, funny, and incredibly helpful, making us feel comfortable while emphasizing the importance of the dogs’ safety. The key rule was never to let your dogs overtake the sled in front of you. At one point, our dogs veered off to the right, and Jim quickly helped guide them back on track, thank you for that.
I rode in the sled first while my partner stood behind me to drive. We were surprised by how fast it went, especially when the instructor released the rope and our team took off after the lead pack. After about 40 minutes, we stopped to switch drivers, and the instructors kindly took photos of everyone during the break.
My partner mentioned his forearms got a bit sore from gripping tightly, but I didn’t feel the need to hold on that hard, so it wasn’t an issue for me. Slowing down or stopping was easy. You just press your foot on the metal brake bar at the back of the sled. We had initially worried about slipping due to the oversized boots, but none of us had any problems.
Overall, it was an incredible experience and absolutely worth it.