Dog sledding in Norwegian Lapland

We arrive late afternoon in Vadsø, in the heart of Finnmark, the wilderness of Lapland. On arrival at the airport, we are met by our guides, Baudouin and Jan.

After a short transfer, we arrive at our gîte: Jan's, your host for the week. After setting down our belongings and taking a moment to settle in, we'll enjoy a welcome dinner prepared by Jan, our first opportunity to immerse ourselves in the local culture. Over dinner, our guide Baudouin will introduce us to the week.

The evening draws to a close and it's time for a good night's rest. Tomorrow, the adventure begins in earnest!

After a hearty breakfast, we pack everything we need: boots, wetsuits and accessories - everything is provided to ensure we're perfectly protected against the elements.

We start the day by testing our equipment and meeting our future travelling companions, the dogs. These faithful four-legged companions, full of energy and character, are eager to get to know each other.

In the afternoon, our dog-sledding adventure begins in earnest. Jan and Baudouin introduce us to the basics of mushing. We harness up our dogs and prepare to glide across the vast snow-covered plains.

As night fell, we set off, guided by the light of our headlamps. This will be our first experience of dog sledding under the stars.

After this first loop, we return to our host Jan's chalet, where a roaring fire is already crackling. Dinner, shared in the warmth of the chalet, seems to have never been so well deserved. The evening continues in a convivial atmosphere, perhaps over a game of cards or in the sauna. And if we're lucky, we'll be able to look up into the sky to admire the first aurora borealis dancing above us.

We share breakfast together before getting down to the day's chores: feeding the dogs and preparing the dog teams. Everyone pitches in to make sure everything is ready for the day's adventure ahead.

We then set off for our full day's dog sledding, crossing the Varangerbotn nature park. This protected park is characterised by vast expanses of snow, giving the impression of being lost in the heart of the Arctic. We make our way through this landscape, enjoying the silence and the white immensity.

For lunch, we stop off in the middle of these snowy expanses for a picnic. This is an opportunity to regain our strength before setting off on the next leg of our journey to our evening destination: a remote mountain refuge.

Once we arrive at the refuge, everyone will help with the daily chores of feeding the dogs, melting snow for water and chopping wood for the fire.

We return to our carriages and head for a frozen lake, where we'll try our hand at ice fishing.

Ice fishing involves cutting a hole in the ice to reach the water below, where we hope to catch a few fish and cook them. This is a traditional practice in Lapland, requiring patience and a good deal of know-how.

We then finish our itinerant loop with our dogs towards Jan's chalet, where the adventure originally began.

After our touring dog sledding adventure, you can explore the local culture by visiting a Saami reindeer farm, or simply relax and enjoy a well-deserved rest at our lodge, Jan's House.

If you choose the second option, you'll have the chance to immerse yourself in the daily life of Jan's farm.

We're off on a unique cani-rando experience. With Baudouin's dogs to guide us, we let ourselves be carried through snow-covered landscapes on snowshoes for a few kilometres.

Our destination is a traditional Saami cabin, where we will spend the night. Once there, we set up our lavvu, a traditional tent used by Saami nomads. We prepare dinner outside, taking the opportunity to try our hand at cooking in the wilderness. We spend the night in a traditional Saami cabin close to our lavvu, where we can sleep in the warmth.

Already our last day of adventure.

We're heading back to Jan's house on snowshoes, accompanied by our faithful dogs for one last cani-rando session. It's a chance to take in the snow-covered landscape one last time and enjoy the close bond with our four-legged companions.

Back at Jan's house, we round off this intense week with a hearty meal. Afterwards, we relax in a traditional sauna, perfect for recuperating after days spent in the great outdoors. Finally, our guides take us to Vadsø airport, marking the end of this unforgettable adventure.