Drive your own team on a hands-on expedition including winter camping and overnight stays at the Fjellborg Wilderness Lodge and the Jäkkälä Hunting Cabin. 4-day Program.

Day 1
This program begins at Kiruna Airport where we greet our guests upon their arrival to the magic world 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. After a short transfer of about thirty minutes we reach the village of Poikkijärvi where the Fjellborg family live together with their big pack of friendly huskies. Beautifully situated in the snow clad pine forest overlooking the magnificent Torne River, the Homestead is an ideal gateway to the vast wilderness of Arctic Lapland. The ice of the Torne River is a musher’s highway in winter and in the surrounding forests are numerous trails winding through the picturesque landscape.

Your visit to the Fjellborg Homestead will begin with a welcome lunch during which we will present the itinerary and introduce you to the basics of sled dog mushing and the art of dressing for the Arctic. After lunch you will change into expedition gear, re-pack your tour equipment and get ready to meet the dogs!

The Fjellborg Alaskan Huskies are exceptionally friendly animals. We select our breeding stock based on their working qualities, their ability to endure the Arctic climate and, above all, their friendly and easy going temperaments. These canine athletes know nothing better than to hit the trails together with their team-mates but most are pretty keen on some individual attention and a tummy rub too!

Before we set out on our excursion you will be introduced to your own team of sled dogs and receive instructions on how to handle and care for your dogs, your sled and other equipment.

In the afternoon it is time to embark on our expedition which will initially take us from the Homestead in Poikkijärvi to our comfortable Wilderness Lodge, situated by Lake Väkkärä, 15 km away. On our journey we will travel in a northerly direction through the boreal forests of northern Lapland, leaving the main tourist hubs behind.

When we reach the Wilderness Lodge your dogs are treated to a well deserved rest in their private doghouses, which you will help fill up with fresh straw before enjoying a relaxing wood heated sauna. In the evening we enjoy an outstanding dinner in the main cabin. Menu items include Lapland specialties such as reindeer, arctic char and salmon and desserts made from locally picked blueberries or cloudberries to name a few (Vegetarian diets can be accommodated with advance notice.) Far from roads and city skylines, our Wilderness Lodge provides a peaceful rest from everyday life and the silence of nature brings you fast to sleep.

Day 2
After breakfast we feed and water the dogs, re-pack our sleds and prepare for departure. Today we will venture further out in the wilderness and will improve our driving skills as we travel through a varied terrain in the heart of Arctic Lapland.

After a few hours of mushing we will begin looking for a suitable place to spend the night. On this second day of our expedition we will set up camp in the midst of the wilderness, experiencing the great outdoors at its best. As daylight is limited in winter we will begin early to search for a suitable place to spend the night, making sure we have pitched the tents and have a fire going well before darkness. Our dog teams will be secured to trees during night and will sleep comfortable in the wild, curling up with snow as their blankets.

After setting up camp we begin melting snow for the dogs and cook ourselves a wilderness meal under the star studded northern sky. Winter camping offers a great opportunity to observe the amazing northern light as it dances across the winter sky.

As darkness settles we will relax comfortable inside our weather-proof tents, staying warm in our sleeping bags which are placed on top of thick reindeer hides. As you drift into sleep you cannot help wonder – is that a wolf or a dog howling through the night?

Day 3
After a warming breakfast we provide water and food for the dogs before we re-pack our gear. Today we continue our expedition in a south-easterly direction following the ice of the Vittangi River. The trail winds across frozen hay swamps and mires and there is a good chance we will encounter moose, reindeer and other wildlife during our journey.

Our destination is the Jäkkälä Hunting Cabin built by Kenth Fjellborg’s grandfather back in the days when haymaking on the Jäkkälä bogs was crucial for the survival of both man and livestock. The hay was harvested in summer and transported by horse and wagon back to the villages during winter. In many places in Lapland, this traditional practice of growing hay on bogs was still carried out in the 1950s.

For long distance mushers the Jäkkälä Hunting Cabin provides basic but cosy accommodation. After a delicious meal we enjoy a traditional hot sauna, sharing stories from the trail, before a well deserved rest is provided in the comfortable beds of the lodge.

Day 4
On the last morning of our expedition we depart from Jäkkälä Hunting Cabin, heading out in a westerly direction, with the Fjellborg Homestead as our final destination. On our way home we will stop to enjoy a big lunch served in the wild.

The trail takes us across the ice of Lake Sautosjärvi and then out on the magnificent Torne River. After days spent in the remote wilderness, travelling along the ice of the Torne River feels like a return to civilization. We will see other dog teams and snowmobiles on the ice and soon the villages of Jukkasjärvi and Poikkijärvi are visible, situated on opposite sides of the river.

When we arrive at the Fjellborg Homestead in Poikkijärvi it is time to say farewell to our amazing dogs. The program is completed in the early afternoon and guests who are departing from Kiruna Airport on the same day will receive a transfer to the airport.

The Fjellborg Homestead is situated very near the world famous ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi. A popular choice among our guests is to add a few extra days to their holiday in Lapland by including a visit to ICEHOTEL. During most of the season, an Ice Road is open between the villages of Poikkijärvi and Jukkasjärvi on opposite sides of the Torne River, so this spectacular hotel is only a few minutes away.

Tour Info:
This 4-day sled dog expedition is suitable both for novice and experienced mushers. We offer our guests true wilderness travel at its best, without compromising their safety and comfort. However, winter camping does require an adventurous spirit! The expedition combines a hands-on winter camping adventure with comfortable stays in quality accommodation. A thorough introduction to sled dog driving will be provided before departure and our experienced guides will be available at all times for support and instruction. This expedition provides an ideal introduction to expedition style sledding.

Price: 12250 SEK per person.
Min Persons: 2
Max Persons: Large groups are welcome
Departure Dates: Dec through April.

Fee includes:
Transfer from Kiruna Airport to Homestead, Arctic expedition clothing and mushing gear, all meals including beverage, quality accommodation at Wilderness Lodge and Jäkkälä Hunting Cabin, quality equipment during winter camping, the services of Fjellborg Arctic Journeys staff, individual dog teams, transfer to Kiruna Airport for guests departing upon completion of the expedition on Day 4.