The silent adventure of dog sledging in Sisimiut

Have you ever heard the sound of silence? Yeah I know, it might sound like a cliché. Nevertheless, standing far out in the backcountry of Sisimiut, only surrounded by sledge dogs and snowy mountains, listening to nothing but silence, is something that every adventurous human being should try at least once in their life.

Okay, let me just go back to the beginning here. 

One of my biggest dreams has always been to ride a dog sledge in Greenland, and in Sisimiut there are so many opportunities to go, that you should be a fool not to. 

I got to out to the dog village, and the musher – the dog sledge “pilot” – was already preparing the dogs. It was so loud and slightly chaotic. All the dogs were howling, barking and jumping up and down from excitement. It was so cool to see the eagerness in the entire pack, they really wanted to go. 

Once the dogs were ready, I got a few instructions on how to sit on the sledge. I honestly thought it was a little overkill, since I imagined that the sledge wouldn’t go very fast. Haha, I have never been more wrong. 

As soon as the musher signalled the dogs to pull, an enormous force just swooped the sledge away and I felt the first little rush of joy and adrenalin. WAUW! Such strength in these dogs. 

We travelled out of Sisimiut in no time, and before I knew it we were surrounded by nothing but the snow covered mountains as far as the eye could see. 

The sound of the working dogs running through the snow. Watching them do what they do best. What an amazing experience. 

We stopped for a break somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Had a hot cup of coffee and let the dogs rest for a few moments. The temperature was about -20°so the coffee and my toes only stayed warm for a short time. But honestly, who cares about that in the middle of a dream coming true. I didn’t.

The silence out there in the backcountry was like nothing I had ever experienced. I could hear absolutely nothing but my own heartbeat. No sounds from the city, just mountains, snow and dogs. 

Simplicity in its purest form. 

This tour turned out way more amazing that I could have ever dreamt of. So, for those of you visiting Greenland in the winter-time, don’t miss out on this experience (NB! Check if the locations you are visiting offers sledge-dog rides, as the sledge dogs are only allowed north of the arctic circle). 

Ps. Bring your warmest cloths for a ride like this, including a hat, mittens and preferably something to cover most of your face with when the dogs put on their turbo-gear. 

Read more travel blogs from Christina Gamborg Holm

Christina Gamborg Holm

Hi and welcome to my Guide to Greenland travel blog. My name is Christina, I'm a danish anthropologist and business consultant with a huge passion for the arctic and nordic way of life. I have visited Greenland several times and here on my blog you can read about the everyday adventures and the unique way of living that Greenland offers. I do my best to tell stories with pictures more than words...but then again, I really do like writing. I specifically like writing about the inuit culture, the spectacular nature (and how it can become your playground), the arctic wildlife and about traditional food and drinks in Greenland. Most of all I just hope that this blog will make you too curious to stay at home, cuz really, you should come and experience it all for yourself.

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