Sled Dog Racing
I have never had the opportunity to see dog sled racing in person but I have seen video documentaries of it. It is amazing what the Siberian huskies can do and how they are trained to pull sleds across the cold regions of Siberia. There have even been many movies made about these races and about these adorable worker dogs. They have been the life line of the people there.
Dog sled racing became a competition to find out who had trained their dogs the best to race through the rough and cold terrain of Siberia. To deliver the post, the postman had to have a very good pack of dogs and a good sled to get to his destinations on time and safely. It is very interesting to see how they lived and what they had to do to survive. Today it is an exciting pastime for the locals and others around the world from cold regions to show off how good their teams are trained and what they are capable of doing.
Origins of Sled Dogs
The dogs that pull sleds are bred for this sole purpose. They live in the colder regions of the world in Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Siberia, Chukotka, Lapland, Norway, and Finland. Originally, the breed might have evolved from Mongolia around 30,000 years ago and then moved to the Arctic Circle and Siberia.
The sled dogs were used a lot in the 1800s and 1900s for explorations whether in Alaska for gold prospecting or exploring the North and South Poles. The dogs could get through rough weather conditions that other means could not so they were heavily relied upon. The original dogs that pulled sleds needed to be heavy and strong so the Alaskan huskies were considered the best for the job than the lighter Russian huskies. But as the need for dog sleds has slowly been replaced by using snowmobiles or planes, the heavier and stronger Alaskan dog is now being replaced by the lighter Russian husky as they are faster.
Experience an Actual Dog Sled For Yourself
Are you now psyched up to visiting Siberia? All the more, you will when I tell you that you can go on a tour that allows you to actually take the reins of a true sled dog. A qualified instructor can give you the basics wherein you can experience first-hand what the drivers or “mushers” would have to do to keep control of the sled. You can go back in time when sled dogs were used to transport medicine and other essentials through the rough terrain of Siberia and Mongolia. You could fly into Moscow, take the Trans-Siberian Train with tours that stop at various places on the way and book an activity or adventure where you can see sled dogs for yourself.
Trans-Siberian Tours
How about a tour hopping on a train that run across the countryside and through 8 time zones and multiple countries, cultures, continents? Sounds exciting? Well, I think it sounds amazing! Where else on earth could you do something so adventurous!
To go on a Trans-Siberian trip you will need to get visas for Russia, China and Mongolia as you will be passing through their customs and borders. Ask your online travel agent about this for more information.
Adventures in Siberia
There is so much to see and to do in Siberia. It’s hard to believe that this once-feared place could be a top destination for snow adventurers and seekers. This place used to be a place of exile for leaders of revolts and the famous writer Fyodor Dostoyevski. But look at it now. Upon the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway system, this place totally changed in form and now in reputation.
The 3-Country Tour
There are tours that begin in Beijing, China so you would need to fly there to pick up the Trans-Siberian train to Moscow. The train travels through China and Mongolia finally arriving in Moscow some 15 days later if you like. Some of the places on the trail that you might see:
- UlaanBaatar: The capital of Mongolia, it is the coldest capital in the world. Explore the city or their national park of Terelj.
- Ulan Ude: Arriving in Russia, take the time to explore the Tibetan-Buddhist culture in this city so close to Mongolia.
- Lake Baikal: This is a great place for relaxing, trekking, fishing
- Yekaterinsburg: Here, you can visit some important historical sites and have a quick dog sledding workshop
These are just samples of what you can do on Trans-Siberian tours and the most exciting part is to see sled dogs, work with them and possibly see a dog sled race.
Just Do It
It sounds like a great idea to me. Work on your budget and see if you can make this your next holiday adventure; you can try out some Trans-Siberian tours, and enjoy their great deals.It is the chance of a lifetime. After seeing a documentary about dog sleds and racing and breeding these huskies, I searched for movies that dealt with these topics. I got to watch Eight Below which will crush your heart to see those lovable canines survive the cold. And the other is Snow Dogs which was a hilarious ride in a dog sled race. You will want to hop on a plane to China and start your Trans-Siberian tours in no time.
photo credit: FurLined