The need for speed

For many people in Lapland, a dog sled, snow mobile or reindeer sleigh is the only real way to travel in the wilderness. I LOVE to go fast across the ground and I really want to get amongst it. There’s not quite enough snow yet for the snowmobile, but we are good to go for the huskies and reindeer. I love animals and I want to support tourist attractions where they are treated well – and my guides have assured me I will feel good about these activities. These dogs are Siberian huskies, so beautiful, clearly very healthy, very friendly, huge smiles on their faces, and jumping out of their skin excited to be given a chance to run which is what they are born to do. Once they’re harnessed, the dogs are quite calm because they know it will soon be time to go; but when the driver steps up onto the sled behind you, the barking all around you is EAR-splitting because ALL the dogs want to come. And then you’re off, and all you can hear is the swoosh of the sleigh on the snow, you feel the cold air whipping you in the face, and ahead you see the dogs running so so fast, listening for commands to go left or right, totally in their element. At first I’m silent, taking it all in, and then I am laughing out loud because this is the most fun thing you could do with a group of happy dogs. Next I visit a reindeer farm that has been in the same family for 500 years. There are around 54 farms in Lapland, and each deer has a special cut on its ear to indicate who it belongs to. During winter the deer are herded on foot, and brought back to the farm if possible for care over the harshest months; but the rest of the year they are out in the forests living a wild life, breeding and competing with their natural predators. And cars; if you hit a reindeer here you pay compensation to its owner, this is reindeer country and you are the visitor. There is a lot of emphasis on the wildness of the animals and the natural order of life here; and farmers helping each other to keep things working. These guys grew up on this farm and instead of attending kindergartens, they were herding deer with their parents and grandparents, learning everything they would one day need to run it themselves. We are given a chance to ride in a sleigh at the farm, if we drive it ourselves (this is how they teach them). It is so much fun; with one hand on the sleigh and the other hand holding a rope that is tied to the harness. As soon as the rope is in your hand the deer takes off like a rocket, while you hang on behind, bouncing around, snow in your eyes, and smiling like an idiot.