Dog sledding

It seems about the right time of year to throw this one in. I've been busy packing and working late, so I haven't been up to much.

A few years ago when I was passing through Canada, I spent a few weeks skiing near Banff and Lake Louise in Alberta in the Canadian Rockies. I'd always wanted to try dog-sledding and found a fantastic company called Snowy Owl near Canmore. The thing I liked best about this company (apart from the gorgeous location of their tours) was their ethical stance on their dogs. It was easy to tell that the dogs were well cared for and lived for the job. They were straining on their leads from the time they were taken out of the transport to when they were tied up to the sleds. While they were running, they were far more comfortable than the person sitting in the sled. In this position you feel every bump straight through your tailbone. Driving the sled was a little better, but this meant you were responsible for staying upright and convincing the dogs to stop.

One of the funniest aspects of doing the morning tour, was watching the dogs try to go to the toilet. The other dogs would be pulling away at the sled, racing along, when suddenly one of the dogs would decide to squat and put the brakes on. He'd get dragged along for a bit, until the other dogs finally got the message and slowed down.

We did our sledding on a trail in a valley high in the mountains. With gorgeous scenery all the way, we had plenty of opportunities to stop for photos. The dogs were friendly and we were allowed to pat them, much to their delight and mine. I would definitely do this again!