Haltin hiihtovaellus koiran kanssa

Haltin ski trekking with a dog

How to prepare and equip for a winter trek in the Lapland wilderness with a dog? Read about Tanja and Bambi dog's late winter adventure to Halti and tips for functional gear.

Tanja and 5-year-old short-haired mixed breed dog Bambi started their first ski trek at the end of March. It was going to be a week-long trip in varying and challenging conditions.

Bambi, who came along, is already an experienced hiker, trekker, and sled dog. Mountains have been conquered all over Europe, but in winters they have mostly enjoyed well-maintained dog trails. So ahead was something new and exciting, but careful preparation gave confidence in the success of the trip. 

Ski trek to Halti day 1.

25.3.2023 Kilpisjärvi — Saarijärvi

The first day was full of excitement and slight fear. The weather forecasts kept getting colder and we had to set off. Also Bambi, since we had already driven all the way to Lapland. Seven people set off skiing and well-layered Bambi. 

In my opinion, the day's distance wasn't much: about 12 km according to the maps. On summer hikes, we easily walk double that in a day. However, the progress was quite different. The pace was slow and for Bambi the skier plus the pulk was way too much weight to pull. Uphills the pulk pulled us backward, downhill it pushed for more speed. Luckily, the downhills were only one, so there was only that one fall today.

12 km took us just over 5 hours plus a bit of break time. The planned hut did come up and we just barely fit inside to sleep. It was already way too cold in the evening (about -25) and the dog enjoyed sleep, even though it was the very first time sleeping in a wilderness hut. Bambi curled up between his own people inside the sleeping bag. I tossed and turned and was cold almost all night, but the rest was needed.

Today's recommendation: Non-stop Glacier Jacket 2.0 dog jacket. It was cold from the start, but towards the end of the trip the importance of a good insulated jacket really stood out! Without a proper jacket, Bambi with his short fur wouldn't have made it back alive. Of course, there were base layers too, but thanks to the windproof insulated jacket, even our indoor dog managed to move in arctic conditions for a week!

 

Ski trek to Halti day 2.

26.3.2023 Saarijärvi — Meekonjärvi

Waking up to the second day, we humans already knew what to expect. However, Bambi's shock was obvious from afar when we started moving away from the car. 

Progress to the first rest hut was downright awful. The dog didn't want to move forward because the uphill pace didn't pick up at all from pulling. Even the excitement caused by passing dog sled teams only lasted a few meters. However, the rest hut came up, the dog got to take a warm nap, and something clearly clicked. The rest of the day's stages went with great drive and the downhill speed was downright scary. The snowshoes we had on didn't shine in terms of maneuverability. We fell again, but the journey was truly FUN! 

We covered 19 km and the weather was kind. Perfect sunshine, no wind, and the cold didn't bother us too much either. We got back to the hut for the night, where unfortunately we noticed that Bambi's eyes had suffered from the day's sun. The working diagnosis? Some kind of snow blindness? The third eyelids were visible and the dog withdrew into the dark. Luckily, this group had an amazing amount of first aid gear and Bambi got eye drops for the night. We slept very well except for the slight chill in the early morning, and in the morning everything looked better again!

 

Today's recommendation: dog sun/protective glasses (RexSpecs). We don't own these yet, but considering the future, we'll definitely put them at least under consideration. The winter spring snow dazzles incredibly, and it really affects the dog's eyes too.


 

Ski touring to Halti day 3.

27.3.2023 Meekonjärvi — Haltin tupa

Uphill, uphill, and always uphill. It was already known in advance that a tough day was ahead. My mood was lowered by severe Achilles tendon pain and worry about Bambi's eyes, although they already looked almost normal. We put my ski goggles on the girl, which she agreed to wear for about 200 meters at a time. This had never been practiced before, so it didn't go smoothly right away. 

Despite initial stiffness, the journey started progressing nicely. Bambi pulled according to the mood and occasionally got to run long stretches free. We saw the icy Pihtsusköngäs and ate lunch at sunny Pihtsusjärvi. We also encountered another hiking dog for the first time on this trip. 

Towards the end, we already saw Haltin peak ahead, which lifted the mood nicely. After 18 km of skiing, we settled down to sleep in an empty wilderness hut at the foot of Halti, and Bambi got to try sleeping on the loft. She settled well in the corner of the loft and didn't try to leave her spot. It wasn't cold that night, and we definitely slept the best on the whole trip. 

 

Today's recommendation: Fitdog recovery drink powder. Kilometers accumulated and the dog just keeps going! We were all tired, but no one's booties move as quickly as Bambi's. Bambi's hiking rhythm included a light breakfast, lunch drink with Fitdog, and a heavier dinner.


Ski touring to Halti day 4.

28.3.2023 Haltin tupa — Halti — Pihtsusjärvi

The weather was still favorable. -19 degrees and a completely blue sky offered nice conditions to summit Finland's highest point. This morning, Bambi showed a bit of travel fatigue, so she got to hobble at her own pace. Skiing without sleds also felt wonderfully light for me, even though the elevation gain from the hut to the summit was about 380m. The views at the top were amazing! No wind, cloudless sky, and those views! 

Then we came down fast in deep snow. We've never done freeriding before, but if it resembles this even a little, count me in! Super fun and Bambi also seemed to enjoy the feeling of freedom. After the hut lunch, we headed to Pihtsusjärvi for the night. And finally, the route had more downhill than uphill.

The day was definitely the lightest and easiest on this trip, but the rest day did everyone good! The summit was a great experience, the freeride even better, but it also felt nice to sip mint cocoa in the sunshine with Bambi in my arms after 15 km of skiing.

 

Today's recommendation: Booties! We carried a sack of dog booties for all conditions. The paws didn't get cold, and the pads stayed intact! No clear brand favorite was found for these conditions. In the snow, longer booties worked, and in the cold, thicker ones. Number of lost booties on the trip: 0 pcs.

 

 

Ski trek to Halti day 5.

29.3.2023 Pihtsusjärvi — Kuonarjoki

Regarding the weather, there was a complete turnaround today. Cloudy, misty, and beautiful. The cold was gone, but the wind was strengthening. We lightened the pulk for me and Bambi even more so that my own legs would hold up and Bambi could help more.

The beginning of the trip was rushed downhill. In the steepest parts, the pulling dog was more trouble than help, and we fell several times.

After lunch, the snowstorm began, and soon the border guard team we met urged us to go indoors. Bambi was cold for the first time now. While moving, the warmth stayed, but the storm wind battered during breaks. So we skied almost in a snowstorm all the way to the Kuonarjoki cabin. We covered about 20 km again!! The cabin was full, but there's always room for harmony, and part of our group fit inside to sleep warmly. Bambi was our strongest excuse to get inside, and eventually, we slept tightly spooned in the corner of the cabin. Bambi got to be free in the cabin and reacted with friendly indifference to everyone. There was a lot of admiration for the girl's behavior.

 

Today's recommendation: First aid kit! A well-equipped one, and preferably also the skill to use the equipment. On the trip, we mostly used painkillers and skin tape, but without them, we wouldn't have made it. Preparation ranged from basic painkillers to major disaster supplies. Luckily, we managed with less.


Ski trek to Halti day 6.

30.3.23 Kuonarjoki — Kilpisjärvi

There was still over a day left of the trip, but we decided to trust the forecasts and escape the storm. In the morning, we set off tired as a train towards Kilpisjärvi. Bambi got to run free and find a path for us on the maintenance route blocked by the snowstorm. We moved slowly in the powder snow, but the weather wasn't really bad. 

Lunch was eaten at the Saarijärvi cabin, and as we left, the weather made a complete turn towards a stormy evening. Snow was swirling at an accelerating pace, and our last 12km kept looking longer and longer. At worst, visibility was about the length of a marker pole, so we didn't quite get lost. Still, it was tough for everyone. Bambi pushed through the wind bravely and showed miserable feelings mainly when the group stopped: trying to get into laps, wind shelter, or the pulk. And you can't really blame her. The weather was absolutely incredible, and according to rumors, the wind in the fell was even 33m/s. Despite the miserable weather, Bambi was always ready to continue towards Kilpisjärvi. 

The last kilometers were indeed painful, but the weather in Kilpisjärvi was much more bearable. The relief was great when we got indoors, into the shower, and the dog onto the sofa!

 

Today's recommendation: Non-stop Arctic Jakka Pro. Traildog offered me a break jacket for the trip. Although it was really cold at times during the trip, I didn't have to freeze during breaks. A proper jacket was definitely one of the survival essentials on a trip like this. The big and fluffy jacket provided protection not only for me but also Bambi could curl up close inside the jacket when the wind was blowing the worst.


Gear the dog had with it on the hike

   

Changes needed for the gear list: was anything unused or missing?

Only one pair of booties went unused. The most used booties were the thicker fleece-lined ones, which also protected well against the cold of the snow. The tall booties worked well in the snow, and I changed the basic booties to dry ones during breaks so they wouldn't freeze. We didn't lose a single bootie and all booties came back intact from this trip. 

Bambi always uses pulling gear on hikes, even though there is no requirement for pulling. The harness is ergonomic and the elastic pull line gives a bit of forgiveness even in unexpected situations. A pulling belt for the person is absolutely essential to free up your hands for poles. We didn't need to use the spare leash on this trip, but I wouldn't go without it because gear failures can always happen.

All jackets were in use. Fleece was put on only in the last days when it was really cold; otherwise, we managed very well with two layers. When choosing a jacket, consider using harnesses together with the jacket. Not just any jacket allows the dog freedom to move comfortably on a long trip. A high collar gives extra warmth, but a hat was absolutely essential for Bambi. Big floppy ears had to be protected from the frost. 

A huge amount of food was consumed on the trip. My own consumption was about 5000 kcal/day, so you can somewhat relate this to the dog's nutritional needs. We didn't switch to stronger food but increased the portion. The importance of hydration cannot be emphasized enough! A moving dog needs a lot of fluids, and this must be considered already when packing: how to get the dog to drink water when it's available? We had good success with Fitdog, whose taste encouraged drinking and at the same time the dog got electrolytes. 

What I missed on the trip was mainly protective glasses for the dog. We had four incredibly bright days on the trip, which strained the eyes quite a bit. We humans wore sunglasses from morning till night, and Bambi definitely deserved his own glasses too. 

In addition to Bambi's own stuff, a lot of gear was shared. For nights, sleeping bags were combined with my partner so Bambi could get warm in between. As a break jacket, I had a generously sized Non-stop Arctic Jakka Pro, inside which I also managed to shelter Bambi from the strong wind. The Voited Travel Blanket was also in heavy use: at night as my pillow and in the cabin as Bambi's bed. 

 

What skills is it good for the dog to know before hiking?

  • Calming down! Whether sleeping in a tent or cabin, the dog must know how to rest. Other hikers must also be given peace. Bambi used every possible moment to rest and managed the week very well.
  • Being carried / pulled in a sled. In an emergency, the dog must be removed from the wilderness, and the safest and most convenient way is to pack it into the sled. Also, a tired dog travels nicely in the sled.
  • Sleeping in the sleeping bag (either the dog's own or next to a person). This is also worth practicing in advance. Short-haired Bambi preferred to sleep right in the armpit in the same sleeping bag. Even a thick-coated indoor dog might not manage cold nights without extra warmth. 

 

Our trip was a success and hopefully we'll have more like this someday! A big thanks for the successful trip goes to Traildog! Winter hiking is somewhat about gear, and without proper preparation, there's no going to wilderness areas.

You can follow more adventures of Tanja and the dogs on Instagram and TikTok at @vedonvoimaa.

 

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