CHISLING Dog sledding copy

Quebec dog sledding kate

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Quebec dog sledding kate

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Dashing through the snow Story by Ava Chisling Photos by Wolfgang Brettschneider

When temperatures plummet to -40 degrees, resourceful Canadians take to skis, skates and ski-doos in order to get about. And now, dog sledding is enjoying a revival not only as a practical form of transport, but also as an adventure sport

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f you think the Canadian province of Quebec is all about snow and festivals, you’d be quite right. For the majority of the year we are stifled by the bitter cold, wrapped in layers of uncomfortable clothing as we wobble from place to place in total darkness. For the remaining eight weeks, it is hot and we are able to sit sipping drinks on café terraces – praying really hard for time to stand still though, of course, it never does.

Quebec is the largest province in Canada in terms of land. It’s huge. You could fit 18 Jordans within its borders. But unlike most countries where communities are laid out just about everywhere, in Quebec, close to 80 per cent of its 7·5 million people live along the Saint Lawrence River – and half live in Montreal.

What happens in the rest of the vast province is what thousands of travellers are discovering each year. For in order to deal with Quebec’s chilly exterior, we rely on some innovative tactics to enjoy the winter months, and allowing a pack of cuddly dogs to pull us through the countryside is one of the most fun. The pristine wilderness combined with a developed winter

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tour industry mean that families and adventurers alike are coming to discover Quebec – and the colder the better.

German motorcycle enthusiast Wolfgang Brettschneider saved up his vacation days to come dog-sledding in rural Quebec. He has travelled the world looking for different types of adventure and he had been dreaming of dog-sledding for years. His first stop was Montreal where the adventure began, albeit slowly, with a five-hour bus ride to the Saguenay region of Quebec, best known for its beluga and humpback whale-watching, and magnificent fjords in the summer. In winter, you glide on water of a more frozen sort in hopes of seeing caribou and wolves. ‘Quebec has a reputation of being really cold but as skilled skiers, we Germans are used to temperatures below -20°C,’ says Wolfgang. ‘It’s just a matter of bringing the right clothes.’ And the right attitude.

Like all northerners, people from Quebec have learned to cope with fastmoving weather fronts, strong and gusty winds, blowing and drifting snow, and our personal favourite, icy roads and the storms that create them.

Outside of the city centres, it is common to see people cross-country ski to

Quebec dog sledding kate

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OPPOSITE, LEFT AND BOTTOM: ONCE A PRACTICAL WAY OF GETTING FROM A TO B, DOGSLEDDING HAS BECOME A POPULAR ADVENTURE SPORT BELOW: TEMPERATURES REGULARLY PLUMMET BELOW -20 DEGREES CELCIUS IN THE FROZEN NORTH OF QUEBEC

collect their groceries, or use the ever-present plastic snow sledges to transport children from place to place. And the thousands of lakes that bring Quebecers so much pleasure in the summer also provide fun in the winter. Once they freeze over, residents in communities like Sainte-Agathe in the Laurentian mountains (outside of Montreal) snowmobile or ice-skate to the town or glide along to visit friends. However, before you head onto the lake, you must check that the ice is thick enough to support you. You don’t want your winter adventure to Quebec to include a swim. Wolfgang was worried he would need to bring his own bathing suit, because in the weeks leading up to his Christmas dog-sledding adventure, it was raining in Quebec, even in the north,‘But by the time I arrived, everything was perfect, cold but sunny.’

When visitors arrive at the dog-sledding camp the first thing that happens is universal: everybody falls in love with the dogs. If there are any concerns over making dogs pull you and some gear on a sled, they disappear when you see the pure excitement of each pup before a ride. These are huskies and malamutes – much more wolf than the puppy you keep at home. The dogs want to work and will jump and squeal and bark and tug until they are chosen. And once they are, you will be happy to oblige.

‘We were as excited as the dogs, even though we had no experience,’ says Wolfgang. ‘There was barking all around, the dogs were really eager to get to work. In the meantime, we received our training session where the guide showed us how to harness the dogs to the sled and how to keep out of trouble on the trail.’

Early the next morning, the time came to command your own pack of dogs. ‘First it was a bit scary! I wondered if the dogs would do what I want.

Will I be able to operate the brake? Can I actually steer the sled? And then, after a few minutes, calm settled in. As a motorcyclist, it was amazing how silently the sled runs. It’s really relaxing,’ says Wolfgang. ‘Once the dogs run

We slept in a lovely wooden cabin by the lake and made a fire while the guides did the cooking… we all helped

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Quebec dog sledding kate

27/9/05

5:52 pm

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SPORT

In order to deal with Quebec’s chilly exterior, we rely on some innovative tactics to enjoy the winter months, and allowing a pack of cuddly dogs to pull us through the countryside is one of the most fun ways

they are happy and stop barking. Then the only sounds you hear are the sled moving on the snow, the dogs breathing, and the sound of the wind. It is truly a great experience.’

It’s not necessary to be very fit to come on this kind of vacation. You can choose between standing at the back of the sledge to steer the pack or sitting comfortably under a load of blankets while you are guided through the forest. On Wolfgang’s adventure, everyone had his or her own sled packed with items for their overnight stay: sleeping bags, food for them and their dogs, and so on. ‘In the evening everybody was responsible for unhooking their own dogs from the sled and placing them on leads. We slept in a lovely wooden cabin by the lake and made a fire while the guides did the cooking. We all helped. Needless to say, after a whole day of standing, pushing and running, we were really tired.’

Dog-sledding is an incredible way to experience Quebec. You will go up and over hills, through thick forests and over frozen lakes. With some luck, you will see some animals (although Wolfgang and his group saw tracks of deer and moose… they missed the creatures that made them). You can go for a two-day, dog-sled ride and a multiple-day snowmobile trek. You can snowshoe to the Quebec Ice Hotel or relax in a three-star lodge and come and go each day. Says Wolfgang, ‘I was surprised at how relaxing the trip was. As a “city person” it was wonderful to see and feel the breadth of the country and to thoroughly enjoy the silence that accompanies it.’ ■

More information Les Chiens et Gîte du Grand Nord telephone: +1-418-673 7717, fax: +1-418-673 4072, email: info@chiens-gite.qc.ca; http://www.chiens-gite.qc.ca/index-a.html Quebec Tourism The Quebec tourist site is comprehensive, plus there are almost 20 different dog-sled operators listed here; http://www.bonjourquebec.com/anglais/

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