Area Below The Stomach Image

HUSKY ... HIKE! A show superhuman

As yet my mind is dazzled by the memory, I must admit that our sally at Abisko in nordissimo Sweden, has no meaning for us only aurora borealis. In terms of spectacle, there was at least another experience quite remarkable, as substantially different. An experience made of sweat, fatigue, hair canines, unspoiled landscapes and cold frostbite sudden. I'm talking about our trip in the snowy taiga Swedish Judas sledges pulled by dogs more exuberant nature memories.

The organization provided for the use of 3-4 hours of light daily (a mixture of sunrise and sunset without a lot of flashes that are heavily cropped a space between the jaws of the polar night) to go into wilderness driving this ancient transport of Sami culture.

The idea of \u200b\u200bleading a dog sled friccicato always in my mind, ever since I was a child I fantasized about the stories of Uncle Scrooge in the Klondike that, cry "MUSH MUSH", urging his Huskies to the Yukon River in search of nuggets as big as potatoes. Abisko has given me the chance to experience this old-fashioned but effective form of "guidance" and was genuinely exciting adventure and in some ways even mystical.

arrived at base camp (a clearing in the middle of a forest), an instructor dressed like an officer to drill in a Canadian Antarctic base has dwelt in explanations on how to run the slide, amenities on the feeding of dogs, basic tips on proper attire and polar obviously found a way to bully who occasionally races ago, he and other crazy electrocuted cover the considerable distance of 300km in 12 hours of racing. Of course, standing on skids. It is unnecessary to emphasize that I am of all these speeches he has lost about three-quarters because, apart from the cold and the fact that I was bored to death, my attention was mostly stolen from the looks watery and suffering of those thirty dogs trained to draw the sledges, in that moment of pause-related air and sitting in the snow. In the first file some of them were shaking.

guilt had taken possession of me as the instructor explained in detail what the environment was suitable for that type of animal and bla bla bla. My concerns were already passed by the problem-cold exile the poor animals, who seemed all skin and bones, unable to draw a ball from the floor in a room heated. Like a shoe, the remorse of having to force these animals to transport a person for my solemn weight plus all the sled - and only for my amusement - gripped my guts.

While these thoughts may kidnap my frozen brain, the instructor had finished chatting and passed the operational phase, explaining how to take the dogs, getting them, and of mounting to. Four dogs per sled, except that of Ilana, who had eight. To avoid malignancy free, please explain at once that the reason for this apparent injustice was that Ilana had cleverly decided not to drive, but to sit comfortably in the front bag - indoor rude reindeer skins - and be lead by instructor polar. A person 4 dogs. Two people 8 dogs. Not bat an eyelid.

The moment of departure had come. Take away the anchor. Pick up the brake hard. " Slight foot on the brake and soft start control, " HIKE".

... Nothing ... Dogs turn around and look at me perplexed. I repeat "HIKE." It does not happen again nothing. I lean toward them with his fist on the steering wheel on the freeway as I was yelling at an old man driving a beige panda in the middle of their lanes and, understanding the hint, turn around and step give a rip that threatens to fall at the first meter.

The race started and was so at that moment all my qualms were gone, because it was clear that not only those huskies they were eager to leave, to run , to pull jumping and screaming at each other playfully, but also because it seemed that there was really nowhere else they wanted to be.

The buck proceeded sent (about 15km / h) and quiet up and down the hills, while driving turned out to be not easy. A mixture of going on a motorbike, ski, skate and control a kite, for what concerned the unpredictability of the moves of animals, which required careful guidance, but still sweet. And above all the guidance needed - as we had warned the instructor - a lot of empathy . The dogs were "helped". Now, that said, a phrase may seem new age label like "empathizes with the animal in a single cosmic ...", and instead help was much more prosaic. Uphill, in fact, get off and push the sled with the dogs, but then having to jump over as soon as they had begun to pull like mad.

The race was really nice, down on some ice sheets makes me a little 'anxiety, but the thrill of speed in this pristine landscape, silent and cold, was something never experienced before . I enjoyed the light was still shining blue crystals of snow, gentle curves and a view of pristine white blanket. The silence of the surrounding world and the joy of dogs pulling, almost chasing each other and without showing any signs of fatigue.

This was my mistake : distraction, I think you are safe. But the danger was just around the corner. E was indeed a curve, which brought me the fresh snow, to betray me. Lost in a moment balance, and - with my co-ordination of cheese - not found more stability, flying in the snow. Rivennero as I fell but I remember the words of the Commander: "First rule: never give up the sled." I was therefore very heroically attacked all'infernale bob while the dogs, regardless of my misfortune, continued to pull with all his might. If the instructor had stopped there I think now I WOULD BE sold in slices to the fish market of Narvik, after having fished out of a fjord.

reassembled sleigh we were ready to go. And, after a curve where I think we touched the -30 ° c , I committed the mistake of letting me go back to daydreaming about the landscape of your dreams. Second error, and - of course - the second fall. Only this time I also lost the grip of the slide, beach inevitably in the chill of snow.

After two hours all we had gone back to base camp safely. The darkness was about to swallow the woods and the dogs were getting ready exit in the evening, when total darkness would have gone to accompany the patrons of the brave fighters of the dawn. At that point we wanted and we could not help but salute the great animals, hug them and wish to continue to enjoy running in the snow. Suddenly, the Huskies living in an apartment in Piazza di Spagna with their rich owner no longer seemed so much to envy ...

for a while 'to gloat to the feeling of days I feel like Scrooge McDuck in the legendary Klondike. Next goal: dive like a fish in a sea of \u200b\u200bflash gold .