{"id":9433,"date":"2023-01-18T12:23:42","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T12:23:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/en\/?post_type=artikler&#038;p=9433"},"modified":"2025-09-01T11:03:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T11:03:17","slug":"alta-is-dog-sledding-central","status":"publish","type":"artikler","link":"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/en\/artikkel\/alta-is-dog-sledding-central\/","title":{"rendered":"Alta is dog sledding central"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-vnn-ingress\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"vnn__ingress\">\n\t\t\t\tThe city known for being the starting point for Europe\u2019s longest dog sled race has earned the title of Norway\u2019s premier dog sledding city.\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Today, Alta is most famous for being the starting point for Finnmarksl\u00f8pet. The 1200 km dog sled race around Norway\u2019s largest county has become well known to the public, as the Norwegian public broadcaster, NRK, has covered the race for many years now. Since the first race, dog sledding as a sport and leisure activity has been part of the identity of Finnmark\u2019s largest city.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-vnn-gallery gallery-count-3\">\n\t\t<ul><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\">\t\t\t\t<figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/004303_TROND-ANTON-ANDERSEN_www.finnmarkslopet.no_.jpg\" data-size=\"1663x1080\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"block-gallery-count\">01<\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/004303_TROND-ANTON-ANDERSEN_www.finnmarkslopet.no_.jpg\" alt=\"Dogs in the Northern Lights \u00a9 Trond Anton Andersen\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/004303_TROND-ANTON-ANDERSEN_www.finnmarkslopet.no_.jpg\" data-caption=\"Dogs in the Northern Lights \u00a9 Trond Anton Andersen\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\">\t\t\t\t<figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/004397_Trym-Ivar-Bergsmo_www.nordnorge.com_.jpg\" data-size=\"1661x1080\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"block-gallery-count\">02<\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/004397_Trym-Ivar-Bergsmo_www.nordnorge.com_-768x499.jpg\" alt=\"En hundekj\u00f8ringsslede p\u00e5 rekreasjonstur  \u00a9 Trym Ivar Bergsmo\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/004397_Trym-Ivar-Bergsmo_www.nordnorge.com_.jpg\" data-caption=\"En hundekj\u00f8ringsslede p\u00e5 rekreasjonstur  \u00a9 Trym Ivar Bergsmo\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\">\t\t\t\t<figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/004291_GEIR-STIAN-A-LARSEN_www.finnmarkslopet.no_.jpg\" data-size=\"1626x1080\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"block-gallery-count\">03<\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/004291_GEIR-STIAN-A-LARSEN_www.finnmarkslopet.no_-768x510.jpg\" alt=\"Dog race \u00a9 Geir Stian Larsen\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/004291_GEIR-STIAN-A-LARSEN_www.finnmarkslopet.no_.jpg\" data-caption=\"Dog race \u00a9 Geir Stian Larsen\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/li><\/ul><div class=\"vnn-gallery-figcaptions\"><figcaption>01: Dogs in the Northern Lights \u00a9 Trond Anton Andersen<\/figcaption><figcaption>02: En hundekj\u00f8ringsslede p\u00e5 rekreasjonstur  \u00a9 Trym Ivar Bergsmo<\/figcaption><figcaption>03: Dog race \u00a9 Geir Stian Larsen<\/figcaption><\/div>\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dogs with roots in Norwegian Arctic history<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Through Norwegian nation-building and storytelling, Norwegians are well aware of the effort and dedication of our four-legged friends in connection with our most famous Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. The strength and adaptability of polar breeds have made them the obvious choice to partner with in the coldest regions of the Earth. Most famous, of course, are Amundsen\u2019s and Nansen\u2019s explorations, but it is less well known that Eivind Astrup spent a long time in the late 19th century with Inuits in Greenland, learning the art of dog sledding from the people of Greenland. Astrup was allegedly the first to bring Greenland dogs back to Norway. The stories about Leonard Seppola and the Serum Run in Alaska are also quite well known. He has been an important part of the story \u2013 making dog sledding an activity many Norwegians have heard about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Polar dog breeds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Greenland dogs, Samoyeds, Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies are the most common (pure) breeds used in Norway today. The Samoyed was used on Amundsen\u2019s explorations, whereas the huskies became popular with dog sledders early on. Today, dog sledding is dominated by Alaskan huskies \u2013 a dog bred for the qualities needed to perform and survive in harsh Arctic conditions. Alaskan huskies are a mixed breed, which means that many of the dogs you see in dog sledding races look a bit different from one another. <a href=\"https:\/\/snl.no\/polarhund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">For the same reason, these dogs are not considered \u201cpure\u201d polar dogs, a characterization they share with the Mackenzie River husky.<\/a> You can still see some enthusiasts run dog teams with a single breed, such as the Siberian husky, Greenland dog or Malamute. Some races also have separate categories for these participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed dekode-gtm-iframe-preview aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Finnmarksl\u00f8pet 2020 - Sven Engholm\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" data-cookieconsent=\"marketing\" data-cookieblock-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/p8MfePmFwro?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\t\t<div class=\"cookieconsent-optout-marketing dekode-gtm-cookie-consent-video-placeholder\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"dekode-gtm-cookie-consent is-block-core-embed is-provider-youtube\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/p8MfePmFwro\/hqdefault.jpg\" alt=\"youtube\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cookie-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"iframe-preview-text\">This content (film) is loaded from YouTube (third-party website), you will need to accept statistics and marketing cookies to be able to watch it.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a title=\"Renew consent\" class=\"dekode-gtm-cookiebot-renew\" href=\"#\">Renew consent<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Veteran Sven Engholm sharing some dog sledding history<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-alta-s-dog-sledding-history\">Alta&#8217;s dog sledding history<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, most Norwegians are used to seeing racers with 6, 10, 12, 14, or even 18 dogs in front of the sled, depending on the distance they are racing. Originally, however, this type of sledding was not the main focus of dog sledders in Alta. Actually, they weren\u2019t even the same types of dogs \u2013&nbsp; they often used faster breeds, such as typical (bird) dog breeds we are used to seeing in the Norwegian mountains. These were run in pairs in front of a skier with a sled, in a category of dog racing known as Nordic racing. The large sled dog teams we are used to seeing today, came to Alta via famous racers, such as Sven Engholm and others. With the help of family and friends, Finnmarksl\u00f8pet got its start in 1981, and it has become ever more popular since then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-large-increase-in-interest\">Large increase in interest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Since the first Finnmarksl\u00f8pet, more and more people realized the potential that could be found in Alta. Today, many large and small breeders are based in Alta. You can attend Alta folkeh\u00f8gskole and learn dog sledding from the renowned dog sled racer Harald Tunheim. The research community at Alta campus of the University of Troms\u00f8 have researched the dog sledding phenomenon for many years. The city has a strong recruitment base of young dog sledders and a community of experts unparalleled in Norway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed dekode-gtm-iframe-preview is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Hanna Lyrek | Young female dogmusher in Northern Norway | Europe Champion\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" data-cookieconsent=\"marketing\" data-cookieblock-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6LLs80aaVs0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\t\t<div class=\"cookieconsent-optout-marketing dekode-gtm-cookie-consent-video-placeholder\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"dekode-gtm-cookie-consent is-block-core-embed is-provider-youtube\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/6LLs80aaVs0\/hqdefault.jpg\" alt=\"youtube\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cookie-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"iframe-preview-text\">This content (film) is loaded from YouTube (third-party website), you will need to accept statistics and marketing cookies to be able to watch it.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a title=\"Renew consent\" class=\"dekode-gtm-cookiebot-renew\" href=\"#\">Renew consent<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Young dog musher Hanna Lyrek from Alta \u00a9 Ismaele Tortella<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-who-is-best-in-town\">Who is best in town?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Not surprisingly, several of Norway\u2019s most successful dog sledders come from Alta. Harald Tunheim, who is a teacher at the local folk high school, has won the race six times. Another local, Roger Dahl, made a comeback in Finnmarksl\u00f8pet in 2022, and has won the race three times. Seasoned racers have strong competition. Most prominent among them is perhaps the youngest ever winner of the limited class, Hanna Lyrek. She is the daughter of famous dog sledder Trine Lyrek, and in 2022, she completed the world\u2019s longest race, the Iditarod in Alaska. Other local stars include Kristian Walseth, Brage Nilsen J\u00e6ger and S\u00f8lvi Monsen, who have all been on the podium for one of the distances in Finnmarksl\u00f8pet in the past few years.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-vnn-gallery gallery-count-3\">\n\t\t<ul><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\">\t\t\t\t<figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/004290_VIDAR-HOEL_www.finnmarkslopet.no_.jpg\" data-size=\"1621x1080\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"block-gallery-count\">01<\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/004290_VIDAR-HOEL_www.finnmarkslopet.no_.jpg\" alt=\"The Finnmark Dog Race has started \u00a9 Vidar Hoel\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/004290_VIDAR-HOEL_www.finnmarkslopet.no_.jpg\" data-caption=\"The Finnmark Dog Race has started \u00a9 Vidar Hoel\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\">\t\t\t\t<figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/004284_GEIR-STIAN-A-LARSEN_www.finnmarkslopet.no-2-1.jpg\" data-size=\"627x800\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"block-gallery-count\">02<\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/004284_GEIR-STIAN-A-LARSEN_www.finnmarkslopet.no-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Finnmark Dog Race starting in March creating a festive atmosphere \u00a9 Geir Stian Larsen\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/004284_GEIR-STIAN-A-LARSEN_www.finnmarkslopet.no-2-1.jpg\" data-caption=\"The Finnmark Dog Race starting in March creating a festive atmosphere \u00a9 Geir Stian Larsen\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\">\t\t\t\t<figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/006238_Konrad-Konieczny-_www.nordnorge.com_.jpg\" data-size=\"1620x1080\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"block-gallery-count\">03<\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/006238_Konrad-Konieczny-_www.nordnorge.com_-768x512.jpg\" alt=\"Alaska Huskies are the most popular dog breed today \u00a9 Konrad Konieczny\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/006238_Konrad-Konieczny-_www.nordnorge.com_.jpg\" data-caption=\"Alaska Huskies are the most popular dog breed today \u00a9 Konrad Konieczny\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/li><\/ul><div class=\"vnn-gallery-figcaptions\"><figcaption>01: The Finnmark Dog Race has started \u00a9 Vidar Hoel<\/figcaption><figcaption>02: The Finnmark Dog Race starting in March creating a festive atmosphere \u00a9 Geir Stian Larsen<\/figcaption><figcaption>03: Alaska Huskies are the most popular dog breed today \u00a9 Konrad Konieczny<\/figcaption><\/div>\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dog handlers are driven by a strong inner motivation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For the vast majority of mushers, the sport of dog sledding gives generates more expenses than income. This means that the country&#8217;s most skilled dog handlers often have a regular job on the side in order to be able to do what they love. For many, the answer to this has been tourism, offering first-class experiences for visitors in combination with unique accommodation and local food. In Alta you will find several of the country&#8217;s very best dog handlers combining their hobby with first-class experiences. You will find an overview on <a href=\"https:\/\/visitalta.no\/en\/our-suppliers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Visit Alta&#8217;s<\/a> website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An active life in the mountains and plains requires good cooperation skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Like many other areas in Northern Norway, Alta is a popular recreation area for a wide range of people interested in the outdoors. At the same time, it is also the workplace for a number of different people, including traditional reindeer husbandry. When new industries and traditons meet, good cooperation is required.  After all, they all share an interests in maintaining the landscape of mountains and rolling hills in Alta and the wider Finnmark area. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"alignfull vnn-hero wp-block-vnn-hero\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-vnn-hero__media\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/004296_GEIR-STIAN-A-LARSEN_www.finnmarkslopet.no_-1.jpg);background-position: 50% 50%;\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-vnn-hero__gradient\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-vnn-hero__inner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-dog-sledding-natural-formula-1\">Dog sledding &#8211; natural formula 1<\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link\" href=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/en\/tema\/dog-sledding-in-northern-norway\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">This is what it&#8217;s like<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The main source is the book <a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.no\/books\/about\/Dog_Sledding_in_Norway.html?id=5mfXwQEACAAJ&amp;redir_esc=y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dog Sledding in Northern Norway<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"vnn__byline vnn-grid has-author has-date has-tags\"><div class=\"vnn__byline-meta\"><div class=\"vnn__byline-author\">Written by Mats Hoel Johannessen<\/div><div class=\"vnn__byline-date\">January 18, 2023<\/div><div class=\"vnn__byline-date\">Last updated September 1, 2025<\/div><\/div><div class=\"vnn__byline-tags\"><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/en\/experiences-and-activities\/?fwp_se-og-gjore=activities\" rel=\"tag\">Activities<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/en\/experiences-and-activities\/?fwp_se-og-gjore=dog-sledding\" rel=\"tag\">Dog sledding<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/en\/experiences-and-activities\/?fwp_omrder=alta\" rel=\"tag\">Alta<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/en\/experiences-and-activities\/?fwp_sesonger=spring\" rel=\"tag\">Spring<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/nordnorge.com\/en\/experiences-and-activities\/?fwp_sesonger=winter\" rel=\"tag\">Winter<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3126,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"_searchwp_excluded":"","vnn_header_layout":"featured","vnn_header_layout_image_id":20649,"vnn_header_layout_image_focal_point_x":0.5,"vnn_header_layout_image_focal_point_y":0.5,"vnn_header_layout_description":"","vnn_header_layout_url":"","vnn_header_layout_url_text":"","vnn_header_layout_photographer":"","vnn_header_layout_video_id":"","vnn_header_layout_yt_id":"","vnn_header_layout_vimeo_id":"","teft_location_geodata_lat":69.965041662929,"teft_location_geodata_lng":23.267154693604,"teft_cards_image_id":3126,"teft_cards_image_focal_point_x":0.5,"teft_cards_image_focal_point_y":0.5,"teft_cards_title":"","teft_cards_excerpt":"","footnotes":""},"todo":[2,54],"facilities":[],"season":[8,16],"region":[45],"malgrupper":[18,11,31],"class_list":["post-9433","artikler","type-artikler","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","todo-activities","todo-dog-sledding","season-spring","season-winter","region-alta","malgrupper-nature-lover","malgrupper-nature-specialist","malgrupper-outdoor-adventure"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.5 (Yoast SEO v25.3.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Alta is dog sledding central - Visit Northern Norway<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alta, the starting point of the Finnmarksl\u00f8pet dog race, is the dog sledding capital of Norway. 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