Husky Village, the winter season starts on 1 October
Sleddog rides with karts and sleddog in the snow
Sunday 1 October is the start date of the 2023-24 winter season at Husky Village, the sleddog centre in Valtellina that offers the chance to experience exciting excursions in the company of authentic sled dogs.
Summer sleddog in Valtellina
Not that in recent months the activity in Arnoga in Valdidentro, halfway between the well-known mountain resorts of Bormio and Livigno, has taken a break, quite the contrary: even during the summer months, our more than 70 Alaskan Huskies, dogs of the Nordic breed that by temperament and nature love to run long distances without feeling fatigue or the cold, continuing their training on cooler days, pulling the participants in the experience on karts equipped with wheels along the 5 km route through the Decauville from Arnoga to the Cancano lakes.
A fascinating and unique adventure, which over the course of the summer that has just ended was experienced by lots of people of all ages (children and young people under 13, as well as anyone who wishes, travel seated, transported by an instructor) and which has left indelible emotions, such as that of driving the dogs along the route through the woods or petting the huskies at the end of the excursion.
And in the winter season, the sleddog experience becomes even more special.
Sleddog in autumn: excursions on karts with sled dogs
In the early part of the winter season, while waiting for the snow to fall, sleddog trips in Valdidentro will continue to be made aboard the karts used during the summer. The husky teams pull the individual karts, just as they do with sleds, guided by the participants (aged 13 and over) who, like real mushers (find out who they are), give a few simple voice commands to the dogs to tell them when to slow down, speed up or stop. The autumn route is still the Decauville track that goes from the Husky Village towards Cancano, a 5 km loop that is entirely flat and unpaved, but it is enriched with the magic touch of the colours of this season: the green of summer gradually gives way to brown and orange hues, the forest releases the typical scents of autumn and the sun offers a light that creates suspended landscapes. A new way of observing nature and the mountains, with the phenomenon of foliage in Valtellina, crossing the alpine forests on sleds.
Find out more about excursions with karts
Sleddog in winter: sled rides with huskies
And then comes the snow. As early as November, depending on weather conditions and temperatures, the first flakes fall in the upper Valtellina and the mountains are covered in a soft blanket of snow.
It is the perfect time to unleash our sleds, a means of transport used in Alaska in the most extreme conditions, and to let our huskies race through the snow, which they love (as much as the cold): thus begin the sleddog excursions. The route for the sleds is the same as that taken by the karts, but in the winter months and until late spring it is covered with a thick layer of well-beaten snow and the sled dogs enjoy running along it pulling the excursion participants along. The scenery seems enchanted: imagine the snow-covered forest, the snow-covered trees, the quiet of the mountain and our four-legged athletes, whizzing along lightly and proudly… a true winter experience in Valtellina to be shared as a couple, with family or friends, and to be shown to all thanks to the dedicated photo service that is given to each participant at the end of the sled ride.
What are you waiting for to try sleddog in Valtellina? Book now or give a trip with huskies at the Husky Village for the new winter season: click here to choose your date