If you caught last year’s BBC programme Joanna Lumley in the Land of the Northern Lights, you can’t fail to have been awe-struck by the television presenter’s magical husky dog sled ride through the Norwegian arctic wilderness.

But if the thought of braving the teeth-chatteringly cold climate is enough to make you reach for the hot water bottle, particularly after this year’s winter, read on – as exhilarating husky dog ride experiences are now in full swing right here in Gloucestershire.

Soft launched in 2010 and now fully up and running, the appropriately named company Arctic Quest is the brainchild of local ladies Vickie Pulling and Chantelle Goddard-Jones – whose combined experience includes everything from teaching skiing and snowboarding on Gloucestershire’s artificial slopes to working as part of a commercial husky team in Alaska.

Invited to join the fledgling company at its base at Croft Farm Waterpark in Tewkesbury for a spring morning’s husky dog ride taster, you won’t be surprised to hear that the SoGlos.com team jumped at the chance to have a go – in despite of an editor with a self-proclaimed fear of man’s best friend.

More than living up to their reputation for being the friendliest of four-legged companions, however, it was a pleasure to meet lead dog Dashka; archetypical-looking husky and the only male of the pack, McKinnley; the fluffy powerhouse Willow; and wolf-like pup of the team Minx – surprised and a little relieved when they didn’t jump up at us, instead content for a cursory sniff or two of their new visitors.

The session started with a well-informed introduction and safety briefing from Vickie and Chantelle, learning commands such as ‘hike’ to go (not ‘mush’ as in the movies) and ‘turnabout’ to make a U-turn, before being strapped to a dog with a special harness for a few minutes on-foot warm-up alongside the waterpark lake.

While we’ve had more than our fair share of snow in recent times, if you’re wondering how on earth the dogs pull a sled along concrete or even grass you’re not alone – and all was made clear as a two-wheeled scooter was unloaded from Arctic Quest’s van.

Following a quick playabout to get a feel for the scooter, Vickie must have decided I wasn’t quite as useless as I looked and it was time to unleash the dogs – with the pooches all visibly brimming over with excitement as she hooked up Dashka and Mckinnley to the scooter.

Without any faffing, the moment had come. ‘Hike. Come on. Let’s go!’ I heard myself shouting, remembering to give the dogs plenty of encouragement as instructed. We charged forth and within seconds we were gliding effortlessly across the ground, Dashka and McKinnley putting their athletic physiques to the test and relentlessly bounding ahead.

The wind howled past my ears. I gripped onto the handlebars and tucked in my body to become more streamline. A feeling of exhilaration took over as I felt myself uncontrollably smiling. I concentrated hard to remember the thrilling and unique sensation.

‘Turnabout. Go, go go!’ and the dogs knew exactly what to do, untangling themselves from the reigns before setting off at full pelt once again back the way we came – providing their passenger with another husky dog ride he’d never forget.

Offering everything from full musher experience to children’s parties, if you love getting the most out of your free time then an Arctic Quest experience is for you. Check out SoGlos.com’s video for a taste of what you can expect, and hold on tight for the ride of your life.

Arctic Quest husky ride video

James Fryer
21 March 2011