Huskies in Kirkenes, Norway

In my last post, Norway – Arriving in Kirkenes, I wrote about this town where east meets west – the most northeastern town in Norway, 240 miles (400 kms) north of the Arctic Circle.

Below is a map, looking south, showing the location of Kirkenes.



In the afternoon we made arrangements to go on the “husky hike with local lunch.” The brochure said that close to Kirkenes was a husky dog farm housing about 40 husky sledge dogs. It said we would come in close contact with the dogs and get an opportunity to give them snacks, take pictures and cuddle them.

Click on any picture to enlarge it

The brochure also said that we would go on a short hike to a nice viewpoint, where we could look into Russia. A couple of dogs would accompany us and the guide would explain the history and life of the dogs. The trip would end with a “delicious local lunch.” A young guide came to fetch us in his Jeep. He was called “Meeka” he told us, after a cartoon character who is a speed driving maniac. This kind of scared me as I could see us roll into that Russian river! He did drive us first to Storskog, the border station between Norway and Russia. I took some photographs. There was no one around – no long queue waiting to come into either country.

The kennel was on a hill. Arriving there we could hear the dogs barking. Meeka escorted us to meet the huskies.



He told us their names and gave us a brief resume on many of the dogs. Some were shy, some were exuberant, but all were friendly and in great shape. Some were inside or on top of their houses, some waiting outside calmly and some barking enthusiastically ready to receive attention.

Click to enlarge collage, then click on any picture to bigify

My husband was eager to give them a cuddle.



Their coat was so soft. It was a lovely feeling to pet them.



Meeka told us that their huskies were mostly Siberian Huskies, but that the race had been thoroughly mixed, with Alaskan Malamutes, Eskimo dogs, Greenland dogs and others. They are bred for endurance racing and not for looks. Years ago sled dogs were the main mode of transportation in arctic areas. Life would have been very hard to impossible without these dogs. They were also used as guard dogs (against brown bears in the Pasvik Valley here) and to help herd reindeer. Meeka told us that he starts placing a halter on the pup at about 3 months of age for short periods to get him used to it. After 6 months they are ready to be introduced to a sled. They are taken on short trips. By the time they reach 2 years old they are reading for a big race.



The dogs are always eager to run with the sledge. Meeka said that it was easy to steer them. They are hard working dogs but they love to play too and can be big babies.



Meeka selected a couple of dogs to go on the hike with us. The Danish young woman working with the dogs came too. We walked up a hill, steep at time, which was covered with boulders, moss, heather and wild blueberries. There were many mushrooms too.



Close to the top of the hill we saw an old German “pill box/fortification.” From this hill it was easy to view the border during the war.



Once on top of the hill we had a stunning view of the Pasvik River. For about 196 km this river runs between Finland in the west and Russia in the east. The river is the border between Norway and Russia. It has many species of plants and birds found nowhere else. The largest population of bears in Norway lives in the Pasvik Valley.

Kirkenes brown bear (from the Internet)

Meeka said that he has also seen some wolverines, lynx and the occasional wolf. No such animal were in sight unfortunately but with a beautiful sun it was a lovely day to take pictures anyway as looking in any direction was a breathtaking landscape.

The dogs were happy playing around us



and I was busy taking photographs. Below, the red building on the left is in Norway and the gray-blue building on the right is in Russia.



I switched to my Sony telephoto lens to take some closer views of the border.

Norway


Russia

Meeka pointed to a far distant spot, close to a dam. He said that this was the Russian Orthodox church of Boris Gleb. It is hard to see. It is below a road on a dam in the center of the photo below.

Here is a close-up



I found out on the Internet that Prince Boris and Prince Gleb are saints in the Russian Orthodox Church and many churches bear their names. Click here for more information on them.

Saints Boris and Gleb (courtesy the Russian Center, New Delhi, India)

Here is a vintage postcard of this church.



It was time to leave this beautiful and peaceful spot and walk back to the kennels to say goodbye to the dogs and give them a last friendly pat.



Meeka drove us to the Gapahuken restaurant for our (late) lunch – it was almost 4:00 pm. The restaurant was on the edge of the water, very modern. It was facing the border station.

While we were waiting for our meal Meeka showed us a beautiful book illustrating one of the winter races they enter with the dogs. He said that they conduct winter safari for clients, but that their training is geared for the dog races.



The Arctic Barents Race has drivers from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia competing against each other. Next year, in 2011, the Arctic Barents Race will start in Murmansk, Russia and will take 25 days – 3000 km (1864 miles.) It will cross all the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland) and Russia. It will be entered into the Guinness Book of world Records.



Meeka told us that after this long race the Iditarod will look like a “warm-up” race. The Iditarod in Alaska, which is called the longest race of its kind, only covers approximately 1,868 km (1,161 miles.) In the Arctic Barents Race the mushers will drive the dogs about 120 km a day (75 miles.)



The race organizers are planning a large purse for the race winners – about 300,000 Euros ($385,000 at today’s rate.) The mushers (drivers of the dog teams) have to be in great shape I would think, physically and emotionally. It is not everyone who can ride thousands of miles in the snowy wilderness with a pack of dogs. The mushers assist the dogs by running behind the sledge or peddling on the side and climbing hills. They have to care for the dogs whether healthy or injured. Just as sport athletes the dogs have to keep their training all year long to be ready for the winter competition.

(The 3 sets of pictures above were taken from the Internet)

Below is a clip showing the start of the 2010 Pasvik race.





Our “delicious” lunch as advertized was ready. It was reindeer stew with fresh vegetables. I had never had reindeer and did not know what to expect. We do not eat meat often at home – we are not vegetarians but almost. It was really delicious, quite tender with no fat. I understand that it is a high-protein, low-fat, high-mineral meat. No fat marbling or gamy taste. The original settlers of the area, the indigenous Sami people, tend herds of reindeer for meat in ranches, just like beef ranches in the west of the USA.



After such a long day – waking up early in Oslo, then visiting Kirkenes, the dog kennels and hiking up to the viewpoint, we had quite an appetite. It was strange in a way, eating reindeer while gazing at Russia across the river. I could really say that I was looking at Russia. Last summer in Alaska, while in Wasilla, I really tried to see Russia, as Sarah Palin (ex-governor of Alaska who quit in mid-term) declared she could see. But I never saw any Russian hills from Wasilla. Here outside of Kirkenes, Norway, either from this restaurant or from the viewpoint on the hill I had been indeed looking at Russia.



I was going to explain why we flew to Kirkenes, but this is already a long post. So I’ll get back to it in my next post.