Detailled Week-Program
Day 1
Arrival at Kuopio Airport and guided transfer to Eräkeskus. Dinner and overnight in our guesthouse
Day 2 to 4
Kennel-Life - Make your own Sleddog-Equipment - Training
Day 2:
Enjoy a good breakfast in the lodge, before getting to know our 2 kennels. 2 different kennels = 2 different systems. You start with morning feeding in one kennel and help with the daily kennel works afterwards. After lunch you switch to the other kennel-side and see the differences. After completing the 2nd kennel, maybe a fun-walk with the puppies or teenies? Dinner with the team and optional helping with the late evening-feeding to complete your kennel-day.
Day 3:
After breakfast you get to know our different training vehicles and learn about the different training-focus. We give you a driving-theorie with our atv, "troll" or - depending on the chosen seaon - with the sleds. Before lunch we show you how to splice your own leashes or tuglines from rope and how to use the stronger cable-lines for necklines or ganglines. Lunch then in the lodge. In the afternoon you take part in the training and can drive your own first team with 6 - 14 dogs, depending on vehicle and season. Before lunch we create together the training-plan for the following day and discuss all the needed preparations for the next day.
Day 4:
Welcome to join for the morning-feeding in the kennels! Today we plan a special 2-run-training with the strongest dogs in the kennel, which are prepared for the longer overnight-trips. 2 big teams with seasonally suitable vehicles start out for a first training-unit. At a windshelter or at a nice lake-side we stop for 2 - 3 hours. The dogs get meat-soup and snacks, then they can rest a bit on their strawbeds. We took our lunch with us and enjoy a lunch from open fire as well. After the break, we put all dogs back to their lines and drive the 2nd training-unit back home to Eräkeskus, where we arrive in the dark. The wood-Sauna on the beachside will be ready for you before dinner in the lodge.
(Based on the training level of the dogs, this particular training is mostly possible only from November on. For earlier bookings we train the dogs on shorter distances without the lunch-break inbetween.)
Day 5 to 7
Hiking- Forest-Cabin Aittokoski - Training
Day 5:
After a tasty breakfast in the lodge, we pack our little bags and drive with a few house-dogs a short distance direction north. We discussed about hiking-distance the evening before and so the car drops us at the place agreed, before driving with our bags to the cabin. We are hiking with the dogs on the "Bears-Trail", have a lunch on open fire in the forest and reach then the forestcabin Aittokoski. After arriving in the cabin, we heat up the traditional sauna for you. Dinner and overnight in the cabin.
Alternatively the overnight can take place also in a holiday cottage in the area of the Ruunaa-rapids.
Day 6:
How did you sleep? A cabin-breakfast rich in energy is waiting for you! After that, we either relax or make a short walk with the dogs. Depending on the season, we can also pick mushrooms and berries or already prepare the overnight-places for our dogs in wintertime. We enjoy an easy lunch in the cabin and will return for dinner back to Eräkeskus.
Day 7:
Today is training-day again! Different teams of different ages with different distances and needs will be trained all day long, until dawn. You can drive your own teams or just join as co-driver - as you wish! In the evening we gladly heat up the electric sauna for you, before the farewell-dinner will be served!