Today was the day for getting lots of cuddles from our sled dogs. Although Hades (our Siberian Husky) wasn't with us, we were still able to spend the day in a professional dog sled camp with just over 200 dogs ready to run (and of course provide us with lots of cuddles). Villmarksenter offers a unique mix of exciting arctic activities and year round husky training for some of the worlds longest dog sled races.
Tove, the founder and owner of Villmarksenter, moved back home to Tromso in 1988 with her two dogs. With a passion for both her dogs and the beautiful arctic outdoors, she set out to enjoy both while dreaming of the day she would be racing in the Finnmarkslopet (Europe's longest dog sled race). She decided to breed her dogs in order to build her very own race team that was ready to run. Things took a twist for her when a local friend asked if she could take a few foreign guests out for an afternoon of sledding with her dogs... Having never considered doing this before she decided to give it a try. After a lovely afternoon of sledding with her guests, Trove saw the excitement of her guests as well as the excitement of her dogs and new business was born.
To give a little insight into the racing side of her life here are some of the many accomplishments she has made over the past 30 years...
At 1200 km long, Finnmarkslopet is the longest dog sled race in Europe. Both Trove and her son Torkil compete in this event every year with the very same dogs we got to meet during our visit.
Trove is a legend at Finnmarkslopet. She has been attending since 1995 and has finished the race 19 times during her career.
She has been at Finnmarkslopet since the beginning and has started more races than any other woman at this point.
In 2006 she was fortunate enough to be able to compete in the Iditarod which is the Worlds longest dog sled race at 1600 km. She not only ran in the race but also finished it!
In addition to her amazing accomplishments on the trails of the racing world, she has also managed to build her two dog family to a community of over 300 Alaskan Huskies at its peak in 2019. Her family business has had as many as 100 international employees and 300 huskies at one time. However, like with all businesses, it has its share of ups and downs. In 2020 when covid hit and much of the world / tourism was shut down she decided it was time to cut back and retire almost 100 of her furry friends from the racing world. In order to do this she developed two organizations/programs: "Borrow a Buddy" and "Adopt Don't Shop" in order to enhance the lives of her aging herd of huskies. To this day these organizations have found homes for over 100 race dogs, helping both the dogs and their human partners live out their best lives! Villmarksenter not only focuses on racing, but also offers tourists several other unique adventure opportunities. These include: Hiking with a Furry Friend, The Puppy Experience, The Northern Lights Camp Stay, and Snowshoe Trips in the Arctic. As if all these dog centered adventures were not enough, Trove has also developed a conference center in order to host weddings, events, workshops, courses and most any large group conference needs. Lastly, several sleeping huts with amazing sky views were built in 2020 to accommodate those guests who wish to stay for multiple days with her family of dogs and experience everything the facility has to offer!
Trove and her son also help support the local community of Tromso by partnering with several other business to offer even more activities. Her local partners offer activities like: Polar Fjords & Fishing Cruises, Reindeer Sledding and Feeding, Discover the Sami Culture, Experience the Troll Museum and many other unbelievable experiences!
Although Villmarksenter is not specifically in The Blog Master: Exploring Europe, we could not help but share the experience we had! If you ever find yourself near Tromso, Norway you simply must schedule a day (or two) to visit Villmarksenter - It is a can't miss experience!
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