The Trap­pers Trail dog sled race is a good reason to be in Lon­gye­ar­by­en on a cer­tain Satur­day in mid April. It has been an annu­al tra­di­ti­on sin­ce 2009. On this weekend, 09th and 10th of April, 26 teams are joi­ning the race in one out of three cate­go­ries: ski and pulk with one, two or three dogs, while the mus­her is stan­ding on ski­es. Dog sled with 3-5 DP (dog powers) and dog sled with 6-8 DP.

The teams are start­ing at 1200, fol­lo­wing upon one ano­ther every two minu­tes, from the area next to Forsking­s­par­ken (Sval­bard­mu­se­um, UNIS) under cheerful shou­ting of the onloo­kers. One or the other team does, of cour­se, make a stop on the left or right side to say hel­lo to a par­ti­cu­lar fri­end, some­thing that usual­ly invol­ves the dogs more than the mus­hers and is part of the fun, which is what it is all about. Then, they dis­ap­pear in the gre­at white not­hing in Advent­da­len (it is sno­wing today).

The race is taking the teams to Kapp Lai­la in Coles­buk­ta and tomor­row back along ano­ther rou­te, a distance of altog­e­ther 75 km, inclu­ding some deman­ding ascents. A tough trip under a com­pe­ti­ti­on, but distance and ter­rain are well within what trai­ned dog teams regu­lar­ly do.

Click on thumb­nail to open an enlar­ged ver­si­on of the spe­ci­fic pho­to.

Over the years, the Trap­pers Trail dog sled race has built up a good repu­ta­ti­on bey­ond Lon­gye­ar­by­en and it is an estab­lished part of the annu­al series of events that attract both locals and visi­tors.

Good and safe trip to all par­ti­ci­pan­ts!