{"id":21419,"date":"2018-02-02T12:19:31","date_gmt":"2018-02-02T11:19:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/?p=21419\/"},"modified":"2021-09-08T12:28:56","modified_gmt":"2021-09-08T10:28:56","slug":"dog-sledding-cold-nose-warm-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/dog-sledding-cold-nose-warm-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"Dog sledding: Cold nose, warm heart"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;ve been dreaming of riding a dog sled through snow-covered winter landscapes for a long time. So I didn&#8217;t have to deliberate long when my friend Andrea asked me if I would like to go dog sledding in the Ramsau. Even days before the corporate event where I was acting in a support capacity, I was so excited I was practically counting down the minutes until it was finally time.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69e863d5bc720\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69e863d5bc720\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/dog-sledding-cold-nose-warm-heart\/#The_big_day_has_come\" >The big day has come<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/dog-sledding-cold-nose-warm-heart\/#Dog_sledding_quickly_explained\" >Dog sledding quickly explained<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/dog-sledding-cold-nose-warm-heart\/#Landscape_human_and_animal\" >Landscape, human, and animal<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/dog-sledding-cold-nose-warm-heart\/#My_conclusion\" >My conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_big_day_has_come\"><\/span>The big day has come<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Full of energy and anticipation, I jumped out of bed. Opening the window, I took a deep breath &#8211; what a wonderful day for dog-sledding. That the sky was, in fact, hung heavily with clouds full of rain instead of big snowflakes, I didn&#8217;t think important at the moment. After a hearty breakfast at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tui-blue.com\/schladming\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">TUI BLUE Schladming<\/a>, I made my final preparations for the adventure ahead of me. Wrapped snugly in a thick down jacket with scarf, gloves, and wool hat on my head, the day could finally begin.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21255\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21255\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21257 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_heike_und_hund.jpg\" alt=\"dogsledding heike and dog\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_heike_und_hund.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_heike_und_hund-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_heike_und_hund-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_heike_und_hund-570x570.jpg 570w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_heike_und_hund-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_heike_und_hund-700x700.jpg 700w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_heike_und_hund-240x240.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21255\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">My first contact with my new, hard-working, furry friends<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I drove my car to the nearby community Ramsau am Dachstein, next to Schladming, where I was immediately received with a hot mulled wine. I warmed up from the inside with the hot drink and enjoyed the calm before the storm. Then suddenly wild howling and barking &#8211; there were the dogs. In the blink of an eye, the silence was filled with a warmth that only dogs can give. One, two, three, and I was in the middle of the pack, surrounded by a horde of huskies. They soon completed their inspection of me, tails wagging and filled with curiosity. Steel blue eyes followed my every movement. The dogs tugged at their leashes, which were firmly anchored in the snow. Impatient, they jumped up and down, and would probably have run without protection immediately if they could. The four-legged friends were bursting with energy, and barked vigorously at me, challenging me to finally drive away with them and the dog sled.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21239\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21239\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-21241\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_andrea_und_hund.jpg\" alt=\"dog sledding andrea and dog\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_andrea_und_hund.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_andrea_und_hund-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_andrea_und_hund-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_andrea_und_hund-570x570.jpg 570w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_andrea_und_hund-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_andrea_und_hund-700x700.jpg 700w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_andrea_und_hund-240x240.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21239\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrea also succumbed to their furry charms<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dog_sledding_quickly_explained\"><\/span>Dog sledding quickly explained<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>After a quick introduction to dog sledding, we were already starting. Probably the most important tip from the dog handler: &#8220;They have a mind of their own, and always follow their noses. So great steering and calling doesn&#8217;t make much difference &#8211; they&#8217;ll do their own thing. But don&#8217;t worry, they always come back. &#8221; With that, he walked away with a smile on his face and left me alone with my sled. I suddenly started feeling a bit queasy after this statement&#8230;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21243\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21243\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-21245\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_einweisung.jpg\" alt=\"dog sled driving instruction\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_einweisung.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_einweisung-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_einweisung-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_einweisung-570x570.jpg 570w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_einweisung-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_einweisung-700x700.jpg 700w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_einweisung-240x240.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21243\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Before the instructor had finished his explanation, the dogs were already ready to leave<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Impatiently, the dogs waited to start running. Well then, I thought, concentrate, breathe deeply, let off the brake, and let&#8217;s go! I carefully released the brake and suddenly the sled shot forward at high speed. Wow, madness! It&#8217;s unbelievable the kind of strength these animals develop in dog sledding, and how fast they can sprint through the snow.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Landscape_human_and_animal\"><\/span>Landscape, human, and animal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>After my initial &#8220;fright&#8221; about the wild ride, I relaxed and enjoyed the journey through the wintry landscape of Ramsau. Besides the panting of the dogs and the padding of their paws in the snow, there was absolute peace around me. I felt like I was literally flying over the snow. Every now and then one of the dogs turned around to see if I was still there. Well, maybe he was trying to tell me that we were heading uphill and that I should help out a bit.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21251\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21251\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-21253\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_heike_auf_schlitten.jpg\" alt=\"dogsledding heike on sled\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_heike_auf_schlitten.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_heike_auf_schlitten-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_heike_auf_schlitten-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_heike_auf_schlitten-570x570.jpg 570w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_heike_auf_schlitten-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_heike_auf_schlitten-700x700.jpg 700w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hundeschlittenfahren_heike_auf_schlitten-240x240.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21251\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">What fun!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you think that dog sledding is just about standing on the sled and being driven around, you&#8217;re wrong. It does require a bit of exertion, especially in the hilly areas. It was soon my turn to help the dogs, because at times they couldn&#8217;t do all the strenuous work themselves. But that&#8217;s the delightful and wonderful thing about dog sledding: the interplay of landscape, humans, and animals.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21259\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21259\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-21261\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/schlittenhund_ramsau.jpg\" alt=\"husky ramsau\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/schlittenhund_ramsau.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/schlittenhund_ramsau-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/schlittenhund_ramsau-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/schlittenhund_ramsau-570x570.jpg 570w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/schlittenhund_ramsau-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/schlittenhund_ramsau-700x700.jpg 700w, https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/schlittenhund_ramsau-240x240.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21259\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Afterwards, the snow dogs were at least as happy as I was<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The mountain conquered, the route run &#8211; exhausted but happy &#8211; it was now time\u00a0 to relax, feed, and plop down in whatever cuddly box or basket my four-legged friends kicked back in after dog sledding.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"My_conclusion\"><\/span>My conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;Hello, my name is Mrs. Winter! And in the next life, I&#8217;ll be a husky!&#8221; I can tell you &#8211; a dog sled tour should definitely be on your bucket list. It&#8217;s amazing how much energy and zeal these furry friends have. If you are also constantly energised, and prefer to be outside, then you should definitely take a <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/riding-fatbike-alps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fatbike through the Alps<\/a> or enjoy the view over Styria while <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/snowshoeing-hiking-austria\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">snowshoeing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Want more information? Or would you like to incorporate dogsledding into your next company or team event? Andrea from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.inateam.at\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">IN A TEAM<\/a> is here to help.<\/p>\n<p>Cover photo \u00a9 Beate Rhomberg &#8211; fotolia.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A childhood dream come true: Dog sledding through snow-covered landscapes, a long-held dream of blogger Heike. Read more about her winter adventure now!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":21249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"loftocean_post_format_gallery":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_ids":"","loftocean_post_format_gallery_urls":"","loftocean_post_format_video_id":0,"loftocean_post_format_video_url":"","loftocean_post_format_video_type":"","loftocean_post_format_video":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_type":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_url":"","loftocean_post_format_audio_id":0,"loftocean_post_format_audio":"","loftocean-featured-post":"","loftocean-like-count":0,"loftocean-view-count":24925,"loftocean-enable-content-navigation":"","loftocean-content-navigation-position":"","loftocean-content-navigation-heading":"","loftocean-content-navigation-label":"","loftocean-content-navigation-icon":"","loftocean-map-location":"","loftocean-map-latlng":"","loftocean-map-auto-latlng":"","eaven_single_post_hide_thumbnail":"","eaven_single_post_template":"","eaven_single_post_sidebar":"","eaven_hide_before_page_content_ad":"","eaven_hide_after_page_content_ad":"","eaven_advanced_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2545],"tags":[536,535,718,537,1969,989,1565],"class_list":{"0":"post-21419","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-austria","9":"tag-schladming-en","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-styria","12":"tag-things-to-do-schladming","13":"tag-tui-blue-schladming-en","14":"tag-winter-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21419"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21419\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35043,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21419\/revisions\/35043"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tui-blue.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}