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If you think the Canadian province of Quebec is all about snow andfestivals, you’d be quite right. For the majority of the year we are stifled by the bitter cold, wrapped in layers of uncomfortable clothingas we wobble from place to place in total darkness. For the remaining eight weeks, it is hot and we are able to sit sipping drinks

on café terraces – praying really hard for time to stand still though, ofcourse, it never does.

Quebec is the largest province in Canada in terms of land. It’s huge. Youcould fit 18 Jordans within its borders. But unlike most countries wherecommunities are laid out just about everywhere, in Quebec, close to 80 percent of its 7·5 million people live along the Saint Lawrence River – and halflive in Montreal.

What happens in the rest of the vast province is what thousands oftravellers are discovering each year. For in order to deal with Quebec’s chillyexterior, we rely on some innovative tactics to enjoy the winter months,and allowing a pack of cuddly dogs to pull us through the countryside is oneof the most fun. The pristine wilderness combined with a developed winter

When temperatures plummet to -40 degrees, resourceful Canadianstake to skis, skates and ski-doos in order to get about. And now,dog sledding is enjoying a revival not only as a practical form oftransport, but also as an adventure sport

tour industry mean that families and adventurers alike are coming todiscover Quebec – and the colder the better.

German motorcycle enthusiast Wolfgang Brettschneider saved up hisvacation days to come dog-sledding in rural Quebec. He has travelled theworld looking for different types of adventure and he had been dreaming ofdog-sledding for years. His first stop was Montreal where the adventurebegan, albeit slowly, with a five-hour bus ride to the Saguenay region ofQuebec, best known for its beluga and humpback whale-watching, andmagnificent fjords in the summer. In winter, you glide on water of a morefrozen sort in hopes of seeing caribou and wolves. ‘Quebec has a reputationof being really cold but as skilled skiers, we Germans are used totemperatures below -20°C,’ says Wolfgang. ‘It’s just a matter of bringing theright clothes.’ And the right attitude.

Like all northerners, people from Quebec have learned to cope with fast-moving weather fronts, strong and gusty winds, blowing and drifting snow,and our personal favourite, icy roads and the storms that create them.Outside of the city centres, it is common to see people cross-country ski to

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Story by Ava ChislingPhotos by Wolfgang Brettschneider

Dashing through the snow

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collect their groceries, or use the ever-present plastic snow sledges totransport children from place to place. And the thousands of lakes thatbring Quebecers so much pleasure in the summer also provide fun in thewinter. Once they freeze over, residents in communities like Sainte-Agathein the Laurentian mountains (outside of Montreal) snowmobile or ice-skateto the town or glide along to visit friends. However, before you head ontothe lake, you must check that the ice is thick enough to support you. Youdon’t want your winter adventure to Quebec to include a swim. Wolfgangwas worried he would need to bring his own bathing suit, because in theweeks leading up to his Christmas dog-sledding adventure, it was raining inQuebec, even in the north, ‘But by the time I arrived, everything was perfect,cold but sunny.’

When visitors arrive at the dog-sledding camp the first thing thathappens is universal: everybody falls in love with the dogs. If there are anyconcerns over making dogs pull you and some gear on a sled, they disappearwhen you see the pure excitement of each pup before a ride. These arehuskies and malamutes – much more wolf than the puppy you keep athome. The dogs want to work and will jump and squeal and bark and tuguntil they are chosen. And once they are, you will be happy to oblige.

‘We were as excited as the dogs, even though we had no experience,’ saysWolfgang. ‘There was barking all around, the dogs were really eager to getto work. In the meantime, we received our training session where the guideshowed us how to harness the dogs to the sled and how to keep out oftrouble on the trail.’

Early the next morning, the time came to command your own pack ofdogs. ‘First it was a bit scary! I wondered if the dogs would do what I want.Will I be able to operate the brake? Can I actually steer the sled? And then,after a few minutes, calm settled in. As a motorcyclist, it was amazing howsilently the sled runs. It’s really relaxing,’ says Wolfgang. ‘Once the dogs run �

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OPPOSITE, LEFT AND BOTTOM:ONCE A PRACTICAL WAY OFGETTING FROM A TO B, DOG-SLEDDING HAS BECOME APOPULAR ADVENTURE SPORT

BELOW: TEMPERATURESREGULARLY PLUMMET BELOW -20 DEGREES CELCIUS IN THEFROZEN NORTH OF QUEBEC

We slept in a lovely wooden cabin by the lakeand made a fire while the guides did thecooking… we all helped

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they are happy and stop barking. Then the only sounds you hear are the sledmoving on the snow, the dogs breathing, and the sound of the wind. It istruly a great experience.’

It’s not necessary to be very fit to come on this kind of vacation. You canchoose between standing at the back of the sledge to steer the pack orsitting comfortably under a load of blankets while you are guided throughthe forest. On Wolfgang’s adventure, everyone had his or her own sledpacked with items for their overnight stay: sleeping bags, food for them andtheir dogs, and so on. ‘In the evening everybody was responsible forunhooking their own dogs from the sled and placing them on leads. Weslept in a lovely wooden cabin by the lake and made a fire while the guidesdid the cooking. We all helped. Needless to say, after a whole day ofstanding, pushing and running, we were really tired.’

Dog-sledding is an incredible way to experience Quebec. You will go upand over hills, through thick forests and over frozen lakes. With some luck,you will see some animals (although Wolfgang and his group saw tracks ofdeer and moose… they missed the creatures that made them). You can gofor a two-day, dog-sled ride and a multiple-day snowmobile trek. You cansnowshoe to the Quebec Ice Hotel or relax in a three-star lodge and comeand go each day. Says Wolfgang, ‘I was surprised at how relaxing the tripwas. As a “city person” it was wonderful to see and feel the breadth of thecountry and to thoroughly enjoy the silence that accompanies it.’ ■

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SPORT

More informationLes Chiens et Gîte du Grand Nordtelephone: +1-418-673 7717, fax: +1-418-673 4072, email: info@chiens-gite.qc.ca;http://www.chiens-gite.qc.ca/index-a.html

Quebec Tourism The Quebec tourist site is comprehensive,plus there are almost 20 different dog-sledoperators listed here;http://www.bonjourquebec.com/anglais/

In order to deal with Quebec’s chilly exterior, werely on some innovative tactics to enjoy thewinter months, and allowing a pack of cuddlydogs to pull us through the countryside is oneof the most fun ways

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