tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5483852418018858172011-09-21T17:59:15.943+01:00OUTDOOR ADVENTURES UP NORTHAslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.comBlogger381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-28878255222135284822011-01-29T23:14:00.000+01:002011-01-29T23:14:02.613+01:00

I have my new website up and going. I hope to post news there on a regular besis from now on. Take a look at www.oppnord.no

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-76326372871740526802010-12-24T17:41:00.000+01:002010-12-24T17:41:42.835+01:00

Snow is falling and trailconditiones are good. We can now run on the river and that makes for easy training and no need to use the car when we go for the longer runs. but for now it is relaxing days and short runs before the next work out over the holly days.

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-30711633409004298902010-11-09T22:15:00.000+01:002010-11-09T22:15:17.901+01:00

Well, what is the news? Its that I am once again updating my blog, and hopefully I do so more frequently than in the last year. But mayby I get my new website up and going, and then I will move all the blogging over to that site. But whit my progression I think this is were the news will come. So what is happening? We actually have winter. If it continues like this it will be the best November

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-29706687815333363062009-11-29T11:53:00.003+01:002009-11-29T11:58:49.808+01:00

The dark time has come to an end. Yesterday we got snow. Not Much, but it is white outside and I am going to the mountains to morrow to try sledding whit the dogs. Hopefully it is enough snow there.

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-13980479354992352732009-11-27T21:20:00.002+01:002009-11-27T21:30:19.175+01:00

The worst November in history is soon comming to an end. Outside there is nothing but missery. If you try to sneak out the door you are most likely to end up in hospital, either whit a broken leg or at mental hospital whit severe depression. There is nothing that is fun. Even the birds have stoped to sing.But there is hope. Someday the snow must come. As it does every year. It is just a question

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-22067480811214682602009-02-02T10:33:00.006+01:002009-02-02T10:53:11.947+01:00

Its winter, and its dog season up north. The last weeks have seen some more long training runs for the dogs as well as one race, Tromsquest. Tromsquest is a 170km long race in our backyard, Rostadalen and the mountain around Devvdes. Here we ran a 85km trail twice, whit a 4 hour mandatory rest between each lap. 15 teams compeeted in the 8 dog class and 17 in the 12 dog class. Much more than we

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-1912346018385895002008-12-09T19:55:00.015+01:002008-12-10T19:15:06.627+01:00

Into the arctic mountains.Its dog-season again. It has actually been that since August. So I think it might be time for some updates from the deep forest. This year WE HAVE WINTER!!!!!!!!!!! We have been on snow since early November and it has been below zero since the snow came. We have about 50km of trail out of the dog yard, and can go everywhere in the mountains. What a difference since last

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-76758953965086836442008-07-10T18:19:00.011+01:002009-02-02T10:55:51.849+01:00

Again it has been a long time since I last wrote something in this blog. There is so much I could have shared whit you, but time and the ability too use it right is not always there.In May and June the priority has been water (frozen for skiing and running for canoeing). I have had two open canoeing courses and one for a local school class (grade 8). The plan whit the school class is to go for a

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-68886479640350708802008-04-20T16:40:00.013+01:002008-12-08T21:56:49.138+01:00

I know it is a long time since my last entry here, and I am sorry for it. I should have been writing some from the Finnmarka Race weeks ago, but there has always been something else that had to be done. To make it clear, I am not so disappointed about the race that I have not been willing to write about it. In fact, to scratch was the only sensible thing to too this year.All ready before I got as

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-82505032081423787522008-03-11T23:50:00.001+01:002008-03-11T23:52:07.304+01:00

For uppdates of the Finnmarksløpet go to www.undervegs.blogspot.com

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-74817298456035255362008-02-28T18:52:00.006+01:002008-12-08T21:56:49.706+01:00

I have not been that good to update my blog this winter. I am sorry for that. But at least, here is an update before the Finnmarksløpet 1000km. I am ready, just waiting for the start next Saturday ( march 8th) in Alta. The dogs are just as I want them now. The energy level in the dog lot is high. Although there was hardly any winter before early February I have got the 3500km of training I was

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-43163356688068366022008-01-28T10:43:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:56:50.628+01:00

It is a long time since my last entry on the blog. So what is going on? Yesterday we finally got some snow, about 20 cm. This is the first snow we have had since long before Christmas. I have not been able to train the dogs whit sled from back home since the first days of December. This has made a lot of work, or more precisely, a lot of time in the car.In December we could do some training in

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-15367466494825566822007-12-23T19:51:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:56:52.131+01:00

The darkest day of the winter is over, from now the days get longer. At this time of the year we normally have lots of snow. And we celebrate Christmas. This year December have been a long search for good conditions for sledding. Kiruna in Sweden have been the rescue, but this weekend it was just hard and icy conditions. So whit no hope I went to Devvdes, just to have a look. I was quite sure

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-50403464437476309002007-12-09T16:44:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:56:52.518+01:00

At last, on December the 4Th, we were back in the mountains around Devdes and Dærta. Its not much snow, but enough for teams up to 8 dogs. Being back up there with the dogs is great. Now the winter season on for real. Many times before have I tried to describe the light in the mountain this time of the year. The sun is under the horizon, but its pink light reflects in the sky. And all the shades

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-19529619559792946362007-11-18T18:38:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:56:52.671+01:00

Monday last week (November 5th) the snow finally came. But still it is not enough to go out whit sleds. It still helps to have some snow. It is better for the paws to run on snow than on gravel. But for me it is the boring task of sitting on the ATV. And when the temperature drops down to -15c it is cold. So when I heard that it was half a meter of snow in Kiruna in Sweden I loaded up the dogs

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-53671577502245337872007-10-28T19:16:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:56:53.103+01:00

As written before, I have 14 dogs in training for the Finnmarksløpet this season. I can start whit as many as 14 dogs, so I hope that all dogs are fit for fight at March 8. The big question is if I will get Trangia in shape for the race. As you will see in the last post she is doing mummy duty right now. But I am going to start training her soon.I don't have any good profile pictures of the team

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-79190879281932924552007-10-28T18:55:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:56:53.462+01:00

On the third of October Trangia gave birth to six puppies. I now I am late whit this update, but it is quite a lot to do for the moment. The training for the upcoming season takes lot of time on top of all the other tings that needs to be done before the winter. And speaking about winter; we almost had it. For almost a week the white stuff was covering the ground. But it was not enough for

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-76088171521805440962007-09-08T08:47:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:56:53.869+01:00

The training for next winter officially started at August 15. By now I am doing 13 kilometer runs, whit two days on, and one day of. The weather has been good for us the last weeks, cold and gray weather. Just how i like it while training. And training we need. I have now officially signed up for the 1000 kilometer long Finnmarksløpet, and its just to hope that we will reach the start, which is

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-71415188864802937912007-08-24T19:40:00.001+01:002008-12-08T21:56:56.154+01:00

What is there to be said about it. I don't really know. We paddled a river, intersected by some lakes, we got some fish and we saw some wildlife. How some people are able to write books on their trips I don't know, I find it hard to write some lines about it. But I guess I have to try.On the 7 of July 2007 (07.07.07 a total coincidence) we flew out from Yellowknife whit a charter plane. After

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-32246406908042277762007-06-18T17:53:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:56:56.658+01:00

When looking out the window its not looking much like summer. Clouds hanging low, rain and +8c. Perfect for training dogs, but not for summer activities. I am not complaining, we have had two weeks of warm and sunny days and nights. Its just what its like living up here, its part of the charm.Hey, what am I doing? Talking about the weather?? That is not the objective of this entry. I was just

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-22648957982472868532007-05-13T19:43:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:56:57.679+01:00

Hidden behind high mountain and guarded whit bad road conditions is Powder Valley. Here, in this hidden skiing paradise, you can still take your skis on by the road (about 250 m above see level). In a normal year you can ski here from November and at least to the end of May. If I am not much mistaken there will be skiing conditions here well out in June this year. To day there was wet snow for

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-17305788515730326282007-05-03T19:31:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:56:58.241+01:00

After the Friday 13th trip I have at last got some more time for skiing. On Sunday me and my brother was on Alapen, a mountain right up from where I live. High up it was no signs of spring, it was winter full time. Something I can like. It means there will still be good skiing for a long time:-) The rout down, on the west side of the mountain is not that steep, but as far as I knowit has not been

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-64607406089090072812007-04-19T16:25:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:56:59.093+01:00

Never start a trip at Friday the 13 if you are not inn for a challenge. But that is what I did, although I was not looking for a challenge, but a nice and easy trip. Whit me I had two young French men, Antoan and Thomas. The plan was to go from Jukkasjärvi to Devvdes via detours. On Friday the 13 we met Espen in Jukkas, to were he came whit 40+ dogs and some tourists. We took whit us 20 dogs and

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-22857910096298749322007-04-12T19:57:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:57:00.046+01:00

After a winter of training and race preparations, now its time for the long camping trips whit the dogs. Since last week of March I have been guiding for NorquestThe trips goes from Dividalen to Kiruna in Sweden, and we spend 6 days out in the wilderness, camping in new spots every night. Well, not exactly true. The second trip we were stuck at our tent camp at Devvdes for three nights due to

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-64971292929051717342007-03-16T15:56:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:57:01.414+01:00

Well. Then it’s all over. After spending the fall and a good part of the winter training the dogs it was all over in less than tree days! Or maybe it’s not that way? Because I had a goal, running the Finnmarksløpet, I had en excuse to spend a lot of time whit the dogs. And that's what its all about, spending time whit the dogs, and at the same time travel through both familiar and new areas.In

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-12608900247909188002007-03-10T20:51:00.000+01:002007-08-28T16:35:11.848+01:00

Aslak says hello from the sledge on his way to Skoganvarre. He feel strong and all the dogs are working well. The wether is calm, but the snow is like sugar and slows down the speed.

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-25429201323686033602007-03-03T17:51:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:57:01.565+01:00

Race time getting closer, and its time for the last preparations. My house is looking more or less like a store than a home. Maps takes most of the place on the kitchen table, boots and jackets floating around the floor and all the other things I need or don't need. My head is a little too much focused on the race and race preparations right now. Took some time of to day and went climbing just to

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-47176202852825611342007-02-21T18:50:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:57:03.000+01:00

Finnmarksløpet (The Finnmark Race) is getting closer. The main priority now is to keep the dogs happy, healthy and fit for fight. The time for the long and hard runs are over. To morrow I will go for a 80 kilometer run, the last long run before the race. Right now I got the dogs were I want them to be. They are happy and eager to run. There are no injuries or other problems. We are getting ready.

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-82033439332265660092007-02-19T19:06:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:57:04.038+01:00

Just back from a week long trip in Finnmark. Due to cold weather and my British companions we did not do very long days of mushing. But we spent long relaxing evenings in cosy mountains cabins on Finnmarksvidda (the Finnmark high plateau).After almost drowning in snow in Alta the first day, the temperatures fell. The quick-silver in the thermometer were hiding in the bottom, and hardly dared to

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-44104040724936359032007-02-05T21:19:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:57:04.591+01:00

At last there is a post that is not about dogs. On Saturday I left the dogs at home and went to Tamokdalen to play a bit on some ice. For those who don't know Tamokkdalen its also known under the name Powder valley due to its good skiing, and often exelent skiing conditions. But on Saturday the avalanche risk was to big for skiing. But its other fun things to do. So together whit Tamoks own ski

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-18274419070696515792007-01-30T11:13:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:57:04.842+01:00

Out again whit the dogs last night. Both me and Espen were going for a work out session. We started out of the dog yard in each our direction, hoping to break up most of the trail system. I took the wrong way. I met some serious amounts of snow. Between 30 and 70 cm. On the worst part I used one hour to cover 1,5 km of trail. Espen had some more luck in Iselvdalen. After the swimming trip I took

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-54893730567986526912007-01-29T09:22:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:57:05.364+01:00

It is snowing outside, and the last week it has come quite a bit of the white powder. A week ago, Espen took all the dogs to Snarbyeidet outside of Tromsø for some wood hauling to some of Troms Turlags cabins there. The report I got from that trip sounded more like swimming than running. And I could see for my self this last weekend, when Tromsø Trekkhundklubb (mushing club http://www.ken-g.nu/

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-8012561315536226122007-01-15T21:19:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:57:06.542+01:00

An important part of running dogs is competing whit them in races. The main goal for the season is the Finnmarksløpet in March. But on the way there we are always looking for answers to some questions: how are the dogs compared to others and are my dogs faster than my friends dogs? When we are training alone most of the time we

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-40402268473006269572007-01-07T20:47:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:57:06.827+01:00

This weekend I went to Lake Altevatn together whit Ivar, an other Finnmarksløpet contestant, for a work out for the dogs. So, what did we do? The plan was to run tree series of five hours whit five hours of rest between each session. What we want whit this is to make the dogs used to work for a long time on limited rest, in a way crating a situation they will meet in races.The run took us over

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-11559460429336173412007-01-01T19:56:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:57:06.949+01:00

The new year have started, and what a good start. Woke up to day to a clear sky and -10. And on top of it, we have really good snow conditions and excellent trails to run the dogs straight out of the dog lot.What a day, snow hanging on the trees, the almost full moon sending its magic light down on me and the 10 dogs running steadily into the early afternoon darkness.Gunnar and Sting doing a

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-24575687162790687452006-12-29T18:30:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:57:07.438+01:00

Reading this Blog one might get the impression that I spend all my time up in the mountain. Well, I have to admit, this is not true. I also spend some time on the sofa, like today. But, for the moment, the training of the dogs is the main them of this Blog. Anyway, the subject to day is Christmas. First I have to say that I am not a Christmas person. So this year, again, I ran away from the

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-18616474950686999462006-12-19T16:50:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:57:08.041+01:00

On the 12 we were up in the mountains again. And again it was wood transportation that was the prime object. But of course, it is good training as well. Since my brother Espen also came along we had to bring all the dogs along, pups and retired dogs as well as the race dogs. The young and old were left at the base camp cabin while we were up in the mountains. For the 7 months pups, Tutta and

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-548385241801885817.post-31207129171168156142006-12-10T14:28:00.000+01:002008-12-08T21:57:08.511+01:00

As I start my first entry in this blog the so-called Polar Night surround us. I say the so-called, because we still have a lot of light. We are not surrounded by a pitch-black night, but by a lot of light. There is more or less 6 hours of light, going from dusk to dawn, 6 hours whit the blue colors that is so significant for dusk and dawn. On a clear day you se the orange glow of the sun in the

Aslakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08633153903932584342noreply@blogger.com2