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We are happy to get applicants for June, July, August and September :)

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Engholm Husky is located 6km west of Karasjok Sami village. Our neighbouring villages; Lakselv 86km, Kautokeino 130km, Tana 200km, Alta 200km – and between them only open landscape with some mountain cabins, a few sami settlement - else inhabited by reindeer, moose, bear, arctic fox, eagle, lynx, volverine, and many other animals.

Engholm Husky provides active holidays, mostly overnight tours and expeditions with sleddogs, for guests from all over the world. As well as accomodation in design log cabins here at the lodge built by and furnished by Sven himself. Our participants on tour are rather adventurous people who relish the chance to learn new skills and like to live life to the fullest.
The business has existed for 32 years.

Sven is 11 time winner of Europe's longest sled dog race, the "Finnmarksløpet" - 1000 km. He is a top ten finisher in Iditarod - a 1800 km race in Alaska. He is an experienced outdoor guide and has also lead several expeditions to Spitsbergen, Greenland and across Siberia. Thanks to his university studies in natural geography, it is a pleasure for him to explain the many geographical and other natural phenomena's while leading a tour.

"The desire to do something meaningful in life brought me to Karasjok. I had a longing within me for untouched nature. Based upon my own feelings for the area - the exotic light, the darkness and the great plateau - I developed a product which is bearing fruit. I built up to what we have today which has, with the years, become the success I had hoped for when I started 1979. ”Once infected with the sled dog mushing virus, there is no cure, there is only trail!”

Christel has background from mountain climbing, alpine and cross country skiing, touring with ski sail and pulka. Horse riding guide. 10 years full time working guide on overnight tours and expeditions with Engholm Husky sled dogs on the Finnmark plateau.

"The freedom of being in nature, at all seasons with sled dogs gives me a feeling of life and when I came north - I got fascinated by the contrasts in the seasons. The bright summer nights with midnight sun and the arctic winter's unique tranquillity with Northern lights. With my background knowledge and skills, I have joined in developing this fantastic place. And I enjoy very much when I can share all this with others."

Our team consists of 4-5 two legged and 40-50 highly trained sled dogs for long-distance racing and tours, plus 2 litters with puppies in early education.

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We ask that people visit for at least a month - preferably three or more. This is important for us – both 2 and 4 legged members of the Engholm Husky team – because, it gives you a chance to get to know all of us and get into our way of living. It also allows you to settle in properly and learn rutines and new skills. When you after some weeks are well into everything, you will feel the eager and have the energy to go exploring ;)

In winter we are unlikely to accept volunteers for anything less then a 3 month placement.

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Getting to this remote corner of the world takes only 1 day from anywhere in Europe!

* You fly (sas.no, norwegian.no, wideroe.no) to Lakselv (from Oslo/Gardermoen or Tromsø/Langnes) – then bus (veolia.no). to Karasjok.

* You fly (sas.no, norwegian.no, wideroe.no) to Alta (from Oslo/Gardermoen) – then bus (veolia.no) to Karasjok.

* You fly (norwegian.no, finnair.com) to Ivalo in Finland (from Helsinki in Finland) – then bus (eskelisen-lapinlinjat.com) to Karasjok.

Karasjok, Finnmark county, Norway

You will be a part of the Husky team. It is varied activities here at the farm and we have a lot of fun!

It is not 8 to 4 life but it’s a life style!

The work is physical and demanding, we all have to be fit over average, and this is by no means an easy holiday option.

YEAR ROUND ACTIVITY ;

Guest check in, and out.

Provide the guests all information they need about Engholm Husky, Karasjok village and things to see and do!

Clean the cabins, and make the beds. (Summer time we rent out our 6 cabins to travellers that are on the way to North Cape. In winter they accommodate our guest on tour.)

Serve dinner and breakfast to guests.

Work with the dogs in the dog yard. Morning and evening.

Shopping in Karasjok. We therefore ask that you have a driver licence.

AUTUMN, August- November ;

*Training season start in August. We train the dogs when it is below +15 C. We are using 4-wheel ATV vehicle until the snow comes end of Oct. – beginning of Nov.
*Cleaning cabins, kitchen and guest facilities “top to toe”
*Preparing equipment for winter season.
*Gardening, picking berries, picking mushrooms, making juice and marmalade, pickles
*Prepare moose meat that Sven brings home from hunting.

WINTER, December- April;

*Dec. we get the first guests for sled dog tours, and we are busy with tours and expeditions until beginning of May.
*Repair equipment, sleds etc. Prepare for the sled tours.
*Work in the dog yard.

SPRING, May- June;

*Work in the dog yard, tidying up after snow melting. Prepare puppy yard for the little ones.
*Chopping and collecting firewood for next winter.
*Cleaning cabins, kitchen and guest facilities “top to toe”
*Putting seeds in kitchen garden. Planting flowers. Potatoes and carrots.
*Raking the lawn areas.
*Small repairing and painting.

SUMMER, July- August;

*General gardening. Care for the vegetable garden and flowers.
*Help us with ongoing projects like tanning hides, sewing leather, preparing rocks and logs for building or furnishing.
*Socialise puppies, (daily walk along the river side)
*Dog holiday. For 4 – 5 weeks, we keep the dogs on an island in a lake to do social- and swimming- training. Overnight in “Lavvo” the traditional Sami tent with open fire place. Net fishing + rod fishing.

English, Norwegian, Swedish

We provide for you free accommodation and food. Single or shared room (with one other volunteer) in a designed log house. Kitchen and bathroom facilities are shared. We often eat dinner together, also with guest’s. And welcome new tastes and inputs about food – everyone here has to show, and share their cooking skills! We usually eat one vegetarian dish every week, but will ask vegetarians not to apply because it requiers separate cooking every day. Lunch and breakfast we usually eat separate. Internet access.

To be a part of Engholm Husky team will give you many memories that will last for long time! For sure the practice will be meaningful, interesting and fit for use and hopefully make your dream come true. The surrounding area around Karasjok is definite worth to explore. We have canoes, bicycles, cross country skies and touring equipment. Be aware that it is a lot of mosquitoes from mid. June till end of July.
Please note that there might be times of the year when you will wait for a reply from us for weeks, this is when all our time is spent with the dogs on tour.
If you are thinking about a gap year it's best to get in touch as early as possible.

"Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it."!