The P

POLAR DISTANCE – The challenge of 2003

Polar Distance is a long distance race for the pure bred polar dogs; Alaskan Malamutes, Greenland dogs, Samoyeds and Siberian Huskies

Here is Nisse’s story as told by Annica of The Great Challenge

15 km from start, Polar Distans. Larizza and Khatanga as leaddogs, Jasjin och Natasha in point.

After many years of competing in sprint races, spending a lot of nights in the wilderness mountains camping, and some Norwegian P-races (100 km), we had a new goal for 2003 – to try the long distance “Polar Distance” 300 km race. This race has been described as the ultimate challenge. The race has been organized for two years, and a lot of Mushers have been forced to scratch for different reasons. Would it be possible for our Samoyeds to finish? The rules were pretty tough. Any help from handlers would disqualify you, this along with a mandatory 6 hour rest and a check by the veterinarian were the only things we knew about the race. Beyond that, it was up to the Musher to organize the schedule to obtain the best performance of the team.

Our training was very intense – before Christmas our dogs had run about 1000 km, most of the distance on snow. The dogs were in the best of conditioning for the Nordic open (2 X 50 km), the first Mid Distance Race of the season. A few days before the race, all the dogs developed a severe case of diarrhea accompanied with vomiting, so we withdrew. There was to be no Nordic Open that year.

Next competition on the schedule was the Norwegian P-race, 100 km nonstop. The dogs by now had recovered from the diarrhea and were in good shape. With the best of weather conditions, Nisse ran a 10 Samoyed team and WON THE RACE!! It was a wonderful feeling and reassured us that the dogs were ready for the great challenge of the Polar Distance Race.

Monday, March 10. We arrived at Särna Camping, and got a perfect place for staking out. All the Mushers and handlers stayed together dormitory style, and it was very nice to get to know everyone. The first Mushers meeting was Monday evening, and we got our first look at the trail map. Now we could finally plan our race strategy. How long a distance should the dogs run before rest? Was it best to take the rests at checkpoints? The race included 5 checkpoints. The first one after 50 km, #90 km to #2, 60 km to #3 , 50 km to #4, and finally #5. The distance to #5 was supposed to be 50 km, but turned out to be 65 km. Checkpoint #5 was also a forewarning and 5 km before the finish line. At all check points water was available and a dog could be dropped from the team if necessary.

Tuesday, March 11. The Pulka-class started. All competitors started at the same time in the middle of the lake Särnasjön at 09:00 AM. It was pretty exciting when they left the starting line. All the dogs worked beside each other to find the main trail, and after a few minutes they were gone from sight. Now our priority was to prepare for Nisse’s start tomorrow. One last time paws and claws were examined, the dogs got lots of water, and all the stuff for the sled was checked. The Veterinarian examined the dogs and the main judge inspected the sled equipment: tent, sleeping bag, therma rest, stake out, food for the Musher and dogs, extra clothes, head lamp with extra battery, etc. There was a lot of gear in the sled, but there was also space enough to load a dog if necessary. We had one more meeting, the 15 Mushers came from Germany, Switzerland, Norway and of course Sweden, and there were lots of questions. It became more and more exciting. Would it be possible to find all the markers on the trail? Almost every one was reflective so it should be easy to find them, even in the middle of the night. When the meeting finally ended, it was time for bed!

Wednesday, March 12. The alarm clock called at 05.30 AM, time to get the dogs water. Our dogs always eat and drink everything served, and so it was this morning. Following feeding, they went back in the van, they needed all the rest they could get. After 45 minutes, they went on the stake out for peeing, then back in the van. 30 minutes before start, the dogs got harnessed, some “Musher’s Secret” on their paws and hooked to the sled. There was about 200 meters from our stake out to the starting line, and we were both standing on the sled trying to get the right position. It was so exciting; Three – two – one GO! Finally on the trail!

Foto Susann Enochsson

More than 110 sled dogs at the same time were on the lake, and all with the same goal. It was necessary to mind one’s step. I turned my head to check the other Mushers. NO!! In that instant, I didn’t notice my dogs had stopped for poop, after 300 meters! There was a little tangled mess in the centerline, but I manage to fix it quite easy. Larizza and Jasjin, two very good command leaders were used at the start. The trail was in an alternately woodland, and mostly it went uphill. We were with some teams running at the same speed, so naturally we ran together. About 20 kilometers before checkpoint #1 the trail was very exciting. It was quite narrow and ran steeply downhill. Everywhere you saw trees coming up to you at high speed. If you didn’t have total control of your team there was a risk of ending up in open water! That was what one of the Mushers did… My thoughts went to the Mushers with very heavy sleds. Some of them brought 45 kg of food for the dogs! With a heavy sled like that, including all other stuff you have to bring, this part of the trail must have been extremely challenging.

Checkpoint # 1

Well, we arrived at checkpoint #1 after 4 hours and 32 minutes. I intended to rest at this checkpoint for 4 hours. That was my plan, but it didn’t work at all. It was very windy, and I was grateful I brought the stainless steel bowls to feed the dogs instead of the weightless plastic bowls. They would have been gone with the wind at checkpoint #1. I was quick to place the anchor at the lead dogs to stretch the team. Then it was time for this years experiment; I had gotten some wrist wraps from our very good friend Don Duncan in USA. A wrist wrap around each front leg of the dogs will help to keep them in good shape and keep away the risk of lameness. All the dogs liked it, they lay down after feeding, and in the windy weather I tried to wait for the 4 hours to pass. As other teams came in to the checkpoint, my dogs looked very peppy and wanted to run, so only after 1 hour and 15 minutes I decided to lift the anchor and go ahead. I left Jasjin at the checkpoint, he had a bad stomach. Now I had nine dogs in front of the sled. Petter Ringerike, a guy from Norway with 5 Alaskan Malamutes and 1 Siberian Husky, was just in front of me. We had the same speed, and decided to run the rest of the day together, that was good for both of us.

Foto Susann Enochsson

The wind ended and it began to get dark. The evening was fabulous with stars and moonlight, but not enough moonlight to run without the headlamp. At 10 PM I used my cell phone and called my wife, I thought we were pretty close to checkpoint #2. I saw some lights from houses, and as the trail was now on the river I was sure the checkpoint was close. The map vas very unsatisfactory and it was difficult to be sure about the trail. Suddenly we realized we had missed the trail. Petter put down his anchor and walked around in the darkness to find the right way. My headlamp battery was in weak condition, and Petter had just changed his. We kept on searching. I called the checkpoint to get some ideas. The situation was not the very best; we didn’t want to put up the tent and wait for daylight, being so close to the checkpoint. Just before we were ready to give up, we saw the trail and gave commands to the dogs to keep on running. I’m sure they wanted to stay, but we were so close…

12:26 AM, at a very slow speed we came in to checkpoint #2. There were a lot of people there including the Veterinarian who did the mandatory Vet check. After 6 hours rest, just 6 minutes before we arrived, Musher Karsten Grönås, with his 12 Siberian Huskies, had already left, so I was lucky to be able to use his place for stake out. I placed the anchor, used the wrist wraps on every dog and after feeding, they all laid down for some hours rest. I started to make some food for myself; boiled Tortellini. Not very appealing, but I was sure it was good for my body and soul! I made the decision to use my 6 hours mandatory rest. I gave all the dogs a hug, prepared the dog food for tomorrow and put the Therma rest directly on the snow. Got out my sleeping bag from the sled and got in to it wearing my big boots. Was it possible to get any sleep? The dogs around us were yelling, I fell asleep instantly, and a new day was breaking.

Thursday, March 13. Eight year old Jurij is lame; I decided to leave him at the checkpoint. He has done a very good job so far, but it was 60 km to the next checkpoint where I could leave a dog, the decision was pretty easy. I still had an 8 dog team that was in a very good shape.

I left the checkpoint at 08.10 AM. The weather report told us it was to be a warm and sunny day. Nice for humans, but very bad for the dogs. Thank heavens, the trail was still very firm. Today it was only the dogs, me, and nature that would struggle together. Once again the trail went uphill and uphill. As we came above the timberline it was sunny and calm, and so beautiful. The dogs and I were a team. I was happy to help them anytime. I had some snacks made of lard and liver. The lard with 100 % fat content was a fantastic energy kick to the dogs.

Uphill, uphill, and uphill! It was so beautiful, the trail went through a very old pinewood, and I really enjoyed this incredible scenery. I vowed to come back to this place, and without the pressure of competing! It took me more than 8 hours to run to checkpoint #3. This was a road less, isolated place, no cars in many kilometers. The organizers had a tough job to bring water to all the teams. This checkpoint was so beautiful, I decided to settle down for some hours. I used the same routine as I did at checkpoint #2, with the difference that I stretched all the dogs, later I was sure it was a good idea. This was a checkpoint with a lot of dogs and Mushers. Some of them deiced to rest in another, calmer place for the dogs. I found a perfect spot to sleep for some hours, once again without having to put up the tent.

Friday March 14. At 03.00 AM, Musher Lennart Andersson left the checkpoint with his Greenland dogs. I was preparing to leave, getting the dogs ready to go. They were in very good shape, probably thoroughly rested hours ago, but if I left earlier I would have missed the remarkable sunrise in this beautiful area. I left the checkpoint at 04.05 AM, and the first part of the trail was incredible. Wonderful terrain, the sunrise I already mention, and the dogs, they ran, and ran and ran. Petter and his Alaskan Malamutes started just before me, and we kept together until checkpoint #4, 50 kilometers from #3. We arrived at 09.00 AM. I was impressed with the dogs in this up- and downhill terrain pulling a heavy sled. They were running at 10 km/h. Just before checkpoint #4 I saw some blood on the trail. It was Inja, my 8 year old bitch who was bleeding. I checked her paw, and decided to drop her at the checkpoint. The vet told me later that it would have been OK to boot her, but I think it was a good decision to leave her. We were still 50 km from the finish line.

Checkpoint # 4, just a 30 minutes brake

I stopped just 30 minutes at checkpoint #4, and now had 7 dogs left in my team. Jerosja and Larizza as leaders, confident and very good dogs. They keep on running; at that time I didn’t know it was 70 km instead of 50 km to the finish line… Per Nylén and his Siberian Huskies caught up to me. My dogs started to run as fast as his uphill. That was pretty hard for them. Petter and his Alaskan Malamutes were left behind. After about 30 km Petter and I were once again running together with the same goal, and not so far ahead. Then we came to an exceptionally troublesome part of the trail and the most difficult I have ever been on. Extremely uphill, and after just a few meters precipice sheer downhill for kilometers. I will use just one word: puckel piste (Moguls)! I was happy I made this part of the trail in daylight! Just before checkpoint #5 I saw a warning display. Could it be worse than the puckle piste? No, it was just a very short precipice down to the lake, and now we were just 5 kilometers from the lovely finish line. Scooters and skiers on the lake, cars over the bridge, all together they inspired the dogs to run at full gallop. It’s amazing! We were pretty close to the camping, and the dogs were listening for my wife’s voice who was calling hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! There were more people at the finish line and all of them are screaming hurrah, hurrah, hurrah when Petter, I and our fantastic dogs crossed the line.

Wow, we did it! What dogs! What an adventure!

During the race I changed between 7 different lead dogs, I’m sure this contributed to our good finish. The dogs can rest in the middle of the team. It’s a real benefit to have so many different lead dogs, and who are these wonderful dogs?? Larizza, Khatanga, Jerosja, Natasha, Nansen, Igor, Mitchenka and finally the dogs Inja, Jurij, and Jasjin who didn’t reach the finish line.

Polar Distance, a challenge to all Mushers and teams, a challenge worth taking.

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The P-race

In 1993, Nisse carried out a demanding goal, the long distance race arranged by the Norwegian polar dog society. The distance is 100 km non stop. The way to get there was hard and determinate work. We kept record of all the training jobs during the autumn and the winter. It is a fact that the dogs have run more than 1000 km before the race. During the first 45 km, the track was mostly in a rather even forest terrain, but later it continued on lake ices. This was monotonous for the dogs, but there were no heavy uphill slopes. It was a day in March and the sun shone warmly. The snow was very wet and heavy, and the dogs must have thought it was terribly hot. In spite of this, they ran on, encouraged by other dogs further on. Later on, the sun was setting and the temperature fell. We were more and more impressed by our dogs, they just kept on going. Finally, we reached the goal, and our experience of the Samoyed as a sled dog had increased. Immediately, the plans for the -94 year P-race started. After that, we have participated in tree more P-races, and every year this is the goal for our training. Accept the challenge!

To everyone who has knowledge of this breed in Sweden, it is known that the Samoyed can get the title Swedish Polar dog Champion, S(POLAR)CH, which is a Swedish sled dog championship. In Norway the corresponding title is Norskt Trekkehundchampionat, NTCH. There always has to be one dog and one bitch to be the first to win these two titles. And the bitch Nordvikens Awoshka, her son Nordvikens Tsar Dodoorowitsh, "Dodo", were the very first Samoyeds to win these two Championships.