I can officially say that one of my favorite Winter activities is dog sledding in Quebec City.
Last week, we had the incredible opportunity to indulge in this one of a kind activity with Aventure Inukshuk and it was simply spectacular. Located at a 40 minute drive from Old Town Quebec City, Aventure Inukshuk offers a great range of options for families, couples, friends, or people who come alone to try the activity. My husband and I tried The Ballad, which consisted in a welcoming talk by our guide who explained driving techniques, we met with the team of dogs and embarked with the guide on our sleigh and sank in the forest for about an hour. We were two people per sleigh and each person gets to drive the sleigh. Everybody gets the chance to with the guide and can learn so much about the dogs and Aventure Inukshuk. The ride ended with a hot chocolate and petting the cutest puppies which were 14 weeks old.
Experience the best dog sledding in Quebec for a truly unforgettable adventure of a lifetime. Being born in Africa, I never thought in a million years that one day, I would get to sink in a white-coated forest, sitting on a sleigh with a warm blanket on my legs, pulled by five dogs. It is an experience I will never forget and that I highly recommend, if you ever pass by Quebec City this Winter. Aventure Inukshuk also provides warm clothes if needed. (Their changing room is great and they have a wide array of equipment, which I particularly loved.)
Our guide was exceptional and truly passionate about what he was doing. You could tell that he genuinely loved the dogs and had a strong bond with them which was great to see.
When we arrived at the kennel, all 200 dogs were howling in excitement as they saw us coming down from the bus. Of course, they were all on leash but it was still mind-blowing! After everyone was assigned a sled, the guide explained in both French and English the driving techniques and the adventure began.
The guide explained to us that the head of the sled are smartest ones, the ones behind are the fast and strong ones. He told us that whenever we encourage the dogs while they run, using a joyful tone of voice and words like “Good Job, Canelle!”, “Good girl/boy!”, they are all the more motivated to run. The dogs are trained when they turn one year old and can run up until 11 years old. In order to train the puppies, they are placed with seasoned dogs, which teach the babies what to do. With different trials, the guides can now which dogs are good leaders, which ones are the smartest and which ones are the strongest. I was completely fascinated by learning all these things that I really didn’t know.
This is truly an experience I recommend. For more information on Aventure Inukshuk, visit their website!
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