Tromsø Villmarkssenter - Tromso Wilderness Centre

25/01/2025

Here are a few snapshots of Sofia and her team at the Kerttujärvi checkpoint earlier today! 🐾 She stopped for 4.5 hours, but that doesn’t mean she got much rest herself. At checkpoints, mushers are always the last to rest—first comes preparing straw beds for the dogs, feeding them, massaging them, and completing the mandatory vet checks.

Loke made sure to demand belly cuddles before they hit the trail again, and of course, Sofia couldn’t say no to that important task! 🐕 They left the checkpoint at 18:16 and are now getting closer and closer to the finish line! 🎉✨

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22/01/2025

Second race of the season, and this time we’re cheering from Finland! 🐾✨ Tove is heading to the legendary Gold Rush Run, a 500 km sled dog race through the stunning Finnish wilderness. But the adventure started even before the race—on the way there, they lost a wheel from the trailer! Stuck in the Finnish wilderness, they had to get creative, and thankfully, Torkil came to the rescue and helped them sort it out.

This year, Tove is taking on a different role. Earlier in the season, she suffered a back injury. While she’s feeling much better, she’s being smart and building her strength gradually. Instead of running the race herself, she’s trusted her dear friend Johan and his daughter Sofia from to take the sled handle and lead her team on the trail. Tove will be right there as their handler, ensuring the dogs are cared for and watching every step of the race from the sidelines.

If you want to follow how Tove’s dogs are doing, keep an eye on Sofia Berger during the race—she’ll be running Tove’s team with Johan!

This change will help Tove save her strength and come back even stronger for Finnmarksløpet later this season. Torkil, meanwhile, has his sights set on Femundløpet, another epic race happening soon.

The Gold Rush Run starts tomorrow, so let’s send all our good vibes to Johan, Sofia, Tove, and the amazing dogs

21/01/2025

Soldagen—the day the sun first peeks above the horizon after the polar night—is finally here! ☀️ Unfortunately, clouds covered the sky, so we didn’t get to see it today, but the chase for those first golden rays continues. In Norway, it’s tradition to celebrate this special day with solboller—sweet buns dusted with powdered sugar, like little suns to brighten even the cloudiest Soldag.

In the next weeks, the sun will only dip above the horizon for a few minutes, but as we come closer to March, the days will stretch longer and longer. Soon, Tromsø will have more daylight than most of Europe as we approach the midnight sun season. Isn’t it amazing how quickly the Arctic light changes?

How do you celebrate the return of the sun? 🌞

16/01/2025

Let’s meet one of our teenager litters! 🐾

Arya and Odin became proud parents of 7 adorable puppies on June 21, 2024, and they’re all named after animals from Norwegian mythology!

Meet our two spirited girls:
• Heidrun: A goat living in Valhalla, caring for the legendary tree Læraðr 🌳
• Hati: Sköll’s sibling, chasing the moon 🌙

And our five energetic boys:
• Freki & Geri: Odin’s loyal wolves 🐺
• Sleipnir: Odin’s eight-legged horse 🐴
• Fenris: A mighty wolf and Loki’s child 🐺
• Sköll: Fenris’ son, a wolf chasing the sun ☀️

At almost 7 months old, this litter is bursting with energy and personality! They’re always ready for cuddles and might even give you a professional face cleaning with their enthusiastic puppy kisses 😉

Who’s your favorite mythological pup? 🐕✨

14/01/2025

Batman is looking back like, “Hey, can we go already?!” 🐾 He’s usually teamed up with his brother Robin, who’s standing right by his side. These two power boys might look like tough superheroes, but deep down, they’re just the sweetest teddy bears 🧸 🧸

They’re a favorite with both staff and guests—big, strong, and full of love (plus, they’re total pros at giving hugs). Have you met these two in our dog yard before? Who else stole your heart? 💕

13/01/2025

Have you ever seen PEARL CLOUDS? ☁️🌈

These are polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs), also known as pearl clouds, and they’re one of nature’s most fascinating spectacles. Formed high up in the stratosphere, at altitudes of 15–25 km, they only appear in the coldest months when temperatures drop below -78°C—so they’re truly a phenomenon of the polar regions ❄️

What makes them so mesmerizing is the way sunlight scatters through tiny ice crystals in the clouds, creating iridescent colors that light up the sky. But as beautiful as they are, PSCs come with a darker side. These clouds provide a surface for chemical reactions that contribute to ozone depletion 🌬️ When sunlight returns to the polar skies after winter, these reactions speed up, releasing chlorine compounds that damage the ozone layer—our planet’s natural shield against harmful UV rays.

These pearly wonders are rare, appearing mostly in the Arctic and Antarctic because the stratosphere has to be extraordinarily cold for them to form. In the north, they’re often spotted during the polar night, just before the sun rises higher on the horizon🐾✨

11/01/2025

After 228 km and 29 hours on the trail, our teams crossed the finish line at 15:30 today! 🛷❄️ Torkil made it in with 11 dogs, while Helene and Louis arrived with 8 dogs each. What an incredible effort by both the mushers and their amazing teams.

Now it’s time for everyone to rest—mushers and dogs. They’ve earned every bit of downtime after those long, cold hours out in the Arctic wilderness. We’ll share more stories and moments from the race early next week once they’ve had a chance to recover.

Can you picture yourself out there, gliding through the snow under the open sky? How many hours do you think you’d last on the sled? 🐾✨

09/01/2025

Racing season is finally here, and the first race of the year kicks off tomorrow! 🛷✨Villmarkssenter teams hit the road today, leaving a buzz of excitement (and a bit of nervous energy) in the air. The Beaskádas 300 is a stunning long-distance sled dog race that takes mushers and dogs across the wild Finnmark plateau—a landscape as beautiful as it is unforgiving. This year, it’s called Beaskádas < 300, with the longest class set at 250 km—challenging yet rewarding for both mushers and dogs.

Tomorrow, January 10, three of our teams will hit the trail, all racing in the 250 km class. Torkil will lead with 14 dogs, while Helene and Louis are each running with 12 dogs 🐕 For Helene and Louis, this is a big deal—it’s their very first race! 🏔️ It’s been a hectic few days of packing snacks, checking gear, and prepping sleds—probably as exhausting as the race itself. Super Sara will be there as their handler, working hard behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly 💪 Helene’s partner Erlend is joining to lend a hand too!

And what about Tove, you ask? Unfortunately, Tove has to sit this one out. She hurt her back earlier this season and needs a bit more time to recover. It’s tough for her not to race, but she’s being smart and focusing on the bigger picture—Finnmarksløpet later this season. Her dogs will still be on the trail, teaming up with Louis to stay in top shape for the season ahead. We know she’ll come back stronger than ever! ❤️

Wish them luck and send all the good vibes—it’s going to be an exciting start to the season! ✨

08/01/2025

Meet the guides: Louis! 🐾✨

Once upon a time, Louis decided he needed a big change—a break from office life to try something completely different. That’s how he ended up here as a guide back in 2018. But funny enough, after falling in love with sled dogs and the Arctic, he somehow found himself back in… another office role!

After a year away, Louis realized how much he missed the kennel and returned to us. Now, in his third season, he’s taken on more than just guiding. He’s also our planning manager, making sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.

This season is extra special for Louis because he’s preparing for his first sled dog race, the Beaskádas 300! It’s an exciting new challenge, and we can’t wait to cheer him and his team on🛷

And like many of us here, Louis has found a special connection with one of the dogs. Thermos has stolen his heart, and Louis plans bringing him home to France to live with his family once Thermos is ready to retire. It’s hard not to have favorites when you spend every day with such incredible dogs 🐕❤️

From the trails to the schedule board, Louis keeps things moving, and we’re so happy to have him here! ✨

06/01/2025

Meet the guides: Karolína! 🌌✨

You’ll find her in the evenings under the northern lights or leading Husky Snowshoe Hikes. Originally from the Czech Republic, this is her first season with us, and she’s already a natural! Like everyone here, she’s an outdoor enthusiast at heart. Karolína splits her time between studying Visual Anthropology at and sharing Arctic tales around the bonfire at Villmarkssenter 🐾❄️

Always smiley and full of positive energy, she loves hearing your northern adventures, sharing a laugh, or even joining in on a snowball fight. We’re so lucky to have her on our team! 🫶✨

06/01/2025

Out here, fashion meets the wilderness! 🐾 Gaia, our style icon, rocks her signature red jacket—not just for looks but to keep her from chewing her harness 🤪

02/01/2025

Pasta and Vanilje say hi! 🐾💕 They’re one of the adorable boyfriend/girlfriend duos in our dog yard.

Did you know? Most of our dogs live in male/female pairs—but not for romance! It’s to prevent the pitter-patter of a thousand tiny paws next year 🐶✨ Still, there are some exceptions. For various reasons, some of our dogs are neutered, which means boys and girls can share a kennel. That’s how Pasta and Vanilje ended up as housemates—and they make a great team!

Life in the dog yard is never dull 🫶

29/12/2024

29/12/2024

Kristin is savoring her Christmas treat and isn’t planning to share! Have you had your fill of holiday goodies?

27/12/2024

We have a new blog post! This time about the Lady Aurora and best places to see her! 💚

Tromsø, nestled in the heart of the Arctic Circle, is one of the world’s best places to witness the northern lights. From mid-September to the end of March, the city offers a chance to see this stunning natural phenomenon. However, keep in mind that the aurora is unpredictable. To catch the light...

26/12/2024

✨️ Winter Solstice ✨️

We’ve officially made it past the shortest day of the year, and brighter days are ahead! From now until mid-January, the light will gradually return, and soon, the sun will rise above the horizon once again.

Here are a few photos capturing the same horizon at different times on different days, with our stunning conference building in the foreground. It’s not a bad view to have while at work, don’t you think? 🫶🐾

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25/12/2024

Merry Christmas from all of us at Tromsø Villmarkssenter! 🎄✨

Whether you’re cozy at home or out adventuring, we hope your holidays are filled with warmth, love, and unforgettable memories.

From our family—both two-legged and four-legged—to yours, God Jul! ❤️🎅

24/12/2024

Jotka, Monopol, Henrik, and Buddha have had a busy morning running tours, but now they’re gearing up for a rare and special evening—one of only two days a year when we’re not working. Later in the season, there’s the Villmarkssenter Race, our fun tradition where employees race with the dogs. And today? It’s all about Christmas. The evening is quiet, the tours are done, and our big Villmarkssenter family is coming together to celebrate the holiday ❄️🎄✨

What are your plans for Christmas? We’d love to hear how you’re celebrating! 🎅