Dogsledding And Cross-Country Skiing With Outward Bound

Dogsledding And Cross-Country Skiing With Outward Bound

by Rob Meany

Publication Date: January 1999

Adults of all ages, often with little or no experience, can now participate in a unique dogsledding and cross-country skiing expedition in the snow-covered forests and frozen lakes of northern Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness where more than a million acres lie open for exploration.

Bill Laitinen, Winter Program Director of Voyager Outward Bound School headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, says that Outward Bound's expedition-style skiing courses allow inexperienced, everyday people to participate in an adventure in the tradition of the great Polar Treks. Outward Bound is the worldwide leader in wilderness expedition-based education, serving more than 40,000 students annually.

Laitinen says, "In a week people gain an extraordinary sense of success. Mushing dogsleds across icy, windswept lakes; traveling through thick woods; eating and sleeping in tents on a snowy landscape - participants fulfill a need for mental and physical challenges away from familiar, comfortable environments. In spite of the challenges, the adventurers are warm, dry, comfortable and well fed."

Participants join in all aspects of dog handling, including setting out lines, feeding and watering, harnessing and packing the sled. They learn to ski expedition-style with a backpack, mush a dog over varying terrain, and camp comfortably despite extreme temperatures. They also learn map and compass navigation and ice rescue.

"There is a fresh feeling of being alive," says Laitinen. "The primeval sights and sounds of the wilderness are beautiful and sometimes eerie, from the majestic winter vistas to a chorus of wolves howling in a moonlight-soaked night."

From December to March, Voyager Outward Bound School offers 4, 8, 15, and 22-day dogsledding and cross-country skiing courses. Courses are open to adults (18+) and require no previous experience. Each expedition consists of five to seven students led by two trained instructors. Tuition begins at $495 for a 4-day course and includes all instruction, equipment and food. Courses are designed to help students develop self-confidence, self-esteem, and wilderness travel skills while meeting the challenges and excitement of a wilderness adventure.

To receive a free course catalog, contact Voyager Outward Bound School at 111 Third Avenue South, Suite 120, Minneapolis, MN 55401-2551 or by calling toll free (800)328-2943 or check out their website at www.vobs.com.

For more information on Outward Bound, a particular school or course, contact The Outward Bound National Office at 1-888-88-BOUND or on the net: www.outwardbound.com