2023 Arctic Circle Basecamp (Women Only)

Moderate to difficult because of narrow backcountry trails that require some balance and fitness to navigate. Moderate hill climbs where you will need to help the dogs by pushing the sled uphill and demonstrate basic balance in order to manage the sled brake on the descent. The walk from Wiseman to the Retreat Center is 20 minutes and includes a steep uphill. This five day trip traverses unbroken and seldomly traveled Arctic landscapes. 

No previous mushing experience is required. We will teach you everything you need to know to feel comfortable and equipped for your days on the trail. ​That being said, dog mushing is a physical activity...from harnessing dogs to standing on the sled all day, you will need to be reasonably able-bodied in order to fully enjoy this experience. 

In order to safely enjoy this trip you must be able to:

•  Lift 50 lbs.
•  Endure hard falls onto ice or hard-packed snow.
•  Get dragged while holding onto sled handlebars (hard on shoulders).
•  You must be able to squat to go to the bathroom outside. 
•  You must be able to balance on one foot for a minimum of 5-10 seconds.
•  You must be able to climb stairs quickly and easily. 
•  You must be able to jump up from a prone position on the ground and in deep snow off-piste (i.e. a snow burpee)
•  Be capable of walking or hiking on steep and uneven terrain for up to 4 hours.
•  Be prepared to wrangle strong sled dogs (hard on wrists, hands, and shoulders).  
• Be prepared to be exposed to cold, wet, windy and otherwise adverse weather conditions sometimes found in higher latitudes. 

If you are over the age of 65, we require a medical clearance from your doctor. (Click here to see our medical form.)

You do not need previous experience with cold-weather climates, but you will need to equip yourself with a proper set of winter base layers in order to ensure your comfort and safety. Even though it is spring in Alaska, weather and temperatures can still be harsh and unpredictable. We will provide you with a list of suggested & required gear -- your comfort is our utmost concern!  Check out our packing list here.

Arctic Hive offers three beautiful hand built cabins with mountain views in every direction, and plenty of windows to see the wild landscape and the northern lights! Each cabin will be home to two retreat attendees in twin or double beds (depending on the cabin). All cabins are off-grid, heated with Swedish Nordic oil stoves that keep the space warm and cozy.

The cabins have a limited amount of solar/battery-power, for lights and for charging small devices.  ​There is no internet or cell phone reception from the cabins (or in all of Wiseman!) — although we do have access to service for emergencies, and for those who may need to check in with home once in a while. Depending on the amount of sunlight, you'll have the opportunity to charge small devices via generator or solar power (such as your phone if you use it as a camera). It wouldn't be wise to bring larger electronics like computers, as they draw too much power from the small battery banks.​

The cabins are located just a short walk up the hill from the Igloo, which is our central lodge and gathering space for meals and community. The Igloo has a large glass ceiling for taking in the mighty views and northern lights. 

The Arctic Hive property also features a large geodesic dome known as "The Hive."  Mollie, Arctic Hive co-founder, will lead us in a group yoga stretching session on one of our days. We usually have yoga after the first full day of mushing :) 

Bathroom facilities include a composting outhouse that's cleaned and attended to daily — along with a few designated "facili-trees" in the woods. If you're inexperienced with either of these methods, our team will assure you're up to speed upon arrival!

Yes. You will drive and be responsible for your own small team of 4-6 dogs. Your professional dog sledding guide will introduce you to your team, and give you a lesson on how to drive the sled. You will learn how to harness a sled dog, and how to slow and stop your team. Your guide drives their own team just ahead of you, keeping an eye on the dogs, the trail, and your progress. 

There is a special kind of magic in women-only tours. 

At Arctic Dog Adventure Co. our focus is on providing dog sled adventures that are challenging but empowering, no matter your gender. However, as a woman-led company, we are well aware of the pressures unique to women adventurers and look to offer a relaxed, supportive environment in which women-identifying travelers can learn dog sledding from a female leader and connect with like-minded travelers. 

Guide & Company Owner Lisbet Norris is a three time-finisher of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and loves sharing her sport and passion with others, especially other women! 

This trip includes your own personal life coach!   Adventure Life Coach, Wendy Battino, joins us to support you in harnessing your own power to go after what you want. Trips like these are best known as Retreats, but Wendy prefers to think of them as Adventures! 

Adventure coaching is designed to take you out of your everyday living so that you may experience new perspectives and have more Ah Ha moments.  We will explore, relax and reenergize.  You will be taken care of in all ways so that you can unwind and heal from your everyday stressors.  

Adventures revitalize us by allowing us to practice and experience new skills to bring back to your life; a new knowledge of your powers and genius, a new way to approach things, new goals and clarity on how to reach them.

Everyday, group and individual coaching opportunities are woven into the adventure. You will benefit from a partner to help you take action in your personal growth. You will get practical tools for communicating with animals and nature. This is a transformational experience to learn from the huskies and from the land through dog sledding.

"Wendy is a gift, and I can’t thank her enough for her wisdom, patience, kindness, knowledge and warmth! I highly recommend her services to anyone that could use even just a bit of assistance in adjusting their own thought patterns or actions, for greater possibilities, more balanced flow, or a more consistent peace of mind!"

-- Lacey Ruskin

Learn more about Wendy at her website below:

Your dog sledding guide for this trip is Lisbet Norris. Lisbet is the company owner and lead guide at Arctic Dog Adventure Co. Originally from Willow, Alaska, Lisbet grew up in a dog-mushing family. She is a three-time finisher of the Iditarod, the longest sled dog race in the world. Lisbet has two decades of experience guiding dog sled tours and expeditions. She is known for her leadership qualities under adverse circumstances and through sound preparation and experience, she makes the most unique and challenging adventures possible for her clients! Lisbet has a strong love for the North. A self-taught naturalist, she feels at home in the boreal forest of Interior Alaska and loves sharing the northern landscape with others. Lisbet holds a degree in Northern Studies and History from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 

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Your adventure coaching guide for this trip is Wendy Battino. Originally from sunny California, Wendy now splits her time between the Alaska Range, at her homestead in Skwentna or her log cabin in Talkeetna, and the breezy Californian coast where her family still resides. Wendy is passionate about coaching individuals and organizations to improve. She has a lot of experience in change process and strategic planning to help people get what they want, whether that is to change a system, a job, or their life. 

Wendy's fascination with humans and why we are here first led her to Alaska as an archeologist, where she investigated the tracks of past peoples and learned native ways of knowing. As a Teacher, Principal and Administrator, beginning in a one-room school house in “bush Alaska”, she worked with students and later systems to create their futures. Time spent as a co-founder and Executive Director for the Re-Inventing Schools Coalition, a foundation to support education systems, allowed her to focus on engaging students, staff, and communities to take ownership of their systems of learning. Thrive Nation is her current project, co-founded with her wonderful husband Rick and a talented Board of Directors. 

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We will pick you up at your hotel in Fairbanks around 8 to begin our journey North. Our destination for the day is Wisemen, a charming little Gold Rush town in the heart of the Brooks Range. Drive north over the beautiful rolling hills of Interior Alaska to the immersive serpentine curves of the mighty Yukon River. After crossing the Yukon, the terrain alternates between wide open tundra, sometimes dotted with towering granite monoliths called tors, and thickly forested river valleys. Soon after crossing the Arctic Circle into the Land of the Midnight Sun, we will see our first striking views of the Brooks Range. Once we reach Wiseman, we will walk 20 minutes through the tundra to our accommodations for the week: an off grid wilderness retreat set in the hillside above Wiseman. Bags will be delivered by dog team or snowmachine. After we get settled in our cabins, we will meet together in the main Igloo Lodge for a family-style dinner with lodge owners Mollie & Sean.

• Meals: Lunch and Dinner 
• Accommodations: Shared cabin accommodations (2 people per cabin)
• Milage: 275 miles (Car) 

After breakfast & a morning group coaching session, we will go over gear and then head outside for our first mushing lesson. Meet your dog team and learn how to harness and hook up the dogs. After a brief orientation we will take off for a day trip along one of the historic mountain or river trails that surround Wiseman. The next few days are devoted solely to dog sledding and adventure coaching. We will explore the tundra and creek valleys surrounding our camp. We will play in the shadows of the mountains, and search for dropped caribou antlers. Where we shall go depends on the weather, snow conditions, and our desires! If we are lucky, the sun will shine bright late into the evening, inviting long lunches with warm afternoon naps on soft tundra peaks. During April, the Central Arctic Caribou Herd is heading from the mountains to their calving grounds near the Arctic Coast. Keep an eye out for migrating caribou herds on the horizon, and the tracks of large predators that may follow them (bear, wolf). 

Experience the meditative nature of mushing. Equal parts adventure and introspection, travel by dog team is an ideal way to absorb the energy and wisdom of a landscape. The huskies in your team will become your new best friends. They are trusting, loving, vivacious, and hum with forward energy. Their enthusiasm is contagious and you will share in their excitement for new adventure. 

Our days will be marked by a relaxed pace, serene river travel, open air lunches, charming husky antics, and coaching in a supportive and empowering environment. Each night we will gather together in the main Igloo for a family style dinner. 

• Meals: Breakfast at lodge, Picnics on trail, Dinner at the Lodge.
• Mileage: 10-30 miles a day.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before walking down to the village for a private tour of Wiseman hosted by Jack Reakoff, an Alaskan legend who lives a subsistence lifestyle in Wiseman, Alaska. After Jack's tour, we will drive 30 minutes to the community of Coldfoot, home of the Gates of the Arctic National Park Visitor Center. Collect your Arctic Circle certificate before heading to the small plane airport, where you will board a scenic flight tour back to Fairbanks. 

Check in by 1:30 pm for your flightseeing trip to Fairbanks which departs Coldfoot at 3:30 PM and arrives in Fairbanks at 4:30 PM.

• Meals: Breakfast at Camp. Bagged Lunch at Coldfoot. You will need to arrange your own dinner.
• Accommodations: You will need to find your own accommodations for this night.
• Transportation: You will need to find your own transportation from the Fairbanks airport to your accommodations. We recommend Arctic Taxi - 907 455 0000 or King Cab 907 452 2222. 
• Mileage: 275 miles by air.
• Luggage: The allowed Luggage weight per person is 40lbs. If your bag is heavier than this you will be charged the overweight rate per pound upon arrival at the Fairbanks Wright Air office.