We continue today with another post in our blog with more curiosities about mushing, one of the most popular activities in our Andorra center. And this comes as no surprise to us: this experience brings to those who practice it a perfect blend of nature and adrenaline, peace and speed. And those who have tried it tell us that they are eager to repeat. By the way, do you know where the term “mushing” comes from?
The inhabitants of Lapland had always used the sled pulled by dogs for their transport tasks, both for people and goods. At the beginning of the 20th century, during the gold rush in Alaska and Canada, sledding with dogs was vital. The French settlers, who also saw the advantages of this means of transport, adopted it, and used the term “marche!” (walk) to indicate to the dogs that they had to start moving. The English people also used this order, but the sound became “mush”, so the sled driver was soon to be called musher, and the activity, mushing.
Our dogs are in Grau Roig from November to April. The rest of the year live in La Cerdanya, a region which provides them with a climatology more suitable to them. In Grau Roig, our dogs spend the day outdoors, with ideal temperatures for them, whereas in La Cerdanya we have a much wider kennel, so they can spend the hottest hours comfortably inside.
Our dogs are mostly Alaskan Huskies, a dog breed originating from Alaska. The dog breed used initially in mushing, the Kamutik, were difficult dogs to master, and that is why it was decided to cross breeds, in order to obtain dogs with the ideal characteristics for mushing. The Alaskan Huskies are long distance dogs, fast, resistant and enthusiastic. These mixtures sometimes cause some of our dogs to have one eye of each color. Have you noticed? We leave you with a few more images of the absolute protagonists of this activity.
