This past weekend, we traveled to Les Mosses, Switzerland with S&S from SchwigenandSwitzerland.
The mission:
To see hundreds of fluffy snow dogs, watch some dog sledding races, get some sun, and maybe pet a few of these fluffy puppies.
It was about an hour and a half drive from Geneva to get to this Winter wonderland in the Alps. Les Mosses is in a valley nestled between stunning views of snow-capped peaks.
When we arrived, it sounded like a zoo... a dog zoo. There were hundreds of dogs barking, getting ready to race, relaxing, and making yellow snow. A dog lover's paradise.
In dog sledding, you can have as many dogs on your team as you want. However, it seemed that most teams had between 5 and 10. Apparently it's a fine art placing and picking dogs. Put the smart dominant ones up front and the crazy/strong ones in the back. The trainers said that not every dog has what it takes. Some never learn their left from their right and some just can't handle being harnessed and pulling with other dogs. I tend to think that Jackson & Rocco would fall into that latter category. Although we saw a few different breeds, there were no schnauzer/cairn terrier mixes. We're still thinking of putting together a Geneva mutt team. Filled with small crazy dogs. I think we have a chance.
The team would run up to the starting line and the dogs would stop on command... all of them. It was amazing to watch. Handlers would hold a pair of dogs until it was time to start. This kept them from going anywhere. It seemed as though the dogs were given crack just prior to pulling up to the start line. They were c.r.a.z.y. Jumping, barking, and sometimes even fighting with each other because they were so excited.
Exhibit A: This shows how crazy they were. "AAAAAAAHHHHHH WE"RE RUNNING!!!"
My sister's dog looks just like this crazed black and white one in the front. She'd fit right in.
We even saw labs... hmmmm. Sled dogs? They were sort of the outcasts, but still proved to be efficient sled pullers.
Giant husky puppies in training. They were sooo cute and I kind of wanted to take them home.
We learned a little bit about the whole process from this trainer. We wandered up to her little dog camp where she had a giant family of dogs who were all on the same sled team. The dad of the bunch was up front leading the bigger dogs, while the youger pups stayed behind and just took in the atmosphere.
I've never seen dogs that love the snow as much as huskies.
We stayed away from the yellow snow and mullets.
I told Adam we needed a sled so he could pull me around next year. It looked so relaxing.
Tired after finishing their 10 mile race.
There were other breeds of animals present too. Like this cow below. The owner had him harnessed to his waist (crotch straps included) because he was so big. At only 8 months old, I can't imagine how big this beast will get.
We even saw skiers being pulled by dogs... I need to try this.
Mush!
We saw this amazing thing... a stroller with skis. Genius.
After the races, we found a little restaurant and sat out on the deck for some burgers and beer. Yum.
On the road back to Geneva! We had such a great time. We even talked about scheduling our own little dog sledding adventures. Apparently there are places that will allow you to take a sled out and run a course with a set of dogs who are trained to run a certain route. Sounds awesome.
Check out S&S's post about this too. There's a little more technical information and history behind it.
This was my favorite photo I took during the day...
Au revoir!
