The whole world dog-sleds to Ekorrsele

Tourists from around the world come to Ekorrsele, 38 kilometres north-west of Vindeln, to go dog-sledding. Since they started Aurora Borealis in 1993 Donald Eriksson and Maria Gustafsson have welcomed customers from Australia, China, South Africa, Israel and several EU countries.

- About 70 per cent of our guests are from other countries. For them, it's an exotic experience to ride straight out into the wilds on a dog-sled, says Donald Eriksson.

- Most people find us via our website, says Donald Eriksson. We can also be found on many portals with dog-sledding links , including several in America. We also cooperate with agents in Holland and England. And we mustn't forget word-of-mouth marketing, either. We have several regulars and satisfied visitors make good ambassadors.

The most recent large group to find their way to Aurora Borealis consists of exchange students from Umeå university.

- In 2008 we had over 100 exchange students here. Many of them have said that they choose Umeå for the extramural activities and its proximity to nature. Dog-sledding is a very different experience for many who come from places where there is no snow.

Ecotourism and Västerbotten food

In 2002 Aurora Borealis was one of the first companies in Sweden to receive official certification according to the Nature's Best ecotourism quality label. Six of the company's dog-sled tours have an official Nature's Best label today. The label stipulates, among much else, that only local produce may be used when preparing meals in connection with the tour. Plastic cutlery is not permitted, either.

- The requirements are very strict and the main purpose is to minimise the environmental impact, Donald Eriksson explains. But the requirements also give the adventure a genuine feeling. As climate issues are becoming more and more becoming a topic of discussion in other contexts, so we too are getting more and more enquiries about ecotourism. We have seen a growing interest.

Aurora Borealis prepares all the food for its dog-sled tours itself. Donald Eriksson has a great advantage here since he used to be a professional chef.

- We only serve food that has some connection to Västerbotten and Norrland. This means a lot of reindeer and elk, but also salmon and potato dumplings. Only using local produce has also proved to be a success from a business point of view. We have won several contracts thanks to our ability to offer food prepared from local produce.

Knocked out an elk

Over the years Donald Eriksson has had a great many exciting experiences on his trips. The most dramatic of these was in 1995, when an angry cow elk refused to move out of the sled track. Suddenly the elk turned, directed a kick at the leading dog, and then stood astride the front part of the dog-sled. There it stood, snorting with anger.

- It was both angry and threatening and it was an ugly situation, Donald relates. In the end I couldn't think of anything else to do but punch it on the muzzle with my fist. It collapsed in the snow and we got out of there real fast.

It is not uncommon to see elk and reindeer. Visitors are normally also able to see golden eagles, wood grouse, black grouse, and other birds, as well as other animals' tracks, for example lynx and bear (in the spring).