Base Camp (Axhandle Mountain dog yard cabin)

Beautiful sunrise…

Our dogs... resting...

Axhandle Mountain Puppies...

On the trail... 30km today...

Sunday, December 23, 2007 7:02:21 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

Arrived at Graham Kent's kennel (Axhandle Mountain) in Sweden safe, Sound and tired around 3pm... 1700 miles is a long drive :o)

Monday, December 17, 2007 6:50:32 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

Now on 20 mile loop, we currently have 380 miles on the dogs. Tomorrow’s run will be there final local forest run this year, as we head out to Sweden Sunday :o)

Thursday, December 13, 2007 6:39:04 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

6 dog class:
Bachmann Florian	Vöhrenbach	GER	Veteran
Ballas Thorsten	Lampertheim	GER	Veteran
Börlin Veronica	Unterbach	SWI	Veteran
Lorenzo Lorenzo Roberto	Galicia	ESP	Rookie
Marina Javier	Burgos	ESP	Veteran
Martinez Erik	Le Vernet	FRA	Rookie
Menghinella Maurizio	Spello	ITA	Veteran
Rogg Hans	Mindelheim	GER	Veteran
Dr. Schmid Christoph	Rimbach	GER	Rookie
Steigenberger Otto	Kiefersfelden	GER	Veteran
Størbraaten Jørn	Oslo	NOR	Rookie
Dr. Ulrich Alfred	Schnelldorf	GER	Veteran
Walter Manuela	Koblenz	SWI	Veteran
Weber René	Menziken	SWI	Rookie
Wubs Martin	Rottweil	GER	Veteran
8 dog class:
Bartolini Matteo	Vicchio Firenze	ITA	Veteran
Binzer Lutz	Langerringen	GER	Veteran
Bogart Fabienne	Maura	NOR	Rookie
Brinkmann Volker	Brinkmann	GER	Veteran
Brockmann Uwe	Biesenthal	GER	Rookie
Cremer Susanne	Saint-Andelain	FRA	Veteran
Föger Erwin	Obsteig	AUS	Veteran
Gausereide Per Olav	Maura	NOR	Rookie
Gut Thomas	Frauenau	GER	Veteran
Haas Martin	Ramsei	SWI	Rookie
Hansen Morten	Oslo	NOR	Rookie
Heilemann Marte	Oslo	NOR	Veteran
Krempl Hannes	Oberhaching	AUS	Veteran
Kriegler Winfried	Wiesenburg	GER	Veteran
Kuhn Uli	Wotersen	GER	Veteran
Laudel Jens	Netzichkau	GER	Rookie
Link Michael	Schalkstetten	GER	Veteran
Manel Lloret	Lleida	ESP	Rookie
Netzhammer Stefan	Büttenhardt	SWI	Veteran
Dr. Offer Gerhard	Mieming	AUS	Veteran
Ruiz Elvira José Felix	Aranda de Duero	ESP	Veteran
Salva Luque	Beriain (Navarra)	ESP	Rookie
Stolz Jürgen	Penzing	GER	Veteran
Stuber Volkmar	Wurzelbühl	GER	Veteran
Uriondo Iban	Ventas de Armentia	ESP	Rookie
Vanessa Bambi	Auronzo Di Cadore	ITA	Rookie
Wightwick Stephen	Seaford	GB	Rookie
Winter Heini	Augsburg	GER	Veteran
Wüthrich Rudolf	Zweideln	SWI	Veteran
Zautua Iñigo Bizkarguenaga	Vizcaya	ESP	Rookie

Total: 45
Last update: Saturday, December 8, 2007

Saturday, December 08, 2007 9:11:32 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

Almost six months old now... how time flies!

Saturday, November 24, 2007 6:23:15 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

Today was the first of our 12 milers… We go 12miles again tomorrow then back to 7 until after rest… then will stick on 12 until 25th Nov!

Going up hill…

Ooh; some flat, almost...

Dam-it, more hills and steep…

Sunday, November 11, 2007 5:25:25 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

by Graham Kent (Axhandle Mountain Kennel); taken from his window this morning.

Temperature -8c (17.6f) looking good...

Friday, November 09, 2007 9:30:42 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

Yesterday our sleds from Daniel Mellina and the Antipode team got delivered from France safe and sound :o) always a bonus…

Both sleds are well equipped with two snow hooks, a sled break & drag/snow mat… and collapse/fold down to a nice transportable flat pack.

Very much looking forward to giving them a blast out on the trail in Sweden……

Wednesday, October 31, 2007 9:08:06 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

6 dog class:
Bachmann Florian	Vöhrenbach	GER	Veteran
Ballas Thorsten	Lampertheim	GER	Veteran
Lorenzo Lorenzo Roberto	Galicia	ESP	Rookie
Marina Javier	Burgos	ESP	Veteran
Martinez Erik	Le Vernet	FRA	Rookie
Rogg Hans	Mindelheim	GER	Veteran
Dr. Schmid Christoph	Rimbach	GER	Rookie
Steigenberger Otto	Kiefersfelden	GER	Veteran
Weber René	Menziken	SWI	Rookie
8 dog class:
Binzer Lutz	Langerringen	GER	Veteran
Bizkarguenaga Zautua	Vizcaya	ESP	Rookie
Bogart Fabienne	Maura	NOR	Rookie
Cremer Susanne	Saint-Andelain	FRA	Veteran
Föger Erwin	Obsteig	AUS	Veteran
Gausereide Per Olav	Maura	NOR	Rookie
Gut Thomas	Frauenau	GER	Veteran
Hansen Morten	Oslo	NOR	Rookie
Heilemann Marte	Oslo	NOR	Veteran
Kriegler Winfried	Wiesenburg	GER	Veteran
Kronbach Johannes	Hüfingen	GER	Veteran
Kuhn Uli	Wotersen	GER	Veteran
Laudel Jens	Netzichkau	GER	Rookie
Link Michael	Schalkstetten	GER	Veteran
Netzhammer Stefan	Büttenhardt	SWI	Veteran
Dr. Offer Gerhard	Mieming	AUS	Veteran
Ruiz Elvira José Felix	Aranda de Duero	ESP	Veteran
Stolz Jürgen	Penzing	GER	Veteran
Wightwick Stephen	Seaford	GB	Rookie
Winter Heini	Augsburg	GER	Veteran
Wüthrich Rudolf	Zweideln	SWI	Veteran

Total: 30
Last update: Sunday, October 28, 2007

Monday, October 29, 2007 9:02:47 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

Today we started training dogs on 7 mile loop. Will go 7 miles tomorrow, then one 4 mile before scheduled rest days; followed by 7 mile runs until around the 11th Nov, when we leap frog to 12 miles…

Sunday, October 28, 2007 5:40:40 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

As from yesterday, entries for this very picturesque mid-distance sled dog race held in the Italian / Switzerland Alps became available.
With great enthusiasm and after prior reconsideration of entering the Pirena, I faxed my entry form today as a participant. This will be my first MD race, which is approximately 40-60 km per stage, total approx. 300 km, split into 6 stages as follows.

January 12/13th Lü –S-charl, Val Müstair/Switzerland
January 15/16th Prags - Cortina / Italy
January 18/19th Sexten / Italy

This will also be my first race on snow (rookie for sure)... but I’ll get plenty of practice and snow under dogs feet prior to the race in Sweden; where we will be staying at Graham Kent’s kennel (Axehandle mountain) for three weeks. Graham tells me that they got there first snowfall last night, and that it’s currently -5c :o)

My first time on the sled in Feb 2007, Magali leads…

Besides rekindling my sled experience once we are in Sweden, I will need to teach training partner and good friend Malc the ropes so to speak. But I don’t’ think I’ll have Malc holding on to me like I held on to Magali when we went out on single sled :o)

Travelling: For us there will be a lot of driving involved, for starters, Graham Kent’s kennel is 1637miles from my place in England. And the Alpen Trail (Alps) is another 1645miles from Grahams; followed by 844miles back to England. Thankfully this will be divided up three ways, three drivers…

The Party outbound from England via the Euro tunnel on the 16 December 2007 will be:
Me – Race Musher / Driver
Malcolm Goodwin (friend & financially supportive) – Training Partner / Handler / Driver
Michael Wightwick (brother) - Handler / Driver (will join us in Sweden a couple of days prior to leaving for the Alps)
Oh, not forgetting the dogs (fifteen)… view us here.

Others that have helped me with decisions and information:
Alan Stewart - Cairngorm Sled dog Centre/Aviemore
Graeme Scott - QuickStep Kennel
Heini Winter D - AT Organisation
Jacques & Magali Philip - Noatak Kennels

For further information on the Alpen Trail; please visit alpentrail.com

Have a great season…

PS: We are currently on the look out for sponsors!

Friday, October 12, 2007 8:10:03 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)    Comments [0]