See Rob's Arctic diary in pictures
No petrol required ... slow transport courtesy of the husky dogs.Photograph: Rob Bell
Another first for me up here in the Arctic - today I experienced a husky dog sleigh ride and I realised what I've been missing.
When I first arrived at the kennels and saw the dogs chained in their pens, I was a little conscious of taking advantage of a dog to get me from A to B. But all it took was for the keepers to bring out their harnesses for me to realise that it's not about their ability to run, it's about their lust to run.
For a two-person sled (one driver and one passenger) you are equipped with a six-dog engine. As soon as they're hooked up to the sled all they want to do is get going. Once the coast is clear, you lift the brake and it's like driving an automatic - you're off. You don't have much say in the matter.
We set out across the flat plains of the arctic desert and my breathe was taken away by the sheer crispness of the scenery. The air gets colder and colder as you head further out. The wind brought tears to my eyes and just seconds later they had frozen - it was roughly -25°C out there.
I won't lie - we're not talking super speeds here but this is sustainable transport at its best.
· Rob Bell has been selected as a Ben & Jerry's Climate Change College Ambassador in partnership with WWF and is running his own campaign to cut down energy waste from charging mobile phones. To find out more check out climatechangecollege.org and
