The Skills of a Musher

Have you ever wondered what kind of skills are required of a musher? It takes a lot more than just being "in-shape" to become a successful musher. Having a greater knowledge and skill of what it takes to travel in fierce weather conditions is the most important. As a musher, you have to know how to keep yourself safe and warm, as well as your dogs. They must know how to steer a sled that is jam packed full of equipment, as well as being able to read the ice of frozen lakes. They have to make smart judgements on when to press on, when to stop, and how to stay mentally focused the whole way through.


Even though it takes a brave soul to become a musher, mushers are able to build strong character deep in the backcountry as they are forced to stay emotional stable even in the harshest of winter situations. Being a musher is a reward that is unlike most others. If you are interested in becoming a musher, you must get an instructor that can teach you how to properly stay warm in harsh weather conditions. You must know how to build a camp for yourself and your dogs in these winter conditions as well. You can even google "skills for winter camping" to get you started. What's the most amazing about being a musher is that you come to a realization that you are stronger than you thought you were. You push your body to the limit, and develop trust and strong leadership with your team. Somehow, facing the winter landscape can help you find who you are, and enable you to build an inner strength that can stand any trial.