Started towards Levajok

After five hours and two minutes Inger-Marie Haaland is now heading towards Levajok. In front of her, and the competitors soon to follow, is 85 tough kilometers in temperatures reaching minus 30 degrees Celsius. She has left one dog in Sirbma, and is now racing with nine dogs.

The leg starts with a long climb from the Tana River up to the mountains. Last year Haaland completed the same leg in almost seven hours. But this year the conditions are more challenging, with lots of snow, making it soft and demanding for both dogs and humans. The biting cold also makes the trail slow. The run time of the leg will probably be longer than last year. 

Kristian Walseth in Sirbma

Arriving in Sirbma, Skjerve seemed like the liveliest of the three closest pursuers. Even with one dog in the sleigh parts of the leg, he kept Haalands pace and looked very fresh at the checkpoint in Sirbma. Walseth and Frydenlund looked considerably more impaired by the pace, but a few hours of rest might do wonders.

Ronny Frydenlund in Sirbma

The feedback from the veterinarians in Sirbma was however very good. The dogs were tired, but still in good shape, according to the veterinarians.