We are a small, family-run business created from a passion for sled dogs and life above the Arctic circle. We wish to let our guests get a taste of what we fell in love with, both on and off the sled. We welcome you to our home at Holmen and our way of living.
We offer a wide range of tours and multi-day experiences crafted for more than 30 years. This is a place for both relaxation and adventure. Whether you dream of watching the Northern Lights from the comfort of a warm bed or exploring nature with a team of huskies.
This is a story about love. Quite literally, love is an intense feeling of deep affection. The story of Holmen Husky began in 1986 when a great interest and pleasure in dog sledding tightened its grip around two souls.
Kari Jæger and Eirik Nilsen, each discovered the mushing lifestyle on their own turf. The common denominator between them was that love became an addiction, and dog sledding became a devotion. Mushers are not an invasive species that can be found in all corners of the Earth, but rather a rare and unique breed of individuals who are deeply connected with a way of life that brings them close to their primal instincts.
During the 1980s, Finnmarksløpet - which would later become Europe’s longest dog sledding race, started to grow at a great pace. The race starts and ends in Alta City Center, and was the first introduction to the charming little town for Kari. In 1986 Kari was the handler for the Finnnmarksløpet champion at the time, Stein Håvard Fjestad. With Stein as her mentor, Kari began training for the race herself and became one of the first women to ever complete the expedition, paving the way for many tough female mushers who followed in her footsteps along the trail of Finnmark’s most beautiful adventure. A few years later, Kari’s passion for the event led her to work 10 years as the very first manager of Finnamrksløpet in the pursuit of making it the biggest race in Europe.
Meanwhile, Eirik had spent his winters training in the intense wilderness surrounding Tromsø and Kautokeino, but Alta quickly became the center of his attention as he set his mind to the Finnmarksløpet finish-line. As Alta grew into the hotspot for dog mushing in Europe, Eirik ran his first race in 1988. That same year Eirik and Kari crossed paths in the dog yard of a mutual friend. Over the next 18 years, Eirik competed 14 times in Finnmarksløpet, 12 of which brought him across the finish line, and three of which brought him to victory.
The couple connected through their love of their craft and planted their roots together along the Alta river with easy access to the trail that both of them had raced during one of the toughest races in the world. Holmen became a place where passions could bloom and their lifestyle could flourish within the greatest climate for their huskies. Together they raised numerous dogs and two children, Oda and Brage.
At first, the farm was nothing more than a tired and worn-down post-war house that sat upon a field of possibilities. As months went by, and planks went up, the Holmen Husky Arctic Resort began to take its shape. After several years of innovation and development, the Nilsen Jæger family was able to unlock their doors to people from all corners of the earth and welcome them to their world.
As the resort began to grow, so did the passion in Brage’s heart. He tapped into the phenomenon that had captured the attention of his parents decades before him. It was time to breathe new life into the family's racing legacy and follow a dream that had been boiling since Brage was a boy.
Following in his parent's footsteps, Brage raced his first Finnmarksløpet in 2022, with his older sister Oda by his side and his handler, as his team of dogs led him to an impressive 5th place awarding him the rookie of the year award.
Once again, Holmen Husky has a new generation of mushers taking their place at the start line with their team of dogs to compete in Europe’s longest dog sled race. Passion, dedication, and a sense of purpose found only through love have led Holmen Husky to live with their dogs within raw nature as they welcome the world to join them in their quest in feeling the stop of time.
