Participant Information Long Distance Sled 8- and 12-dog teams


The Femund Race and WCh in Long Distance 2011:

All participants are equally important and shall receive the equal levels of service during the entire race. 

The Femund Race/WCh is a long distance race that measures the skills and strategies of the dog team and the musher without any outside assistance other than what the organiser has decided.

The Femund Race/WCh has as its overall goal that each participant has full responsibility for any dispositions made for that team during the race, for these decisions to always be in the best interst of the team and the musher, and for these to also at the same time be sufficient for the whole team to be able to handle all situations that may arise during the race.  The Femund Race/WCh shall have a particular focus on animal welfare.

Photo: Torgeir Øren



Rules for Participants (Subject to modifications following IFSS' revision of rules for WCh participants)

Article 1 – Number of dogs in the team

Femund 400/WCh is an 8-dog class consisting of no more than 8 dogs and with at least 6 dogs at the start. At the finishing line the team must consist of at least 5 dogs.

Femund 600/WCh is a 12-dog class consisting of no more than 12 dogs and with at least 9 dogs at the start. At the finishing line the team must consist of at least 6 dogs.

Article 2 – Dropping of dogs
The dropping of dogs is only permitted on the check points.
The musher is responsible for dropped dogs to be taken care of in a responsible way.

Article 3 – Micro chipping
All dogs participating in the competition have to be micro-chipped.

Article 4 – Snow-ploughed roads
It is prohibited to follow snow-ploughed roads other than the stretches of road decided on by the organiser. Information about this will be provided in the trail description.

Article 5 – Start
The start intervals shall be 1 minute unless otherwise decided by the organiser.

Article 6 – Outisde assistance
Participants are not permitted to receive any kind of assistance or help from others than the organiser or those permitted by the organiser during the race.

Article 7 – Check Point Assistance
On check points participants are allowed to receive help with slowing down, holding and guiding their dog team when going in to or out from their allocated staging area. Such assistance may be received only between the marked point of entry/arrival and up to the marked point of exit/departure on the check points.

Article 8 – Re-start and time alignment
Re-start and time alignment will take place at the Tufsingdal check point. There is a 2 hour mandatory stop + the time alignment period required. The musher is responsible for the start time difference to be aligned in connection with the re-start.

Article 9 – Mandatory rests
F400 has two mandatory rests. One 8-hour rest after the re-start may be taken at any checkpoint but must be taken before the last check point. The second mandatory rest is an 8-hour rest that has to be taken at Tolga, the last check point before the goal line.

F600 has a mandatory resting period pool of 28 hours. Eight (8) of these hours must be taken on Tolga, the last check point before the goal line. The remaining 20 hours can be taken at the musher's discretion at one or more of the following check points: Drevsjø, Søvollen, Tynset, Grimsbu 1 and/or Grimsbu 2. The resting periods have to be taken in full hours. The musher shall personally check in and out of all check points (except at the re-start) and is responsible for all mandatory rests being taken.

Article 10 – Check Points
The check points are to be considered as control posts in the competition.
It is prohibited to make use of services from supporter cars at any and all of the check points. (There is one exception, please see article 11 on Depots.)

Article 11 – Depot
There will be depots on all check points except Tufsingdalen. Handlers shall place depot bags on the marked and allocated area for the respective classes. The bags must be clearly marked with the musher's name and start number/bib. Replacement sleds may not be taken out from the depot and in to the staging area other than when for the purpose of changing the sled in front of the team. Empty sled may be repaced with empty sled once (1 time).

Coolers or equivalent equipment that are in the depot shall be empty and be taken empty to the staging area.

The musher must bring everything taken out from the depot to the stating area. The same goes for equipment and potential waste going from the staging area back to the depot.

Article 12 – Mandatory equipment
It is mandatory to have the following equipment, listed below, in the sled during the whole race. It is generally required that the equipment be functioning to be approved. The equipment will be controlled at the check points and at the finishing line.

Relevant maps (1:100.000) from Statens Kartverk; Femund turkart, and Knutshø villreinutvalg; Knutshø villreinområde. Maps are sold at the Secretariat during registration. Vet handbook. (to be handed out at registration)

Water boiler with a container sufficient to heat a minimum of 0.5 litres of water per dog. Must be in sled during the whole race.

Magnet compass

Proper snow spade

Axe or large knife (at least 20cm blade)

Sleeping bag for extreme conditions. The bag shall weigh min. 2.5 kg or provide sufficient shelter and heat for at least – 40 C.

Extreme wind bag, min. 1,200 g. (Jerved Extreme or of similar quality). An alternative to extreme wind bag may be bringing a tent + regular wind bag + primus or cooking equipment with fuel enough for 24hrs. The tent shall be of a design that allows for safely using primus inside. A fuel burner from MoD's emergency rations is not accepted as primus or fuel burner.

Extra clothes with both inner and outer garments, socks and shoes or other footwear.

First aid equipment

Head light and batteries

Light stick, signal pistol or rescue light. (must be with the musher and not in the sled)

Matches

8 socks per dog out from each check point, including socks that are in use at that point

Emergency supplies of dog food, 0.5 kg per dog in the team at the starting point. The emergency supplies shall be packed separately and sealed by the organiser.

The musher shall have food supplies for him/hersef for min. 24 hours.

Mandatory equipment that is lost or broken may be supplied or replaced from the depot or other source. The equipment must then be presented to the TD, Race Marshal or Check Point Marshal for approval of the replacement.

Dog socks, headlight/batteries, fuel for boiler/primus are exempt from this rule and can if so desired be replaced from depot.

Article 13 – Caring and Feeding of Dogs
All feeding and care of dogs shall happen outdoors and only be carried out by the musher. Only cold water may be fetched for preparing dog food.

Article 14 – Dead Dog
If a dog dies during the race on the trail between check points, it is to be taken to the first next check point or the last left check point. The dog is to be transported in the sled and to be covered up on arriving the check point. The musher shall without delay after checking in notify the race organiser as represented by the TD, Race Marshal and/or Race Vet. The musher can only continue after obtaining permission to do so by TD, Race Marshal and/or Race Vet. The musher can be disqualified from further participation should it be evident from investigations that the musher is guilty of abuse of the dog or if having in any other way caused the death of the dog. The musher can also be disqualified if he/she at an earlier check point has been told in writing to drop the dog, unless its death was caused by entirely different reasons. Re-start (when going out) and the goal area are also considered stations in this connection. If an autopsy of the dog is required the costs thereof shall not be levied on the musher.

Article 15 – Tow lines
There shall be cable/metal  in the main tow line / central tow line.

Article 16 – No Man's Land
No Man's Land starts at least 1 km before the finishing line and shall be clearly marked. The trail in this stretch shall be broad enough for dog teams to pass each other.

Article 17 – Breaking the Rules
Breaking the rules regarding outside assistance on the check points can lead to disqualification of the musher.

Article 18 – Reindeer
The trail goes partly through reindeer grazing areas. The dogs must therefore be kept under strict control and never be let lose during the race. Partipants that are observed with lose dog(s) will be disqualified immediately.

Article 19 – Littering
Littering along the trail may lead to disqualification.

Other rules
The organisers can instruct the mushers to wear promotional clothes or have promotional materials on the sled.

A participant chosing to scratch from the race shall as soon as possible notify the race management and is him/herself responsible for transportation of him/herself, their dogs, equipment and depots from the check points. Rescue searches will normally be initiated 24 hours after the last point of contact. Unnecessary stops between the check points should therefore be avoided.

A dog that lies in the sled when the musher arrives at a check point is not dropped from the race unless the musher so desires.

The musher may sit on the sled.

Protests shall be submitted to the TD/Jury in writing no later than one –1 – hour after reaching the finishing line. The protest submission fee is NOK 50,-.

HAPPY TRAIL!

Photo: Kjersti M. Godin Mjærum