The Ice Ride, a grueling three-day sled dog race held in the Krkonoše Mountains, was, is, and always will be only for the bravest. This race is for teams consisting of 10 dogs, a musher, and a skier, and it is conducted in an expedition style. This means that all food, both for the dogs and the human members of the team, must be carried on the sled. The same applies to all bivouac equipment, necessary for surviving in a frozen wilderness under heavy snowfall. Over a total distance of 100–140 kilometers, every team must operate entirely autonomously.
28. edition – dobrodružství před startem
As always with races of this type, I’m really looking forward to it and watching the preparations from a distance. The Ledová Jízda (The Ice Ride) has been organized for many years by my friend and sometimes almost-neighbor, Aleš Pícl. Aleš himself has participated in several Ledová Jízda races as both a musher and a skier. There’s usually a lot of buzz around the preparations, except for this edition, when I happened to call Aleš by chance. “So, dude, is the Ledová Jízda happening this year?” Aleš immediately assigns me to musher Jindra Zelenka. Hmm, I think to myself, great, I still have a few weeks to prepare. Then Aleš casually mentions in the next sentence that the race is actually in five days and asks if I’m ready. I lie and reassure him with what he wanted to hear.
The Ice Ride is always an adventure and a wild ride from the very start. Shortly after, I get a message from Jindra Zelenka, saying he’s worried about me potentially having COVID. Slowly, I start watching the Olympics on TV. Then comes a call from the race director: “I know everything, turn off the TV, I have Aleš Schejbal for you. It’s his first time, and his skier dropped out.” I don’t know Aleš, but at that moment, I’d take even someone blind and paralyzed. I really wanted to race, so this news instantly brought a smile to my face and butterflies in my stomach.
Aleš and I quickly get on the phone, and I’m thrilled to find out he’s a musher from Bouda Racek. Yes, the Krkonoše mountain lodge where generations of top-tier mushers with first-class dogs have been raised. It’s basically a pack led by Martin Kobr, and I immediately knew that I wouldn’t freeze on the track and that we’d be fiercely battling for a podium spot. We quickly figure out the details, and I jump in the car, heading for Pec pod Sněžkou, the starting point of the Ice Ride.
The Grand Start of the Leodvá Jízda Race in Pec pod Sněžkou
As has become customary in recent years, the 28th edition of the Ledová Jízda, held from February 5-7. 2022, also began in Pec pod Sněžkou. This winter sports hub was chosen primarily for its popularity, aiming to increase awareness and enhance the race’s appeal to the audience. Upon arrival, I could already hear the howling of dogs and see a small crowd gathered. Surprisingly, there were fewer participants than in previous years.
Soon my team arrived: Aleš Schejbal and his ten four-legged companions. After a brief chat, we shared an introductory drink from a stylish musher’s flask and slowly began preparing for the start as dusk fell. This year, the starting field consisted of only five teams, all made up of truly dedicated racers. Additionally, no participant entered the Trapper category this year, where a musher runs solo with their dogs, without the burden of a skier.
This year’s lineup included mushers Jana Hellerová and her long-time skiing partner Zdenda Pospíšil, first-time participants Tomáš Kubín and Bořek Ledvinka, and Austrian Robert Reitinger paired with Honza Dvořáček, for whom the Ice Ride has also become a regular and indispensable event. Then there was us—hardcore racers Aleš and Leoš. Lastly, starting in the final position but, as is often the case, expected to finish first were Jirka Vondrák and David Chaloupský.
Ledová Jízda – Etape 1
Distancet: 37,43 km
Ascent: 1252 m
Descent: 1264 m
Time: 2h 21min 38s
It’s 6 PM, and we’re at the starting line. The dogs are howling with excitement, everything is ready for the 40-kilometer-long nighttime stage through the Krkonoše Mountains. The 12 hearts of our team beat in unison, driven by the heightened tempo of pre-race nerves. “3, 2, 1, MUSH GO!” shouts the race director. At that moment, the entire sled train takes off with an incredible burst of speed, racing out of Pec pod Sněžkou along a steep road that cuts through the ski slopes toward Pražská bouda. Before reaching the straight stretch between Pražská and Kolínská bouda, we overtake Jana Hellerová’s team, savoring a brief respite before the turnoff below Václavák.
From Kolínská, we turn right and climb another challenging hill up to Zrcadla, where we pass Tomáš Kubín’s pack. There’s no time to waste as we charge forward, passing the crossroads above Václavák, where every skier smartly unclips their skis, and the first longer descent of the Ice Ride begins. It’s a beautiful downhill stretch past Pardubická bouda to the crossroads at Modré kameny. Unfortunately, there’s no time for sightseeing. Flying downhill, we also overtake Robert Reitinger.
At Krausovy boudy, the whole team comes together on one line, continuing our smooth run toward Vlašské boudy. But then the inevitable happens—on Thámova cesta, Jirka Vondrák appears, and it doesn’t take long before he passes us and disappears ahead, leaving us staring at his back.
Race as it should be!
The race had truly begun. From this point onward, everyone was pushing to the limit. Aleš was digging in with all his might, the dogs were panting hard, and chunks of snow were flying off the ends of my poles. A true battle was unfolding along the entire route, from Václavák through Pražská, Hrnčířská, and up to Lesní bouda. Here, Aleš shouted at the lead dog, Hardy, “Haw!” The dog turned onto the Gas Pipeline Trail at full throttle, and at the end of the trail, Aleš yelled again, “Gee!” We merged onto Liščí cesta, also known as Desítka, where Jirka was still just within reach.
Unfortunately, Desítka is a long climb, and Jirka Vondrák managed to pull away, increasing his lead. The dogs lost a bit of motivation, and our gap began to widen. From Liščí cesta, we turned down onto the supply road and faced a long descent, almost all the way to Hříběcí boudy, where we turned onto mountain road. This safely guided us to the bivouac site at Hanapetrova paseka.
We finished the first stage of the Leodá Jízda in second place, trailing the leading team by six minutes.
Feed, cuddle, get drung and sleep
The Ice Ride is not all fun and games, even though we occasionally hear comments like, “Yeah, they just get pulled by dogs for two hours and laze around the whole time.” Sure, the actual race – the two hours where we can “laze around”—is indeed a reward. But as soon as we finish, the real work begins. First, the dogs need to be snacked so they get the nutrients needed for proper recovery. The term “snack” doesn’t mean a treat—it’s a dense ball packed with fat, protein, and sugars, which the musher stuffs into their mouths. The dogs, however, still look fresh, barking eagerly, ready to continue the race.
Then comes probably the hardest task: digging graves for the dogs. Not because they’re near death, but because there’s no hotel here – not for people and certainly not for dogs. So they’ll be spending the night outside. For each pair of dogs, a hole needs to be dug about 2 meters in diameter and 50–100 cm deep. It’s exhausting, but after a grueling race, it warms you up, so you don’t have to stand in the wet cold. The holes are then filled with straw, which the dogs cheerfully pee on, so they’re not lying on bare snow.
The dogs also get coats to keep them from freezing, and finally, they’re rewarded with a bowl full of meat soaked in warm water. One might think they’d collapse into their trenches out of exhaustion,
Icy base camp of the race
What a tough guy a musher must be! At least, that’s probably the race director’s understanding. Maybe it’s true for the mushers, but not every skier is a tough guy. Thankfully, Aleš was kind enough to set up a small party tent for us and generously stocked it with a keg of Pilsner and a pot of goulash. All the participants gathered there, sharing stories about the race and gossiping about the organizers.
Rumor has it that up to half a meter of fresh snow could fall overnight and into the next day. For some, this sparked concern; for others, excitement. A romantic ride through powder snow is all well and good, but trudging through deep snow with a sled or on skis is not exactly a romantic notion. However, as our blood alcohol levels rose, so did our determination to fight for those medals tomorrow.
Ledová Jízda – Etape 2
Distance: 33,1 km
Ascent: 990 m
Descent: 990 m
Time: 2h 24m 20s
After yesterday’s thorough “hydration,” getting up isn’t easy, especially not into a damp, windy day. The moment we poke our heads out of the tent, it’s clear—snow, snow, and more snow. We’re searching for the dogs, who after a night of snowfall looked like part of a canine graveyard. So, we dig them out, give them water, strip them out of their pajamas, and gear them up in their harnesses. The organizers call for a 9 AM start, and naturally, teams begin in order from the slowest to the fastest, with about five-minute intervals in between.
Overnight, a solid 30 cm of snow fell, and even getting to the starting line drains a lot of our energy. The organizers stayed tough and, as usual, didn’t groom the trail, making things deliberately harder for us. Rumor has it that we’re facing a shortened course—only about 20 kilometers. Could that be a considerate gesture? Czech Television came to the race start to film a report about the dogs, their mushers, and, of course, the heavy snowfall.
Icy ride, or blizzard?
Right after the start of the second stage of the Ice Ride, we head onto the mountain road, gradually overtaking all the teams that started before us. From this point on, it’s a battle between us and Jirka Vondrák. We laboriously climb the supply road to “Desítka,” where Jirka successfully catches up and overtakes us. We decide to employ a strategy of using his momentum to break through the deep snow, and it’s clearly working—we’re able to stick close to him without pushing too hard.
Unfortunately, Jirka’s dogs aren’t willing to turn right onto Desítka. We overtake him at the hairpin and start breaking the trail in the fresh snow again. However, it doesn’t take long for the race favorite to pass us once more, giving our dogs a chance to rest a bit. As we move along Desítka in heavy snowfall and a headwind, we stay behind the leading team all the way around Tetřeví boudy and through the loop around Jelení vrch.
The race continues back along Desítka and then down the same supply road. I unclip from the sled at the highest point of Desítka and go ahead to scout Jirka’s position. Meanwhile, Aleš pushes the dogs hard downhill, hoping to close the gap. I reattach above Hříběcí boudy, and we tackle the final climb together up to Hanapetrova paseka.
We cross the finish line in second place, with a time of 2:25:27, trailing the race leader by just 25 seconds.
Massive rule violation
The Ice Ride is renowned for its strict rules. It’s an expedition-style race where all participants are required to sleep in tents. Entry into Hanapetrova bouda or any other shelter is strictly prohibited. Racers must spend their time exclusively outdoors and are not allowed to accept food or assistance from family, friends, or anyone else. There’s even a rumor that during the traditional second-night ice party held in a freezing tent, drinking non-alcoholic beverages was strictly forbidden. Anyone caught drinking water or tea was disqualified. Sleeping during the party was also a surefire way to get disqualified.
Thankfully, even the organizers have softened over time, as have the racers. This year, the race director allowed us to head down to Dolní Dvůr. There, we were permitted to enter the Maty lodge, where we could enjoy hot meals and cold beer. Surprisingly, it was also allowed to sit on soft couches and shockingly even drink non-alcoholic beverages. Some participants took advantage of the hall’s capacity and slept through the entire night without facing serious threats of disqualification.
The Ice Ride is gradually transforming into a dynamic, enjoyable event rather than one centered on suffering. Who knows, maybe one day mushers and skiers won’t be treated as mere beasts of burden.
Ledová Jízda – Etape 3
Distance: 33,6 km
Ascent: 990 m
Descent: 990 m
Time: 2h 13m 43s
During the night, trees fell, tons of snow piled up, and the organizers were slightly delayed in getting started. Fortunately, my musher’s entire team took the initiative and groomed the trail with a snowmobile in the morning. It seemed like they wanted our victory even more than we did. Our start this time was around 10 a.m., and the route was identical to the previous day. First off was musher Jana Hellerová, followed by Tomáš Kubín, Robert Reitinger, us, and finally Jirka Vondrák.
This time, the trail on “Desítka” was much better groomed, and it was clear that a snowcat had been working on the slopes around Pec pod Sněžkou. We raced with all we had, supported by the entire team. At one point, we were reportedly gaining on the leading team. The dogs were running like a well-oiled machine, no one stopped to poop, no one stopped to pee, and if they did, it was while moving. It was a tight race until we were stopped during the climb between Hrnčířské boudy and Lesní bouda by a snowcat.
The PistenBully, as wide as the entire trail, had blocked the narrow path. Thanks for the grooming effort, but why now? There was no way around, and the dogs were barking eagerly to get going. Musher Aleš was also yelling though not with excitement at the clueless snowcat operator sitting in his warm cabin, clearly uninterested in the race. After about a minute, the operator finally had the bright idea to pull to the side of the trail, knocking over a few small trees along the way. We were able to continue.
By the time we reached the climb up “Plynovodní” and “Desítka,” the dogs were noticeably fatigued, and we likely lost some time. The downhill run on the supply road and the final stretch along the mountain road to the finish was a grueling, all-out push. It was a fight to the very end.
winners ceremony and results of 28. edition of Leodvá jízda
At the finish line, unfortunately, there were no surprises. Musher Jiří Vondrák maintained his undefeated streak, claiming victory in the Ice Ride for the tenth consecutive time, beating us by a solid 7 minutes and 7 seconds. Coming in second were Aleš Schejbal and myself, Leoš Mastník. Third place went to Robert Reitinger and Jan Dvořáček, who finished nearly two hours behind the leading team. Following them were Tomáš Kubín and Bořek Ledvinka, with Jana Hellerová and Zdenda Pospíšil bringing up the rear.
What more is there to say? Perhaps only that next year, we hope to see more tough teams participating and for the Ice Ride to regain its status as a key event on the musher calendar. With this article, I’d like to extend my gratitude to Aleš Pícl and the entire organizing team for all the energy and resources they poured into the race. A special thanks to Tomáš Havrda, whose photos I shamelessly “borrowed,” and, last but not least, to all the mushers and skiers.
I’m already looking forward to the next edition!
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