I was trapped in the typical commuter’s lifestyle driving two thousand miles each

I was trapped in the typical commuter’s lifestyle, driving two thousand miles each month from our home in the Scottish borders to an office job in Edinburgh. Clearly he had no intention of deviating from his course, and seven barking dogs and one man waited while the world’s largest deer stood black as coal across my trail.I slipped my rifle from the sled and held it ready. This time I had been lucky: if we had met in the woods he would have felt trapped and therefore more likely to be aggressive. Moose kill more people than bears in Alaska, and many a musher has watched in horror as his dogs have been pounded one by one into the snow. I held the team on the foot-brake, feeling its steel studs bite deep into the snow The moose stood motionless, staring towards us. I let one hand drop from the sled handle and felt the power of the running dogs surging through me like an electric current. I could hear nothing but the brisk staccato of dogs’ paws on packed snow, the elemental swish and cut of the runners and the straining of the birch sled against its moose hide bindings.

Even though this was just an offshoot of the mighty Yukon it was still as wide as the Thames in central London.
“Easy!” I called to Bubbles, braking gently to slow the team from a gallop to a trot. Suddenly the dogs picked up their pace and I was shaken from my reverie. Fifty yards ahead an immense bull moose stood squarely on my trail “Whoa!” I shouted, and we came to a slithering halt. It would take seven hours to get to the village, and we had to pace ourselves. I leant back and watched the Plough start its clockwise journey around Polaris.

Now there was silence, as the team charged down the frozen white trail which cut steeply through the dark forest. We flew along, twisting through the boreal woodland of white spruce, birch, balsam poplar, alder and willow, then along the grass lake and out on to the glittering slough. I looked back at the cabin, knowing that by morning the stove would have burnt out and everything would be frozen solid – a high was forecast and this could mean weeks in the -50s and 60s. At last I reached down and pulled the anchor, then held the sled with my foot-brake as the dogs leapt high and clawed at the packed snow, desperate to run. A cacophony of howls and barks rang out through the frozen woods, and Bubbles, my lead dog, glanced back impatiently as if to say: “C’mon! Let’s go!” – “Okay”, I said quietly, lifting my foot from the brake, and she dropped into her harness and ran.

Behind me I heard Fuzzy, my retriever, gently whining as he too grew impatient. Like the sled dogs he knew that soon I would lift the snow anchor and we would be off. I stood on the slender birch runners of the sled and looked over the leaping charm bracelet from hell. Dogs’ eyes reflected in the light from my head torch, and I saw their breath rising and then falling around them as it froze. Ahead of me, the six dogs jumped and strained against their tug lines, howling at the white moon and flickering Borealis. Each room – named after a tropical bird – is fresh, bright and modern. Stylish murals cover the walls while the furniture, fabrics and artworks are the creation of local craftsmen.

And for those seduced by the d?r, most items are available to buy.Relais Solar, Ladeira do Meirelles 32, Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro (00 55 21 22 21 2117; www.solardesanta .br) Doubles from US$75 (£44) including breakfast.. Relais Solar, Rio de Janeiro Set amid the cobbled streets of the Santa Teresa district, one of the most artistic enclaves of the city, the five-bedroom guesthouse is housed in an old colonial villa. Views are optimised by Japanese-style baths on private decks, while diving, snorkelling and surfing are on offer for the more active. As visitor numbers are limited by the government to protect the landscape, expect deserted beaches, more wildlife than people and a break from the real world.Pousada Maravilha, Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco (00 55 81 36 19 0028; www.pousadamaravilha .br) Doubles start at Reais955 (£234) including breakfast. The property’s interior has a Mediterranean minimalist feel with sheer cotton curtains, old tiled floors and indigenous hangings A tangle of nooks and crannies leads to 32 sea-facing rooms. Caipirinha in hand, bossa nova playing in the background, its perfect position over the bay makes it the ultimate setting for a sundowner.Pousada Casas Brancas, Alto do Humait?0, B?s (00 55 22 26 23 1458; www.casasbrancas .br) Doubles start at Reais434 (£107) including breakfast.