Between 9 and 18 January 2010, seven villages in Haute Maurienne Vanoise will host the sixth year of the Grand Odyssey dogsled race, or La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc, as it is known locally. It is the toughest international dog sled race in the world and contested by 35 teams with approximately 350 dogs between them in 10 stages. The dogs are primarily Alaskan, Husky, and Siberian Husky and should run approximately 500 miles, including 25,000m of ascent and descent.

The race originated in 1998 when two men, Henry Kam, a supporter of adventure and nature sporting events, and Nicolas Vanier, who was preparing to cross Canada with his dogs, became friends. They realized that there were no epic dog sled races in Europe and decided to create the epitome of dog sled racing. On January 7, 2005, the first official event began in Avoriaz. The beauty of the event lies mainly in its link with nature. Encourage mountain discovery in a gentle way using advanced understanding and harmony with dogs.

It also engenders value and respect for the environment. These factors, along with the relatively low impact it has on the terrain (it only leaves temporary footprints in the snow) have helped launch many environmental campaigns and promote ecological awareness. Avoriaz has a history filled with environmental pride, having been built in the 1960s with green concepts at its heart, including green, car-free buildings and now contains ‘The Stash’, Europe’s first green snow park. Today, the spectacular La Grande Odyssé attracts more than 70,000 spectators.