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Ski Touring, 'Canford Norwegian Venturer Tiger', Norway, Apr 2011, ID 1054

Canford School CCF

Canford has been running cross-country skiing expeditions for some fourteen years now with a number of cadets each year benefiting from the experience of a week’s cross-country skiing, snow holing, camping and ice-climbing, whilst experiencing the delights of the famous Norwegian ski touring huts. This year, once again, helped with some generous support from the Services and the Ulysses Trust, nineteen cadets, aged fourteen and fifteen, made the journey to Hovden close to the Hardangervidda to test their skills and endurance in the famous Telemark region.

On cross-country skis for the first time, the cadets’ balance was quickly tested, sorely at times, but as confidence grew the competitive streaks began to emerge with the traditional racing snakes battling it out for supremacy. The groups gelled quickly with their service instructors, Rick and his "No Sarcasm Allowed" Team, Rob and his "Calamity" Team and Bill with "Team Carnage" all providing much entertainment as they initially floundered about Hovden’s tracks and across the lake in front of the professional locals and their wry sympathetic smiles. Basic skills gradually improved along with other elements of survival: emergency shelters and avalanche awareness and finally simple expedition administration left the cadets ready to embark on their three day expedition into the mountains.

Leaving the relative comfort of Hartevassbu and its cold showers to climb up out of the Hovden valley laden for two nights was a bleak prospect, but gradually the rhythm settled and the cadets’ training did the rest.  Their first stop saw them practising using the "Bothey" shelter; a parachute type object which stretched over each group protecting it from the wind and using the body heat generated to keep the group warm whilst the cadets’ tackled their lunches and sang a few songs. It was a tough day skiing into sleet and wind for several hours but the cadets cheerfully kept going. With several cadets wet and cold, however, it was decided only 1 km short of our snow-hole destination that we would have to turn back and abandon the expedition for this day. Having skied almost 20kms and with some cadets very cold they returned to Hartevassbu to de-kit and prep for the following day. Morale however remained high with a sense of achievement from what they had completed.

The next morning the weather was looking kinder and with a new route to a different hut prepared, the cadets ventured back up the mountains. Whilst the route was shorter, it had some very tough uphill sections – some cadets certainly struggled at this point. Even on skis cadets would sometimes sink and when one took off his skis he quickly sank to his armpits in snow. The sight of the Berdalsbu Hut, located on top of a spur between the mountains raised spirits. Each group set about making their own ‘quincy’ (a snow shelter made by building a large snow mound and hollowing out the middle). In many cases this took up to 4 hours but only because the groups took time to add accoutrements such as ‘porches’, steps, shelving and sun bathing areas! The weather was kind to us and made digging these shelters a fun exercise. The cadets were sleeping soundly by 9pm and found the shelters small but actually quite cosy. At midnight, however, rain started to hammer down and the decision was made to move them to a nearby hut in case one of the shelters failed. 19 cadets in two monster size bunks kept the team in high spirits and everyone, importantly, warm.

After a massive tub of porridge early next morning, the party set off back down the valley. However heavy rain and cold temperatures had resulted in treacherous ski conditions; frozen hard snow and running rivers proved tricky obstacles. There were many who took their skis off and walked down the steep sections. It required teamwork to cross the rivers with heavy laden rucksacks without falling in. The cadets descended the valley cautiously, although it did feel like Narnia in "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" at times. The sight of the road head meant we had successfully concluded the expedition, although we still ended up with time to go ice-climbing and ice fishing – the final aspects of this once in a lifetime trip. The cadets learnt a lot about themselves, teamwork and leadership. They safely went beyond their comfort zones and they gained visibly in confidence during the trip; thanks is owed to the Ulysses trust and the Services for making this possible.

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Canford Norwegian Venturer Tiger/Hovdens tracks and lake Canford Norwegian Venturer Tiger/Climb up out of the Hovden valley Canford Norwegian Venturer Tiger/On route to the Berdalsbu Hut Canford Norwegian Venturer Tiger/Snow shelter Canford Norwegian Venturer Tiger/Ice climbing ??!!