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.