In February 2014, 26 cadets from Canford School and Wellington College embarked upon a week long cross-country skiing expedition based in Hovden, Norway. The aim of the expedition was to offer the cadets a wholly new experience challenging them and taking them well outside their comfort zones in a potentially hostile environment and in the process developing many important life skills. The first three days focussed simply on teaching them how to ski and survive. The next three days were set aside for an expedition which was to include a night in a snowhole and a night in a ski-touring hut.
A Cadet’s Diary
Day 1 – Following a long journey, we arrived at the very comfortable Hovden Fjellstoge and were quickly briefed on the plans for the week along with the statutory H&S stuff. This was followed by our first taste of Norwegian food and what a relief it was to be away from the soggy UK.
Day 2 – In rather mild conditions of -2C, we were split into groups based on skiing experience. After a big breakfast, we collected boots and skis and set out onto the snow. We were lucky to be led by both good-humoured and experienced instructors, including a mountain leader and a former GB biathlete. After lots of slipping over and painful wipe-outs we were applauded and the instructors commented on how impressed they were both with the ability and our attitude – we weren’t quite so rubbish after-all. One group apparently marched 20km – an impressive feat for day 1!
Day 3 – The temperature dropped sharply on day 3 to at least -10C but this did not hold us back from brandishing our skis and poles. We learned about the importance of waxing skis and the use of the emergency shelter. One group skied as high as 1183m and then attempted the alpine tracks on the way down which was more challenging than expected. We picked up new skills but were starting to feel tired as the week began to take its toll. The evening ended with an excellent lecture on avalanches and snow holes.
Day 4 – With light winds and steady snow, the focus of day 4 was on the technical knowledge needed for the expedition. Our skiing ability had come on significantly after some thorough practice in the previous days! We then learned how to use avalanche transceivers, buried and rescued each other in the snow and crucially, learned how to build various snow shelters from snow holes to quinzhees. After some last minute preparations, we got an early night anticipating the challenges to come.
Day 5 (Expedition day 1) – As the temperature dropped yet again to approximately -17C this time, we set out for the first day of the expedition, making a steady and determined climb up the mountain despite the heavier weight of our rucksacks (now they included ration packs, mess tins and other items). However, after a 12km ascent, the conditions deteriorated with increasingly poor visibility and wind speed of 20 m/s. Unfortunately, we had to turn back for safety reasons. Although we were disappointed, we understood why the decision had been made. We then spent the afternoon learning the Telemark turn and slept in a “lavvo” which, to be fair, was probably colder than a snow shelter anyway!
Day 6 (Expedition day 2) – Following a mixed night’s sleep and some ration pack breakfasts, we started the day with some warm-up exercises, such as relay races and rugby on skis. As the conditions up the mountain were still deemed unsafe, we picked a spot to build quinzhees closer to Hovden. The construction of these snow shelters triggered tense competition between the groups. After some hard graft, we settled down on our roll mats at about 6pm, had some dinner and slept for the longest night many of us had ever encountered.
Day 7 (Expedition day 3) – After waking up, we enjoyed sharing stories of our experiences in the quinzhees, particularly one group which had to encounter the wrath of a rather territorial vole! We then skied slowly back down to Hovden to finish off the expedition experience. And then sheer luxury; the saunas and pool in Hovden followed by a hilarious awards ceremony.
In summary, our trip will surely go down as one of the most special and unique experiences of our school days and we learned so so much. Finally we would like to reiterate our thanks to The Ulysses Trust for its support for 26 cadets and helping enable them experience a truly challenging and exciting trip.
