Page 183 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

EXERCISE NORDIC CHALLENGE NORWAY
31 MARCH – 9 APRIL 2017
The Hardangervidda was in a foul belligerent mood, unyielding, as it ferocious winds sped across the snowy surface engul ng everything in its path. The noise was unbelievable, a continuous angry roar. Trying to speak was pointless, when we did, its decibels increased to an even greater crescendo of noise. We got the message and retreated back to the safety of our mountain hut. Over the next three days we watched this performance in awe, as the power of nature was now in control, we were going nowhere! The beauty of the Hardangervidda was going to have to wait for another day.
Introduction: The aim of the Challenge was to introduce a novice group of cadets to Nordic Ski Touring, in an area classed as one on the great wildernesses of Northern Europe. This was our eleventh ski expedition to this remote mountainous area of Norway.
Capt Scott Memorial: After a very uneventful ight and a pleasant two and a quarter hour rail journey from Bergen, we arrived at Finse Railway Station, which is at 1222 meters (4009 feet) above sea level. The rst thing we saw on the platform was the impressive obelisk Memorial to Captain Scott and his team who reached the South Pole in 1912. Scott’s Expedition trained extensively in this area of Norway. See note below*
Training Phase: The rst four days was our training phase. We were based at the Finse Hytta, probably one of the more salubrious DNT* mountain huts in Norway, really more like a small hotel. It was very busy when we were there, some people even had to sleep on the oor. Bunk beds it may have been for us, but the cuisine was most excellent.
The cadets responded very well to this unique form of skiing, which involved mastering a number of basic skills. They practiced building a snowhole and got a general understanding of Arctic and cold climate survival. The best part of this initial phase was a 15 km ski tour to the very basic Klemsbu Hytta. It was a beautiful day, but a steep climb out of the Finse bowl brought perspiration to our brows. The initial skiing conditions were icy, so getting a good grip with the sh scale skies was at times quite dif cult, but as things warmed up the snow became a lot slushier, hence from then on we moved with greater ease and ef ciency.
On reaching the brow of this steep section, we stopped and looked across the valley at the fantastic panoramic views of the Hardangerjokulen Glacier (1863 mtrs/ 6112 ft) above sea level. The 1980 lm ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ used this as a lm location. We skied onto the hut and had lunch in the simmering heat of the midday sun. There was no thought of the more serious conditions we were going to face the next day. It was a pleasant but steep ski back to Finse.
Expedition – A Different Plan! On completing the training phase.
Plan A. Was our original route. A four day, 65 km ski THE RIFLES
borne expedition in the remote snowy wilderness of the Hardangervidda
The planned route:
Day 1: Finse to Kreakkja - 24 km
Day 2: Kreakkja to Kjeldebu - 13 km
Day 3: Kjeldebu to snowhole 18 km
Day 4: Snowhole to Finse - 10 km
However, this plan had to be abandoned as storm/ gale force winds were predicated in the afternoon of the rst day.
Plan B. (A night in a snowhole) was put into action. Up to now, all enjoyed the creature comforts provided by the brilliant DNT mountain hut. There was the prospect of building and spending the night in a snow hole. Our rst attempt during the training phase proved to be a reasonably easy undertaking. We used this same location some 4 km South of Finse. It was hard work, as our snow shovels chipped away at the hard snow. A few hours later all were in our comfortable ice bound abode, cooking a well-earned evening meal. Soon afterwards sleep just seemed to come naturally.
Partial Success: This was a partially successful expedition, which I believe all found to be an enjoyable challenge, especially as none of our cadets had ever done this type of expedition before. Hopefully it was also educational and informative and that the team leaders quiz (won by Wilf Hunt) gave a little insight into Norway, its people, history, geography and the outdoor environment. Overall the cadets were well motivated, very t and fairly well organized.
For a group who had never x country skied before, with a 30lb rucksack on their backs it was quite an achievement. What was reassuring to the cadets, was that even the Norwegians fall over. On one of the mornings a large group of Norwegian teenagers left the hut, skied down a not too dif cult slope, before they reached the bottom, most had fallen over. So they are not born on skis!
Really this was a rare and unique environment for UK based pupils.
WHAT WAS REASSURING TO THE CADETS, WAS THAT EVEN THE NORWEGIANS FALL OVER. SO THEY ARE NOT BORN ON SKIS!
Capt Scott Last Diary Entry
*It is not certain that 29 March 1912 is the precise day on which Scott died. The date is chosen because it marks the nal entry in his journal. Which read:
“Since the 21st,” he wrote, “we have had a continuous gale from WSW and SW. We had fuel to make two cups of tea apiece and bare food for two days on the 20th. Every day we have been ready to start for our depot 11 miles away, but outside the door of the tent it remains a scene of whirling drift. I do not think we can hope for any better things now. We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far. It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write anymore.” Then, as an addendum: “For God’s sake look after our people.”
The interesting point of this is, Scott and his team over a three month period in this remote and unforgiving area of the Antarctica, had to face endless days of being buffeted by storm force winds and all they had was the safety of a rather imsy tent. We only experienced a couple of hours of similar conditions. These were true explorers, men of real adventures. +DNT - Den Norske Tourisforening (The Norwegian Tourist Association)
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