Page 23 - Wish Stream Year of 2017

We started the expedition by fly-
ing into Oslo where we enjoyed an
afternoon as flâneurs (those who
explore a city by foot), with visits
to the post-Modern Opera House
and the Royal Palace of Norway.
Requiring refreshments, we discov-
ered with some surprise and confu-
sion that a pint of lager was around
£11 – apparently a normal price in
the hyper-expensive Norway – and met our char- ismatic instructor. We then took the night train through a snowstorm up to the remote mountain hamlet of Finse, which is only accessible by train twice a day.
We stayed in a long hut on the edge of a frozen lake with views over the Hardangerjøkulen Gla- cier, with a dining room and small bar for the thirty guests. Blessed with cloudless skies, we spent the first few days learning the gliding technique of Nordic skiing, achieved through hinged boots and precariously narrow skis. After a few days of experimenting, we had picked up the confidence to trek around the lake up to the mountains. The clear views across the mountains rewarded the tiring, and quite hot, ascent of the Sandavatnet peak on our third day. It was an exhilarating con- firmation of our ability to competently Nordic ski around the area and enjoy the therapeutic isola- tion afforded by expeditionary ski touring.
Amongst the technical skills of Nordic skiing, we were taught snow types, layering, and formation theory as an essential foundation, as safely tra- versing the virgin environment around Finse requires rigorous analysis to mitigate avalanche risk. Along with an expedition up to a survival hut high in the glacier, climbing the Sandavatnet mountain confirmed that in only a few
days the five Officer Cadets were competent and enjoyed ski touring the Norwegian mountains.
Finally, we completed our crossing of the width of Norway by stopping for a night in the charm- ing town of Bergen, having seen the world- famous fjords on our train journey to the coast, to round off our cultural experience of Norway before flying home.
EX POLAR CADET was not only a success in that we all achieved a Nordic Skiing Foundation 1 qualification, but that it inspired us to pursue it further. I and two other Officer Cadets enjoyed the expedition so much that we are hoping to pursue another expedition next season. Whether together or in our units, having had our first exposure to Nordic skiing, we keenly hope that it will not be our last.
...we discovered with some surprise and confusion that a pint of lager was around £11...
Exercise SCOTCH CADET
On the 13th April, OCdts Nichol, Russell, Luxemburg, Barnes, Webb and Vaughan embarked on Exercise Scotch Cadet,
proudly supported by the Sandhurst Trust. The five-day Adventurous Training located in Scot- land featured mountain biking in a variety of environments. The OCdts knew the challenge that awaited them and were looking forward to testing themselves in the light of new skills learnt whilst attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Under the instruction of LCpl Gillespie, day one consisted of learning how to conduct basic bike maintenance and identifying the mountain bik- ing skill of the Cadets involved. It became evi- dent that some were further ahead than others, which would soon translate into the number of falls each Cadet experienced. Having witnessed
SANDHURST 21