Page 69 - Wish Stream Year of 2018

Exercise VIKING VANGUARD Ski Touring SF3 in Hovden, Agust-Ader, Norway
“That’s the wrong Hovden”
“What!?”
“The Hovden we’re driving to. It’s a different town, also called Hovden. The one we’re meant to be going to is 150 kilometres further.”
“Ah”.
A good start.
Three hours later, we do make it safely to the correct Hovden, a quiet resort nestled in the centre of Norway, some 300 kilometre west of Oslo.
Happily, the next morning confirms that the group’s skiing ability far exceeds its navigational talents, as we enjoy a ‘shake out’ on the slopes and refresh ourselves ahead of a challenging week. Our instructor takes us through the fun- damentals of ski touring, and we run through a number of safety procedures relevant to cross- ing avalanche-prone terrain, and building emer- gency snow shelters to offer protection from the elements.
The following day brought our first taste of ski touring, as we attached our skis and embarked on an ascent uphill towards the peak at Svanauten. Three hours later, our hard work was
OCdt Ozanne
rewarded with a varied ski down. One OCdt was even thoughtful enough to demonstrate for the benefit of the rest of the group that Norwegian pine trees are indeed reasonably solid when impacted at speed, and thus best avoided. Selfless commitment.
By our third day on the snow, we were
The group perseveres, following our bearings and trusting our instincts.
feeling confident enough to attempt a much greater challenge – a 12km tour to an overnight hut at Tjornbrotbu. The first leg of the journey was straightforward, as the group were able to follow a track leading out of town. How- ever, no sooner had the path disappeared than the weather began to close in.
The group perseveres, following our bearings and trusting our instincts. However, the weather is worsening by the minute and, with daylight beginning to fade, time is running out to find the correct hut – or else turn around and head back down before dark. As we set our compasses to begin another ascent, the sheer wilderness of our surroundings becomes ever more appar- ent. We climb further, light fading, legs tiring. Finally, as we crest yet another hill, a glorious sight hones into view. A hut! A marvellous, shel- ter-giving, warmth-promising hut. We feel like Ernest Shackleton approaching South Georgia after his perilous voyage from the Antarctic shelf. Granted, our peril is decidedly less lethal than
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