This trip was designed to equip students with the practical knowledge and experience to enjoy the mountains safely. It took place in and around the mountainous area of eastern Setesdal, Bykle, Berdalsbru. The trip took into account all of the information gathered on previous trips and lectures.
Types of Shelters
Snow shelters require 30 to 60 degree angle, 4-8m maximum height and lee slopes.
Tree pit shelter
Snow cave
Rock face shelter
Snow pit
Snow hole
You can cook in a snow hole however you have to make sure that you have an air hole as the heat creates an ice layer that can stop the snow from freezing.
Tarpaulin shelter
Food required
On a previous expedition both I and Caitlin came up with a list of good winter expedition food to take.
Equipment List
Ski wax, Shovel, Avalanche probe, Saw, Stove, Gas, Sleeping bag, Sleeping mat, Bivi bag, Knife, Head torch, Spare batteries (AAA), Phone, Satellite beacon, Goggles, Sunglasses, Thermos, Map, Compass, First aid kit and Sun cream.
Day 1
We were all to meet at 1200 at Berdal where we would be divided into 2 groups. Once everybody had gathered, waxed skis and loaded packs we headed along the track and took turns to navigate to Berdalsbu where we would start to build our first shelter. It took a long time to get there and we eventually arrived a 1500 which was too late to start building a snow shelter therefore it was decided that we would all stay in the DNT hut. The hut was very comfortable and could sleep half of the group comfortably with the other half based in the other hut so we ended up lighting the fire and playing cards for the rest of the evening.
Day 2
The main aim of today was to build a snow-hole and explore areas of shelter building. After breakfast we tidied the cabins to its previous state then headed off in our two groups to look for good areas to build a snow hole. For around an hour and a half we explored the local area using our avalanche probes to scout potential areas. Once an area was found we went back to the cabin to pick up our gear and began to make the snow hole.
My snow-hole group consisted of Me, Jill and Caitlin. Both I and Caitlin had previous experience of building snow-holes together which really helped. Within three hours the snow-hole was built to a comfortable standard. I think we all put in equal effort and switched roles really effectively which really helped building the snow-hole quickly. As a result we were one of the first ones to finish and was one of the better constructed ones according to Len.
Day 3
Today it was decided that we would do a ski tour in the mountains for around 10 km. Winds were steadily increasing throughout the tour and some of the group were struggling. It became clearer when two of the group decided that they did not have the ability to complete a summit therefore it was decided that we would head back down. By lunchtime the winds were increasing and was becoming colder therefore Len made the decision to head back to the snow-holes, have lunch and then we would head back out to complete some emergency shelter building.
The emergency shelter consisted of a hole that was dug just a bit shorter than the length of the ski and wide enough for you to fit in. You would then dig out blocks till you got to around your shoulder height. Once this was done the skis were laid length-ways across the hole and the blocks were used to cover the hole back up. Finally a rabbit hole was dug at one end so you could get in and out with the backpack being used to cover up the hole.
Day 4
Last day of the trip and we set off from the snow-holes after breakfast carrying all our equipment. The aim of the day was to navigate back to the car park using a slightly different route than the one before. Despite all the navigation we had done before a few people from the group really struggled with the navigation so it was down to some of the better navigators to help out. Even still we still needed Len to provide us with heights from his altimeter in order to gain a better fix on our position. After a few hours of semi successful navigation we ended back at the car park to head back to Kristiansand.
