The Fjell to Fjord trip was my first trip in a long time and our first field trip without skis. Before we started our adventure, the class got divided into 8 pairs for the canoeing. These pairs were made up out of one experienced and one unexperienced person. At the same time we were trying to equal out the physical strength in these pairs. My partner and I also planned our meals and camp together. Since we were not allowed to have tents, we had to build shelters with tarpaulin and rope.

Besides the hope for good weather I was really nervous because it had been quite a long time since my last time out. Besides that I had to pack multiple bag packs, for canoeing as well as for climbing and cycling. In the end there where two things I forgot: a towel and mosquito spray, I will get back to that later.

We dropped our bags of on Sunday evening, got the trailer with the canoes ready and then we were good to go.

Day 1:

Our trip was supposed to go from Byglandsfjord via Evje down to Kristiansand. Because this was a one way trip, we had to take the bus and almost missed our stop.

Once we got there, we started off with some dry theory on land and divided into 2 groups in order to have a better experience. This included signals we can get from the group leader and river navigation. In our canoe I was the unexperienced one and I’m grateful that my partner was being so patient with me. Even during the trip she took the time and explained some things to me.

As we finally sat in our canoes we learned the different strokes, such as the power stroke to go forward, stirring strokes, backwards, sideward using an eight stroke but most importantly: the J-stroke. This stroke allows one to not only go forward but also to adjust the direction of travel and is used while solo canoeing. The sides of the boat are called starboard for the right side and port for the left side. This is easy to remember with the old sailor sentence “Is there any port left?” The weather was so good that we started fooling around a bit and started changing seats while we were still floating on the river.

After 7km we stopped on an island where we were supposed to stay for the night and met up with the other group. We started searching for a place for the night that would keep us safe from wind and the loads of ants inhabiting this island. Just as we learned it, we stretched a rope between two trees and with sticks that we found on the ground as pegs we set up our tarp as a roof for the night. We ended up sleeping in groups, for example the people in Hammocks slept together in a nice setup. After dinner we had another solo canoeing session. I found this to be quite challenging but not impossible. You had to be really careful not to capsize. This was also a word I learnt that day, it means falling over with, with your boat, into the water. As we got into our sleeping bags, I realized that I forgot my mosquito spray. After some slaps to my own face I got rid of most of them and had a really good night. This time I learnt from the last trip and brought my toothbrush!

Day 2:

I felt really refreshed and after a huge breakfast (which came in handy throughout the day) we started the second part of our canoeing tour. The group spirit was really good and we even played some games on the water (I spy with my little eye..). I discovered that team leading on water can be slightly difficult because you have to keep the group together and this requires some discipline. Also orienting can be challenging if there is a big archipelago. After 11km and some additional info about river paddling, we reached the dam near Evje and gout out.

Most of the group went rafting, so it was up to me and another guy to watch over the gear and canoes and help loading the cars. Unfortunately TrollAktiv didn’t have the tipis so we slept in small huts. During the night it got really cold and I realized I should have dressed differently and not let myself be fooled by a hut. In the evening we got the bikes and tested them right away on a quick ride to Evje in small groups. This lead to the first ice cream this year and I can assure you, Norwegian ice cream is as delicious as they say.

Day 3:

This day was just as beautiful as the days before, sunshine and almost no wind. Once again we split into two groups because it is better to handle this way. On that 25km bike ride we figured out the basics of group touring with bikes. The slowest should go in front and insecure drivers in the middle so they don’t fall behind. As we were riding along I realized how hard the saddle was and knew that the long tour on the next day won’t be easy. An important thing whilst riding a bike is, to pedal at a relaxed pace with enough resistance but not too much.

After some time we got to the climbing crag which was close to the main road but still kind of isolated. We had a lot of time at our hands and learned how to set up abseiling routes for kids and how do behave in that environment with a group of children. It is very important to always make sure that the ropes are evened out and that the kids stay away from the edge/ropes as long as they are not safe. We climbed around a bit longer and searched for camps for the night. Since it was a hot day, some of us went for a swim in the lake. I would have loved to join in but as I already stated in the beginning, I forgot my towel and couldn’t join in on a swim in the cold water. Later on we even learned about Norwegian snakes from which one is poisonous. After that one of the girls at my camping spot got really anxious and we had to comfort her. This lead to the thought, if it might be better to remain silent about some information as longs as you are outdoors with a group. I think it lies in the responsibility of a team leader to figure that out. As we were finally in our sleeping bags we could see the stars on a clear night sky. It was absolutely stunning.

Day 4:

On our last day, we cycled around 60km back to Kristiansand. We followed the track of the old railroad and learned more about local history and how it changed during the last years. Towards the end of that trip I felt how my saddle lowered but I didn’t want to stop the whole group just for me. We arrived safely, just had two minor crashes, but my knees were hurting a bit and I realized that I applied the social pressure on myself. One might say that this was quite dumb but for me it was an important experience to make and I realized that this can also happen to group members when I am leading a group.

Overall we had an amazing trip with even better weather and the best people! We learned a lot and got to experience things in an environment not many people are capable to access.