The self-organised trip took place over the course of four days and three nights in Jegersberg with a group that consisted of eight people. During the first night we stayed close to Kyrtjonn which was a 2.5 km walk from the university. We arrived at this destination within 45 minutes as we were walking at a steady pace above 3km an hour with heavy rucksacks. The space in which we decided to build shelters was fairly open and flat and somewhat sheltered. The ground was dry underfoot and grassy. Regarding the groups learning outcomes, these consisted of trying various shelters, including natural and using a tarp in different ways. On the first day we stayed in this area to accomplish this learning outcome by building three separate shelters. One consisted of just natural materials such as pine branches and logs with rope to hold everything together, while the other shelters consisted of one or two tarps. We also taught each other various knots and methods for keeping the shelter as secure as possible.
In order to erect these shelters, we needed a saw and an axe. As a group we had two saws and an axe and so for eight people there wasn’t enough for all of us to cut and saw wood for the shelter. This gives us hindsight to improve a trip if we were to repeat this and ensure there was a saw for one between two at the least and another axe for the group to use. However, the lack of equipment did not hinder the group too much as while some cut down trees, others could look into where the shelters would be built and start the build. We gave ourselves the majority of the day to build our shelters in order not to rush them and to educate ourselves as much as possible on the different ways shelters can be built. During this time we also exchanged knowledge on various knots and put these into practice. This first day was a chance to exchange existing knowledge between group members and try new ideas out. Regarding the equipment we did have; one of the saws was rather blunt and this made sawing wood for the shelter difficult, however this did not cause a major problem but made us all aware of checking all equipment before taking it out to ensure a trouble free trip.
As one of our main learning outcomes was to focus on building different shelters, three were built over the course of the day. The first one consisted of two tarps and was the biggest of all three. This shelter was built with a long piece of wood rested on a trees branches and a ‘Y’ shaped log on the other end forming a sloping tarp roof. The ‘Y’ shaped log was anchored down using rope and rocks to stabilise it.
The other shelter consisting with a tarp sheltered one person and was tied down to two long logs rested on a branch in a tree. This tarp was more vertical then the bigger tarp and so acted more as a wind shelter if the wind was blowing in the right direction. One drawback of this shelter was that there was no shelter if wind direction was to change which could cause the shelter to fly away if not tied down properly. The final shelter was made using natural materials. Two ‘Y’ shaped logs on either side supporting one long log allowed for thin branches and logs to be leaned towards one side providing a sloping roof of weaved branches. Once this was achieved, pine branches were used to create the roof.
On the second night we stayed close to Oygardtjonn. This was only a short distance from our previous spot, however we walked for a few hours to a spot height and off the path testing our navigational skills. The specific area in which we built shelters was not completely flat and covered with mounds of flora. There were still plenty of trees however to anchor our shelters to. The shelter was built in between two mounds allowing shelter from the wind. The tarp was rested over a piece of string tied between two trees to form a triangular tent shape. A second tarp was then used as a ground sheet. This second night gave the group opportunity to try a different shelter with different resources around us and took us much less time to erect.
For the final night we aimed back to our previous campsite on the first night as our aim was to put up our original shelters but improve on them from the first night. On the first night we found that our shelter was not so sheltered from the wind and so we lowered the roof slightly to allow it to stay warmer and less breezy.
After the shelters were built the group decided to carve utensils and other things out of silver birch wood.
This gave the group a chance to practice their witling and carving skills. In the meantime, food was also being prepared. As there was eight of us in a group, we split into smaller groups to organise food. This allowed us to bring enough for two or three of us and cater to individual needs. For lunch we had pasta, tuna, vegetables and pesto. This was sufficient for three of us and was not too heavy to carry as it could be easily distributed between three of us. Regarding nutrition, the food we had provided us with carbohydrates from the pasta and vitamins from the vegetables allowing slow energy release for the rest of the day, which also helps in keeping warm during the night. As minimal exercise was taking place after dinner and we knew we did not have a particularly hard day the next day and glycogens could ‘last up to 5 – 6 hours.’ Langmuir (2013) Over the trip we shared three meals, all containing similar ingredients with either rice or pasta. As rice and pasta can be heavy to carry in bulk, these ingredients were measured before the trip to allow us to have the right amount without having to carry surplus amounts that would unnecessarily add weight to our rucksacks. If carrying out a longer trip, the group’s energy requirements could have been calculated to allow the right amount of food to be taken with us using an estimated basal metabolic rate. Langmuir (2013) However this didn’t seem necessary as we were out for only three nights. Simple carbohydrates were also taken in the form of snacks such as sweets and chocolate to ensure energy levels were high. Personally just the right amount of food was packed to enable a lighter rucksack, but if this trip was repeated, more food would be taken to allow for an emergency or a hungry stomach.
Another agreed learning outcome for the group was to focus on navigational skills. These included walking on a bearing, pacing, timing, and reading a grid reference and then leading the group to pre – agreed points on the Jegersberg orienteering map.
We were also able to teach others, giving some a chance to test what they already knew and apply this in teaching someone else. The remainder of the trip was focused on these skills. For this, everyone came with a compass, but not all came with a map. This made is difficult for all the group to follow where we were on the map and so it would be recommended that if the trip were to be repeated, everyone should have their own map. From this trip, the whole group now knows the amount of paces they need to get to 100 metres. Not only this but every member also led the group to a point on the map using all the techniques previously mentioned so as to put their skills to practice and test their leadership ability. All pre-determined learning outcomes were sufficiently met and the length of the trip allowed us to fully focus on each one and also revisit certain skills so as to improve on them.
References
Langmuir, E. (2013) Mountain craft and Leadership. 4th edition. England, Mountain Training Scotland and Mountain Training England.
Forte, C (2012) Navigation in the mountains.UK, Mountain leader training.