Easter is gone and we started our final winter trip in the surrounding of Berdalen. After our arrival at a parking slot in Berdalen, snow saws and avalanche probes were handed out by Len and Tim. A couple of minutes later we were gathered in the two groups and were briefed about the plan of the following days. I was in Tim’s group and his first task was navigation exercise. We should find the way to the Berdalsbu hut and in some of us had to lead a leg on the 6 km distance. The conditions were quiet difficult because it was some degrees above zero and the snow was really wet. We used the red wax but it did not work very well wherefore it was very slippery and exhausting on the uphill parts. My group arrived a couple of minutes before the other at the hut and Tim told us we should go inside because of the next briefing. He told us that we have to dig our snow hole in this area but it would be probably dark before we finished digging. Furthermore, he explained the hut system of DNT which was nothing new for me because of the Tromsø trip. Surprising was the news that we stay the first night in this hut which confused us a little bit. First we were not sure if he was joking but then we all very happy and were in a wanton mood. We spend the evening with question games which was a lot of fun and it was great that Tim joined.

The next morning, we made a little tour in the surrounding of the hut and searched suitable spots for our snow holes. We found three just a couple of hundred meters away and the testing showed that the snow is deep enough. So, we started digging there under the observation of Len and Tim. Martin, Michael, Chris and I made a four men hole and we started digging two entries. The reason for this was that two of us were able to dig and the remaining could rest. After a while we changed which was really good because the digging was exhausting. It was a lot of fun two and the weather made it even better because there was nearly no cloud in the sky, just sun. Five or six hours and some advices of Len and Tim later we met each other in the middle. We closed one entrance, improved our arch and dug out a small place for our stoves. Our result was really good and even Tim said that it is a very good snow hole. After work we had dinner but due to the cold conditions the gas cartouche did not work properly wherefore it took a little bit longer to warm our food up. Luckily, we precooked most of the things at home. While eating we watched the beautiful sunset but after the sun was gone it became cold really fast so we jumped into our sleeping bags. At around 10ish we decided to go to sleep but I was not really tired at all and there were a lot of thoughts in my mind. I was thinking about all the snow I was surrounded by and how it feels if the snow hole collapses. I am not claustrophobic but in the beginning I did not feel very comfortable but nevertheless I fell asleep fast and luckily I slept through the night.

On Thursday 31^st we did a daytrip. The conditions changed rapidly compared to yesterday. There was no sun, it was cloudy and it was very windy. Tim said the wind is blowing with about 13 meters per second wherefore it was much colder than yesterday. We even could use the blue wax but I did a bad job this day because it was as slippery as the day before for me… As consequence the almost 300m altitude we climbed on our way to Midnuten had been very exhausting but it was definitely worth it. Because of the wind the loose snow moved in strings and the scenario reminded me at a wind channel. Nearby the top of Midnuten we had a lunch break and Tim showed us his emergency shelter thing that was made out of parachute material. On the one side this was really good because it protected us against the wind and it heated up really quickly but on the other hand it was really uncomfortable because we had to crouch. Unluckily I was on the side the wind came from wherefore my bag became cold very quick. For emergency cases this thing is very good and if you change places from time to time it is very helpful as well. After lunch I learned something I will never forget because my hands started to freeze very fast and with the wind blowing towards us they became so cold that I decided to change my gloves and put my mittens on. Tim reminded me that my body concentrates its blood around the center to support the digestion. I underestimated the impact of this pattern under cold conditions but from now on I will think of this after lunch. We continued our way towards Skardstjørnin and suddenly there was this very, very steep downhill slope in front of us and Tim said that we will ski down there. I prayed to god that he was joking again but he was not. First, I was really afraid because of the slope, the icy conditions and avalanches but Tim did a very good job there. He gave us a lot of helpful advices and told us that we go down in traverses. It took us about 20 to 30 minutes but in the end it was a great achievement and an experience I do not want to miss because from now on I am not afraid anymore of very steep slopes. From this leg we headed back to our snow holes and of course every one of us had to lead a leg during the tour. After our returning we practiced tour planning which was very good because I had no idea how to do it properly. Following, we had the evening off and I had a walk to the river and back and of course dinner. This evening I was not tired as well and therefore Michael and I made a night walk. Around 11ish we went to sleep and woke up at 7 because today it was the last day and we had to pack our stuff. In time we arrived at the meeting point and this time a waxed my skis very carefully which was worth it because we took the way back to the parking slot we created at the route planning session. The first one and a half kilometers we headed north and climbed uphill before we turned west to ski the last remaining 4 km mostly downhills to the cars. According to the days before some of us had to lead a leg.

To sum it up, I had four awesome days in the mountains with a lot of new experiences and during these days I learned a lot about navigation and living in a cold environment.  When you are navigating you always not only pay attention to the surrounding you think that is around you because in nature a lot of things are similar. You should always use your compass, make short legs with a maximum distance of one to one and a halt kilometer and always pay attention to the time. Last but not least you should calculate the pace and +2 minutes every uphill contour line. As a group leader you should additionally make a 5 minutes break every hour and you also should have a plan b, an escape route when something happens like for example an injury. If I am not able to reach a hut because of e.g. a weather change I am now able to survive because during the trip I learned how to dig a snow hole and an emergency shelter. Additionally I was taught that you always should stay in a group and if you got lost do not try to find the others, they should find you. Emergency shelters are cold but inside it is warmer than outside and it protects you against the wind that is the true killer. Hopefully I am never in such a situation that I need to dig an emergency shelter but from now on I know what to do in such a situation and how to raise my odds.