Intro: 

Our second round of skiing took place in Evje at the TrollActiv Centre about 70km North of Kristiansand. We were here from Monday to Friday learning cross country ski techniques. We were staying in fully equipped cabins which was great! Tim Davis the owner of TrollActiv was our main instructor with the help of Ketil and Simon. The snow conditions were quite icy on the first two days followed by alot of snowfall which made the snow quite deep and powdery. Our main aims of the trip were to learn and improve on our basic ski techniques, ski preparation, day pack packing and first aid in the field. The days were spent skiing and in the evenings we were presented with a lecture. One afternoon was also spent on snowshoes geocaching.

Week Overview:
Monday: Arrive at TrollActiv. Skiing in local area and learning ski techniques. Lecture on skis and wax
Tuesday: Technique training, 5km tour on tracks and lecture on first aid in the field.
Wednesday: Technique training, 8km tour on tracks, lecture on packing a ruck sack.
Thursday: Technique training and a 10km tour on tracks with some off-track touring.
Friday: 15km day trip to mountain top.

1. What does the Recreation Act tells you for use of this area?Skiing is performed in the winter when the ground is covered by a decent layer of snow. As it is not a motorized activity, it does not harm the environment with diesel or noise pollution. Therefore this allows skiers to access cultivated land unless otherwise specifically signed.

2.Ski Preparation

An important part of learning to cross country ski is the ski preparation. If the skis are not prepared in the right way, skiing may not be as enjoyable. When looking at a ski, there is the binding, camber, glide zone and grip zone.

Binding: This is where your foot is placed and locked in with a binding that presses on the front of your ski boot.

Camber: Telemark skis have camber meaning they are quite flexible in the middle allowing for the grip zone to create friction with the snow.

Glide zone: These are located in the 1st and 3rd third of the skis. These allow the ski to glide on the snow once the skier has pushed off with the other leg.

Grip zone:  The grip zone is located in the middle third of the ski and is responsible for “gripping” the snow in order for the skier to be able to push forward.

To prepare the skis, a glide wax is placed on the first and last third. Sandpaper is then used to rough up the middle third. Five coats of base wax are then placed in the middle third and either corked or ironed in. The final layer of wax in the middle third is dependent on the weather. Three to four layers of this are placed on and corked in. The reason for so many layers is because wax will come off in layers. The amount of layers placed on the skis should be dependent on the length of the trip –i.e. longer trip = more layers. Below is a picture that shows the different types of waxes for different conditions. As well as wax, there are also skins which can be placed onto the bottom of the skis to make walking up mountains easier. The right wax is essential as it allows for the ski to have perfect kick / glide movement. The wrong wax can cause the skis to not grip or to collect snow. When applying wax it is also good to remember to apply it in a warm room so the wax goes onto the ski much easier. For more information on waxing skis, refer to the following website: http://www.swixschool.com

On this trip, we also were provided with ‘skins’ for the last day This was because we were to ski up a steep mountainside. Skins are strips of fabric with adhesive backs that are placed onto your skis from tip to tail. These act in the same way that tread does – by providing extra friction (evo 2014). This allows the skier to move more quickly up hills as there is no longer the need for herring-boning. Skins however do restricted the glide movement of skis on flat ground and slow the skier’s speed on downhill slopes.

3. Ski Technique

While in Evje we learnt many cross country skiing techniques. Some were easier to master than others – particularly with the snow conditions we had. Some techniques that we learnt included:

– Classic skiing: pushing back on one ski to propel the other ski forward. This should be done when trekking on cross country skis. – Step turns: lifting one leg and placing it in the opposite direction, twist your body and balancing on the ski poles and then bringing the other leg around to face the position of the turned ski. – Skating: Turning the skis outward slightly and pushing off with one leg while balancing on the other and then continually switching sides. The skis should always be pushing away from each other (similar to roller skating or ice skating). – Snow plough: This technique is used to slow yourself down or come to a complete stop when going downhill. To do this, turn the tops of your skis together to create an upside down ‘V’ shape with your skis and then pronate your feet to edge your skis into the snow. – Herringbone: This technique is used to climb up a hill and in order to do this you turn the tops of your skis out to create a ‘V’ shape, pronate your feet slightly so as to edge your skis and then walk up the hill keeping your body weight back slightly. – Telemarking: This turn is one of the oldest way to turn on skis and involves propping one leg forward in a lunge position, keeping the body upright and forcing more weight onto the front leg to turn in that direction. – Telemark kick turns: In a telemark position,  glide down a slope at a slight angle, then kick the skis around (like in the step turns) and glide down the other way at a slight angle. Continue until at the bottom of the hill. To assist us in the learning and practicing of these techniques and to improve our balance on the skis, several challenges were given to us.
This involved the following:

– Downhill skiing with snow ploughs having to be done every time the instructor yelled ‘stop’. – Downhill skiing in which a telemark turn was to be completed at the end – Organ pipes where the snow is uneven and the weight must be transferred to and from each leg. – Jumps where we were to ski downhill, over a jump and land in a telemark position. – Downhill skiing with telemark kick turns.  

4. Day Pack Contents:

On all of the days we were required to take a small day pack with us. Inside this day pack was to be food, water, a hot drink, warm clothes, spare beanie, spare socks, spare gloves, a map, a compass, a rope, a knife and a shovel. When packing the bag it is important to remember the following things: – Always waterproof the gear. Whether it be with several dry bags or by placing a plastic garbage bag inside the day pack. – Always pack the heaviest items at the bottom of the pack and closest to your back. This is so the weight is carried on your hips rather than your shoulders. When putting on your pack, loosen all straps first. Then place on back, tip over at the hips an clip the waist buckles together and pull tight – this will ensure a tight fit on the hips. Next tighten the shoulder straps and clip the chest straps together. Lastly, pull the smaller hip straps and shoulder straps to fit it perfectly. The bag should sit comfortably on the shoulders but with most of the weight being carried by the hips. – Always keep a small bottle of water and a warm jacket (down or primaloft jacket) near the top. – In snowy conditions, always place warm water in your bottles so it does not freeze. – Make sure your medication or first aid kit is in an easy to reach place. – Never place the shovel in a place that it may injure you in the event of a fall.

5. First Aid in the field:

Accidents can always occur and this is why whenever travelling, you should keep a first aid kit handy. Ensure that your first aid kit is well stocked before each trip and is suitable to the trip you are completing.
A first aid kit should include the following items:

– Rescue blanket: in the event of hypothermia this can be used to keep the casualty warm. – Gloves, face mask, tissues: to protect you from any illness / disease the person may be carrying. – Modifiable splint: to stabilize injured body parts – Tape: To strap injured parts, to prevent blisters, to tape a splint – there are many uses for tape. – Bandages, plasters, patches: to place over wounds – Scissors – Pen and paper: to write down the occurences so the paramedics have an exact copy of what happened and what measures have taken to help them – Phone or Spot device: When handling a first aid situation, DRABCD should be followed.
This acronym stands for:

Danger – Response – Airways – Breathing – CPR – Defibrillation

Always looks for dangers first as your safety is more important. If it is clear then you may move ahead to treat the casualty. The main risks out in the snow include injuries such as broken bones or torn ligaments / tendons / muscles, concussion from a collision, frostbite and dehydration. Never move someone suspected of having a broken neck or spine.
The handiest item to have in a first aid kit is a ‘Euro Splint’. This is an adjustable foam that can have many uses including a splint, neck brace and strapping. Another main risk out in this environment that was not mentioned is hypothermia.

How to treat hypothermia:
Hypothermia is “a potentially dangerous drop in body temperature, usually caused by prolonged exposure to cold temperatures” (WebMD 2014). The general symptoms of hypothermia include shivering, shallow breathing, confusion, exhaustion, a weaker or slower pulse and loss of co-ordination. In more severe case, the person may be unconscious. The three stages of hypothermia include:
Mild hypothermia: a body temperature of 32 – 35 degrees Celsius
Moderate hypothermia: a body temperature of 27 – 32 degrees Celsius
Severe hypothermia: a body temperature of lower than 27 degrees Celsius
To treat someone that may be suffering from hypothermia you should:
– remove any wet clothes
– protect the person from any further heat loss, thus shelter them from wind and the cold elements as much as possible
– Slowly attempt to warm up the person by adding warm clothing, placing an emergency blanket around them, using body heat or hot packs (just be wary that hot packs could burn the skin).
– give them warm fluids like water or juice but avoid coffee and alcohol as these remove heat from the body.
– in severe cases, call the emergency number and follow the above information until help arrives.

Knowing some basic first aid is a must when out in the field.

References:

Evo 2014, ‘How to buy back-country climbing skins’, <http://www.evo.com/how-to-buy-backcountry-climbing-skins.aspx> viewed 11/4/2014

Omer and Bob’s Sports Shop 2014, ‘Nordic Skis Camber’, Image, <http://www.omerandbobs.com/info_center/winter_faq/images/doublecamber.jpg> viewed 11/4/2014

St John Ambulance 2014, ‘First Aid advice’, <http://www.sja.org.uk/sja/first-aid-advice.aspx> viewed 10/4/2014

Swix 2014, ‘Wax Products’, <http://www.swixsport.com/eway/default.aspx?pid=278&trg=MainContent_6179&MainContent_6179=6117:0:24,2655> viewed 10/4/2014

Swix School N.D, ‘How to Wax Skis’, <http://www.swixschool.com/> viewed 11/4/2014

The Shutlz Gambit 2013, ‘What’s in the pack – ski touring’, <http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lo4e5862Xy0/UOYkLsk0jZI/AAAAAAAAA7A/w0yI7eYdQrU/s1600/IMG_0288.JPG> viewed 12/4/2014

WebMD 2014, ‘What is hypothermia’, Information and resources, <http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-hypothermia> viewed 13/4/2014