23.5.-27.5.16

The end of May has come and it is time for our final trip. Together with the Norwegian Friluftsliv students we’re going to live on a former military base on an island (Randoya) near Kristiansand for one week. During this time we’ll get to know different forms of water sports and sea biology.

The week starts as perfect as one could imagine the last trip to start. Len waits in a small motorboat at a port to pick us up and ship us to the island. All the students were split up into 4 equal groups and given individual schedules. My group got the jackpot and is the first one to start with an “emergency overnight simulation”. This means that after a short introduction into rowing, we get our daypacks, row to a small island and survive there for the night. We’re not allowed to take any overnight equipment or food with us, pretending that we were on a rowing daytrip and had an incident which caused us to stop at the nearest island. The only supplies we get are a bunch of carrots, some cookies and stark. We also set out three fishing nets on the way, which will be collected the next morning. Now, that should be enough description of the task and before I get lost, I will just start with the action.

11 outdoor students in 3 rowboats paddle south to make a crazy overnight experience. Our hope to build a shelter under some trees is lost in the moment that we discover the island. There is no single tree visible, only stones and grass. While going ashore the first two guys slip on the stones and get a first short contact with the water. Bald fact: “Fuck that’s cold!” We manage to get all the boats out of the water and then start to explore the island. An arrangement of small rocks is chosen to be our headquarter and a fire is lightened. Luckily we find plenty of firewood that should be enough for the night. With the carrots and the stark we create a soup that is pimped with some seaweed and… fish! Our awesome fishing team was able to catch 4 fish! As it gets darker and colder I decide to leave the fireplace and search for a sleeping spot for myself, which I actually find. But on the next morning I should realize, that it wasn’t the best option, as it wasn’t flat and only a bit wind protected. The next morning we rowed back to the main island while collecting a dozen fish on the way back. The group worked really well together and everybody was involved, although we didn’t know half of the team before. After a small breakfast we started to prepare the fish, which means that we had to kill and gut them. The fish were then filleted for fish & chips or cut in smaller pieces for some fish soup. This great meal ended up the whole island survival simulation which was the most interesting activity for the whole week. I was really lucky that we did this on the first day, because now it should become a relaxed week with a morning and an afternoon session. Unfortunately, the cold I brought to the trip got worse due to the island and should inhibit me from having too much fun.

Nevertheless the day wasn’t over and we had the possibility to ship around in a small motorboat. If I wasn’t a broke student I would maybe consider getting one, as this was the first water activity I could really enjoy without the constant fear of falling into the water. In the evening we had a short tour across the island which has a former top secret military bunker built in the mountain. It was pretty interesting to explore the facilities with all the remains. When I got in my bed in the evening it felt like the first time since weeks. One thing I will definitely take back home from Norway is the love to my bed.

On Wednesday morning I woke up sweaty and with a sore throat. My body probably was so happy to be in a real bed that he forgot to stay healthy, dumbass. The rowing session in the morning was pretty nice as we stayed away from the windy open see and the sun was out. I also felt better and tired again. Two naps weren’t enough to get me completely working again and while we paddled with the kayaks in the afternoon I started to feel dizzy and unfocused. When Len introduced a kind of catching game I decided to rest at some rocks and take a short regenerating break. I was glad that we had some carers in the group as one of the Norwegians, to whom I didn’t really talk to yet, handed me some of his water. Len proofed his leadership skills one more time as he divided the group, to give the skilled guys the opportunity for some more kayak action and allow the weaker guys to head straight back. Of course I went with the first group mentioned to show myself that I can still write bullshit. Sorry, just a small brain fart. I paddled straight back with the others and the rest of the day was only dizzying around with some short eating breaks.

I skipped the second kayak session on Thursday morning as I was still not feeling really better. To be honest, I probably could’ve powered through, but my wish to restore my health completely was bigger than going onto the sea, although it was a beautiful day. Some shallow water biology should follow in the afternoon. I mimed the paparazzi and took some pictures while the others tried to catch some mussels, crabs and other small sea animals. We also examined different algae that we fished out of the sea.

Almost the same procedure happened on the following day. Only difference: the other guys got some wetsuits and other utensils to go snorkeling and get a little bit deeper into the sea. I had to stay out again but took some nice pictures instead.

The last week of the outdoor education studies in Norway has now officially ended. Although I wasn’t really motivated in the beginning and got sick during the week it was still a good trip. Especially the night out on the island was an awesome experience, but I’m also glad to be back home in my warm and comfy flat.

Some words about my Norway experience to end this last blog entry:

It was a great pleasure to experience all the different beautiful faces of Norway. Although I didn’t visit any of the “official” sightseeing spots I saw a hell of a lot of landscapes and made even more experiences thanks to the outdoor education course. That’s why I want to thank Len that he made all of this possible, I’ll never forget my time here and will definitely come back to Norge.