On the fifth of February, our class went out for a week of cross-country skiing in the Evje-Hornes (Syrtveit) area. During this week we got to learn all the basics of cross-country and tour skiing as to mainly prepare us for the snow hole trip in April. As it was the first time for most of the group to learn about cross-country skiing as a traditional national practice, as well as a form of sports, this trip to Evje seemed to be the perfect possibility to expand our knowledge on the matter. Next to the basics of cross-country skiing, the week in Evje prepared us for all sorts of winter-activities such as building emergency shelters, and working with avalanche probes and transceivers. Next to that, every evening there would be an informative lecture on different matters concerning avalanche risks, safety in winter conditions, waxing skis, first aid and packing your day sacks. The combination of both the practical and theoretical aspects of this week greatly combined into establishing a well-formed basis on each individual’s cross-country skiing techniques, and winter-mountain safety awareness.
The cross-country skiing area of Evje-Hornes is located close to Trollaktiv’s outdoor adventure centre; the place where we as a group got to stay for the week. We arrived on Monday around 11am, and got to sort out the cabins we were meant to stay in for that week. After unpacking our backpacks and having had a quick lunch we all gathered around to be split into two groups. Each of the groups got briefed on the day’s plan, and started waxing skis right after that. Tim (one of our guides) told us all about how to use our skis (putting them on), and what wax to put on. Putting on wax mainly depends on the weather conditions, and the quality of the snow. Ideally, every time you wax your skis a green layer has to be applied as a basis layer. Further, the blue wax is normally used when temperatures are below -2 degree Celsius, and purple (or red) mostly is applied when temperatures rise to a zero degrees or more. Generally, skis must be waxed either on the night before or on the day of skiing. It saves a lot more time to do it the night before, but as weather conditions can change overnight, it sometimes might be better to apply fresh wax every time you go skiing (i.e. in the morning). The wax we used is normally applied in thin layers, and can be combined if necessary. As said, a green layer of wax is applied to serve as a basis layer, and often (depending on the temperature) one or two blue layers are added for extra grip. When waxing your skis, important is to spread the wax out nicely over the whole length of the skis, with special focus on the ‘kick area’ (the area that centres around your weight i.e. feet). After applying (one or more) layers of wax, the cork is used to rub in the wax properly. Tim told us the basics, and as we got to do it ourselves everyday, it was a quick learning curve in knowing which wax was most appropriate for what weather conditions.
In regards to the skiing area, we got to spent the first day in and around Trollaktiv. As there was still a considerable amount of snow in and around the area, this day made perfect for getting in touch with the basics of cross-country skiing. Both groups started on a lower, flat area to practice balance and movement on cross-country skis. Later the group moved to a slightly more sloping terrain were we practiced downhill techniques in a straight line, and the essentials of snow-ploughing. As the sloping terrain gave the group more possibility to focus on technique and efficiency, we later went on a short off-piste tour in and around the dense forest. The forest area allowed us to practice in deeper snow, which gave the group a good indication of what we could expect for the further days to come.
On Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday we spent our days at the Evje-Hornes skiing area. In Evje, one can take advantage of 120 kilometres of groomed trails in beautiful surroundings, and dense forest with hills and smaller slopes to traverse on (VisitNorway, 2018). The qualities of the Evje-Hornes area include the ability to ski some respectable distances on prepared cross-country skiing trails as well as to practice off-piste skills into deeper snow. Hence the area would give dynamic to both possibilities, allowing for the group to get used to the different possible circumstances.
Tim’s teaching methods as the group’s (vei)leader were clear, easy to follow and respectable for each individual’s capabilities. What particularly stood out was Tim’s ability to bring together a group with varying levels of skiing, and keep a constant learning curve going that worked for each member of the group. His teaching methods were considerably constant, which brought peace and full understanding of the tasks at hand. We would often start in the morning with Tim briefing the group on what to expect of the day, then we would do a quick warming up on our skis, to then follow him into the area. The teaching methods at stake enhanced the group dynamic and kept a strong cohesion between everyone. What Tim did very well was the warming up, as it was equally fun and efficient. Especially in the winter environment, Tim did a great job in approaching the importance of warming yourself up, in a creative and group-bonding manner. Further, when we would go on a tour, Tim would always find the time to take a break, teach us something about the environment, and elaborate on technique and the importance of our skiing abilities. Here it became evident that Tim took on the role of the expert in the decision making process that did not require for the group to partake. Tim’s role as the the guide would give him the authority to make decisions in relation to route choice, rests and the activities for that day. Besides his role as leader of the group, Tim was always open for having a laugh with us, and getting to know each of us. Hence a good balance between him being a guide/expert in the field, and his personal interest in people made it an educative and comfortable week. Further, the days at Evje-Hornes were practically organised around improving our skiing abilities in a consistent and efficient manner. The first two days we mostly focused on technique, balance and finding our way on skis into different types of snow (i.e. prepared tracks, off-track and fresh powder snow), whereas the other three days the centre of attention was more on skiing long-distance/touring in group formation.
The second day up in Evje-Hornes we went skiing around the area close to the hut to practice skill and technique. After lunch, we went further away for a small loop-tour with the whole group. As we ploughed through the deeper snow, more technique was required but also we had more fun, as falling into deep snow made a good laugh. The teaching that day mostly covered how to master balance in deeper snow, how to position yourself on skis when going (steeper) down a hill, and what movements are most sufficient for both deep-snow crossing and skiing on prepared tracks (i.e. what is called “the shuffle”; sliding one ski ahead of the other). Evidently, this allowed both the group, and the individuals within to develop persistently. In general, everyone within the group was trying really hard to master their skiing, what kept up the group spirit and made it fun to work on improving our skiing skills, even though everyone fell from time to time. What could be said is that the combination between free play (practicing down-hill skills, go out on our own) and organised play (i.e. touring with the group and Tim, skills-practice etc.) was well balanced and allowed us to learn as much as we could during this week. What worked really well was the focus on technique throughout the whole week, and the fact that we could directly apply it in relation to the touring we did.
The last day (Friday 09/02) we went out to Evje-Hornes a bit later, and spent the whole morning learning about winter mountain safety i.e. how to work with an avalanche transceiver and receiver. To evaluate, my personal opinion is that the different activities gave a great variation in retrospect to the cross-country skiing, and feeling safe in mountainous areas. Working with the avalanche transceiver (even though it was only for an hour) gave the group a great indication of what to do in an emergency situation. Moreover, later that day our group went off-piste (i.e. forest) to build an appropriate, and self-sufficient emergency shelter. Quite challenging about this task was to locate a safe and sheltered spot that would comply the needs of the group, as if we would were to survive a night in the cold. However, quite frankly our group immediately found a pine tree that we could use as the base for our shelter. As the foliage was quite dense, we had to push our way through and remove a few lower branches so we could create more room for people to fit in. That way, we were able to create a ‘snow hole’ protected by the low hanging tree. Further, we used our skis and other nearby trees to add onto the ‘roof’ of our shelter (i.e. blocking the wind more effectively, and keeping the heat inside the teepee shaped shelter). What I learned the most from this activity is that looking for shelter, and actually building an appropriate ‘hut’ for people to survive the night is great fun, keeps you warm and brings back great childhood memories! Everyone in the group got really excited, and we all had the best time building the shelter, what eventually resulted in a well-constructed, safe and cosy environment to spend the night.
The ski course has brought me so much, especially since it was my first time on skis. As I mentioned before, not only did the organisation of the days help me to make quick progress, Tim (my veleder) equally guided me/the group through the different stages of learning all about the cross-country skiing basics. As the skiing week brought me so much new information on the basics of cross-country skiing, a wide variety of personal learning outcomes could be tackled. On of the most profound ones was uphill walking on cross-country skis. Tim taught us different types of getting up a hill. The first one (and, the preferable one) is the ‘Vertical’ position, where your body is seen to be relative to the slope. Key is to stay upright, keeping your eyes focused towards the top, and lean backwards rather than forwards in order to prevent losing grip and slipping away. To have more grip, all you weight should be pressed into your skis, and thus into the hill, letting your skis slide when you move upward. This technique I found myself struggling with the most, which often resulted in me using the ‘Herringbone technique’. For this technique, you put your skis in a V-shape, push your poles behind your skis, and lean slightly backward to prevent any sliding/losing grip. Other than the uphill techniques, going downhill in different ways was quite new to me as well. Most of the days we would spend time practicing going down in a straight line i.e. ‘snow-plowing’, yet later during the week we improved our downhill skiing by practicing turns, and different positions. Two of the most used downhill techniques, and the ones Tim introduced to us as well, were the ‘Telemark’ turn, and ‘Traversing’. Telemark is mostly used for skiing in deep snow, to navigate better in backcountry terrain. The Telemark turn allows you to keep the weight balanced between your skis, and controls your movement more evenly when going downhill.
In retrospect to the basic ski course week, I personally found myself happily surprised with how well everything was organised, and how much fun I had in cross-country skiing. To state once again, Tim has been a helpful and supportive guide, giving each of us the freedom to develop and improve our skills in our own pace, without letting go of the essence of cross-country skiing. In regards to my own abilities, I have made sufficient improvement to feel comfortable to go on trips alike. However, I feel that with people around you that can help you, and support you from time to time, progress is made faster, and having fun comes easier. All things considered, I must say that this week both on theoretical (i.e. the lectures), and practical level very well came together; that the organisation of the days was well planned, and group cohesion was strong at all times!
Cross-Country Skiing for the Absolute Beginner – XcsSkiing. Available at: http://xcskiing.ca/beginners.html [21 February, 2018]
Kirtley, Paul (15 February, 2015). An emergency winter survival shelter for the forest.< http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2015/emergency-winter-survival-shelter-forest/>
Places-to-go – Southern Norway: Setesdal Winter (2018). Available at: https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/southern-norway/setesdal/winter/ [20 February, 2018].
Waxing Your Skis – XcsSkiing. Available at: http://xcskiing.ca/wax-guide.html [21 February, 2018]