21-01-2016

Finally, we (outdoor education group) reached the week, where will start our self organized trips. These kind of trips are different from other ones we had, because our one big group have to separate in 4-6 people groups, and we need to plan, organize, prepare and lead the trips by ourselves. Me and the group in which I was decided to make this day a cross- country skiing and hiking day in Jegersberg, because It was again really very nice and sunny day. Our plan was to start skiing from the place which is in the backside of University of Agder main entrance, follow the ski track until we reach the hill leading to “Upside down boat” and then hike on it. The aim of this trip was- to improve our skiing, orientation skills, try to find good place for lunch camp and set a fire, and of course to have a good time, practice “friluftsliv”.

“Upside down boat”, for those who don’t know, is quite popular place in Kristiansand, one of the highest point in the town, from where you can see really nice view of the city and its landscape: buildings, Islands, rivers, lakes, coast and sea, it is perfect place in the morning to catch sunrises. This place got so weird name because the top of it is similar to upside down boat.

As usually the day started in the morning about 9 o’clock, then our group met in the Universities cafeteria, got some coffee to warm up and wake up. After coffee we waxed our skis with blue wax, because snow was new, the night before was snowing, and the temperature at the time was about -3C and maybe more. When everybody of the group done with waxing, we left university and went to the place where we need to start our trip. The trip started with some failures, because one of our group member was first time on the skis, and the thing he hardly could stand on it was slowing all group down. But we don’t pushed and willingly helped him, because we all somewhere in the past was in the same position/start, especially me before few weeks :D, and you always need to remember that no one is born erudite, It’s impossible to do something perfectly at first try, when you had never done that thing before.

At first hour or maybe two, we were just cross-country skiing on the tracks and enjoying the weather with some nice views of frozen lakes, rivers and hills. This time I always was trying ski down not on tracks, that’s why I fell down many times, and because I didn’t know how to do proper turn when you skiing  down fast. I also tried to improve my classic skiing when you resist with one leg, then after with other and slide, and skating skills, because I was observing better skiers in front of me and tried to copy them, but it was not so easy especially skating on soft and not icy snow. After while we decided depart from our plan and time to time stop to play and skate on frozen lakes and ski on small hills, which is off the road. Later in the afternoon, we noticed higher hill and hiked on it to got some lunch, because there was nice view, you could practice some downhill skills after, there was some dead trees and dry branches which let us set fire more easily. To set the fire, our group removed snow from particular place, dig there a little hole. Than we found some dry birch, branches, and because of one groups member chainsaw some pieces of dry wood. At last, when we got all the needed fuel with us we put the dry birch under the pieces of wood and branches fire them up and started gently blow to fire, and “woola” our fire started to get bigger and after few minutes we got perfect fire to cook something. Our group got some sausages, bred, tomato and garlic sauce, vegetables, so we coked sausages, warmed up the bred and prepared some hotdogs, which is fancy to do them in campfire, and it is warm food to warm up your stomach, but not good for bad calories and low energy rate, not nutritious. After the long lunch, because we was enjoying with the warm campfire, and skiing downhill, we get back on the skiing track and reached the road leading to “upside down boat”-the point where we need to start hike. But because our team departed from our plan, we got beginner on skis and also he don’t want to hike anymore, because the fact we knew that Sun soon will begin to sat down, our little group decide to turn and get back home. On the way back, few of us wanted to play a little bit more, other few with beginner just kept skiing home. So, we found bigger hill and tried to do some slalom and downhill skiing making our own tracks. It was again something new for me so I was enjoying with it, but of course in the worst technique :D. After some time, we decide end this trip and get back home too. Now we could ski faster so I got more fun when I was landing down on the tracks from hills.

After this trip I felt really very well again, because I was all the day in fresh air surrounded by nice environment, definitely I improved my skiing skills, we set the fire easily, and we got really good time. In my opinion, the only bad thing was our plan. I think like that, because we should find out that one person of our team had never ski before, and try to find much easier route, or maybe at first to show some basics at flat area, because those uphills and downhills on the tracks of Jegersberg is not the best way to start skiing. But in the end, that member was doing really well as beginner.