5/2/18-9/2/18
The week beginning the 5th of February our class travelled to Evje to learn the basic techniques and skills behind Cross country and Tour skiing as well as some knowledge of emergency shelters such as snow holes and avalanche rescue methods. This was in preparation for our mountain ski trip in April as well some smaller trips that were to be undertaken in the future.
Area:
In regard to the areas we ski’d in there were 2 separate locations: The main one being Evje Hornnes where we spent 4 of the 5 days skiing. The other location we spent 1 day skiing. At Hornnes there were many prepared trails with varying sized hills and other terrain. The area is quite densely wooded making it nice for skiing as most signs of civilisation are hidden (except the powerlines) when in reality it is quite close in proximity to the town centre. These trails provide easy accessibility for the public to come and practise their skiing or simply to exercise. As well as the prepared tracks the area as a whole also provides the opportunity to ski tour as well off piste which is what we mainly did as practise for future trips.
Role of the veileader:
The role of a Veileder is to be a teacher and coach whilst safely supervising and guiding a group with less experience then them through a certain activity.
Len’s teaching methods when it came to the skiing were to break each skill right down into smaller movements or activities and then slowly piece these together into one full skill by the end of a day. He did not tell us this but throughout the week I began to realise this was what he was doing. For example the very first thing our group did once we had our skis on was to stand in a big circle and we copied the movements Len showed us such as stepping, swapping our skis over and then walking whilst exaggerating our arm movements. I realised later in the week we had practised these different types of stepping to make it easier for when we learnt how to change direction on hills as well as side stepping up hills. Secondly, Len emphasised to bend our knees and have 1 ski slightly in front of the other when going downhills for stability, this then translated directly into the movement required for telemark turns later in the week.
On top of this, Len also explained the skill or movement first and then demonstrated it himself which was helpful as it showed us what the skill should look like and gave us something to aim to replicate.
The days were planned out it seemed in a logical manner of gradually increasing the difficulty throughout the week providing more challenging terrain and more difficult skills taught. This provided us with a good base from the beginning to build on. It also helped in our group that Tom came along to ski with us and was able to act as another set of eyes and providing helpful feedback. The things that had to be taken into account for each day were: The ability of the group, the weather and conditions on the trails or in the areas. These things are required to be taken into account by the leader of the group. However, the Veileder must have to have the ability to be flexible and adapt these plans, which did happen multiple times in our group which was fine as it worked out well.
Len altered his position in the group throughout the days in order to observe the whole group and so that small tips here and there could be given to students. For if the leader is at the front the whole time they cannot observe the whole group’s progress.
As a Veileder you must come prepared for all different situations which is why you must carry some extra items that the rest of the members of the group don’t possess. For example an emergency shelter you can put over the whole group if bad weather hits or someone in the group becomes injured. Len had one of these with him as well as a space blanket which is included in the first aid kit. Len also had a Transceiver on him as well just in case of any incidents with avalanches.
Role of the Students:
There was lots of opportunities for Free play and then of course Organised play throughout the week. The organised play came when we were out with Len and Tom if we had found a nice hill or multiple hills to practise technique on. On the third day we spent at least an hour at one location practising downhill, step turning, tacking up hills and various other skills. This was effective because were able to practise multiple skills with two teachers there to help us and give us tips. Free play occurred at the end of some of the days when we had finished early or were waiting for the other group to finish. This allowed for us to do what we like or what motivated us the most. For me it was practising the skating technique on the track. Free play can also be effective because there is no pressure on the participant and they can choose what makes them happy.
In regards to the motor skills, many of them were new to most of our group. Some of the movements such as step turns up hill were difficult but after some practise it could be achieved.
My learning outcomes were vast after this week, our skills progressed well from our first day to the last considerably. I learnt the background to waxing our skis and can now do this relatively comfortably. I also learnt multiple ways to climb up hills such as weaving your way up versus Herringbone or just putting more pressure over your ski to grip the snow better. I also now have a basic knowledge of how to dig an emergency snow shelter and the different types you can create.
Comments for the week: a summary of each day’s activities
Day 1: Applied one layer of blue wax on and Len quickly explained how to then cork the wax in to the ski and then we played around trollaktiv. Split into 2 groups and learnt firstly how to walk and do circles on our skis. Len got us working on our rhythm and gliding as well as turning and basically just getting used to having skis on our feet. Learnt some down hill techniques as well.
-We then had a lecture from Tim that night about wax and about the different coloured waxes to use in different conditions and how to apply it. The colours included Green, Pink, Blue and Red, all varying in stiffness for different temperatures. Also, he explained the different type of skis including Touring, classic, and the hybrid between downhill and touring. He also explained to us the about the camber and how it varies as well as the Gammel which is the small groove on the bottom of touring and cross-country skis.
Day 2: Went up to horness where there are prepared tracks and we practised our rhythm more and gliding more. Thomas joined our group and gave us tips on gliding saying you have to exaggerate your movements-arms and legs. We then went off the piste a little bit and practised going down some bigger hills focusing on the bending of our knees acting as suspension and also practising having one ski in front of the other slightly as a form of extra stability. Len explained the importance of hand position, using your skis for balance and having them out in front like holding a tray.
-In the evening Len showed us what he takes in his first aid bag/pack explaining some of the different uses for everyday items including the multiple items you can use for a splint such as a ski pole or ski itself.
Day 3: We had our first ski tour where we were aiming for a local mountain top called Himmelsyna beginning to ski through deeper snow and finding new hills to practise on. We crossed multiple lakes with explaining the importance of checking how thick the ice is and being able to identify the warmer parts of the lake, this being around the edges close to rivers or streams leading into the lake or marshy land. Len also stressed the importance of taking breaks every en timer or so, using these breaks to re wax, rehydrate and refuel. Our group however didn’t make it in time to the top so instead Tom and Len taught us different turning techniques such as stepping and also different ways to get up hills such as tacking and stepping.
-The evening lecture included Tom explaining what he takes in his day pack and all the important necessities he takes. This was a small reality check for me as there are lots more things I need to take. Water being the most important-being able to manage your liquid consumption and high calorie foods.
Day 4: We went to a different ski area and we went up to the top of a mountain and met the Tim’s group whilst on the way up. This was our first real experience of climbing a hill on skis as it was relatively steep. We had a quick eat and drink on the top then preceded to head again. Len taught us some turning and different ways to go down a hill, we also got to witness Len crash on the hill coming down which was one of the highlights of the day. We met up with the other group again in a paddock after coming all the way back down to where we began and Len and Tim began teaching us Telemark turning which most of us found difficult but began to get the idea. Once again exaggerating the bending of the knees was important. Aaron picked it up quite quickly as with Brad.
-Evening: This was our Caleigh night where each Nationality in their group shared a cultural dance or other activity to the group. This was really fun and everyone really enjoyed the night and got involved which made it much better for all.
Day 5:
We went back to the original ski area and our group first went to a small area off the track and Len explained to us the various emergency shelters you can create. There was a trench shelter where you dig a hole similar to a coffin shape that you can fit two people and put your roll mat over the top as a roof, secondly a snow hole which is very basic and designed purely to be able to tuck yourself up into a ball and use big chunks of snow to build a ‘door’ and thirdly a shelter using the pine trees but forcing your way inside the canopy and then cutting small limbs to create more room and make it more weatherproof. The great thing about was we all got to practise creating each of these types of shelter which gave us an idea of how long it can take and what techniques are best. Once we completed this part we swapped with Tim’s group and Len explained to us what Transceiver were and we practised using these at the beginning of the ski tracks in the carpark. These are used to save people if they become caught in an avalanche. How they work is you can set them to transmit or receive a signal. So, if you are trying to find someone you set it to receive and the machine will beep faster the closer you get to the person. It will also show which direction and how far.
The trip as a whole was awesome and I learnt a lot in one week. It took the majority of us out of our comfort zone which was great and forced us to concentrate and apply ourselves.