Trip Summary:
In this trip we did a lot of outdoor activities. It was a mix of: canoe, climbing, abseiling and
mountain biking as main activities; but we had also the opportunity to do rafting and fishing. The first day we took a canoe in pairs with all our stuff in it and we started paddling from Byglandsfjord to approximately 24 km far away. We arrived to an island called Storoy where we spent our first night. Each one built a shelter because we went without tents. The second day we took again the canoe until Trollaktiv, near Evje. On the way we improve canoeing techniques. When we arrived to Trollaktiv they offer us to do rafting so, why not? Of course! Most of us took the rafting trip! It was AWESOME! That night we slept in tipis. The third day we try a new activity: mountain bike. It was a 20 km bike trip to go to our next destination: kilefjord. Here we spent the afternoon and evening climbing and abseiling. Unfortunately, it started raining so the climbing was a little bit difficult. We slept outside, under a big rock. It was amazing the bivouac. For the last day we had a challenge: 45 km by bike until Kristiansand.
TECHNIQUES
-Canoeing-
What equipment do you need?
A canoe and a paddle! … and the other essential items, such as a lifejacket. Consider your own safety before you get on the water. You must be able to stay afloat confidently and in all sorts of situations, as you never know when you may find yourself out of your boat where the water is rough or very cold. If you have backpack or other stuff be sure that you put it on plastic bags, waterproof bags or whatever because it can get wet easily.
Canoe paddling
-> Boat setup:
Sit or kneel? Sit is more comfortable for long periods, but kneeling allows more power and is more stable in rough water. Ideally, you will be able to do both. Flat seats, with the forward edge slightly lower and ample space beneath are the best system.
Lighter gear should go in the ends of the boat, heavier items amidships. This means that handling of the boat in waves will be affected less, stowing heavy items low will aid stability. It goes without saying that first aid kits and similar gear will be readily accessible. Also readily accessible will be the map or another navigation system.
-> Capsize Drill in a Canoe:
If you are going to paddle a canoe it is important that you know what to do if it capsizes. Obviously it is important know swim, but how you get out of the boat and handle yourself from there is a safety issue that should be addressed as soon as possible.
-> Paddling
You can be on the water for hours on end: for comfort and safety it pays to have an efficient, relaxed style that maximizes power and minimizes fatigue, strain and injury. Correct ergonomics and posture are essential for paddling. Seated in a canoe you should have a slight forward lean (5-8º) from pelvis, back straight without being forced, shoulders ahead of hips, head, neck and shoulders relaxed. The legs are slightly bent, enough that you can’t quite push them straight without moving on the seat. If you’re kneeling in the canoe your upper body will be as described. You won’t be able to push on a footrest, but the rest of your body can be more flexible, in fact your whole posture can be better. Where are your most powerful muscles? No, not the arms. In paddling, your arms are little more than the linkage between the power source, the muscles of the body, and the paddle. Your arms are there to put the paddle into the water and take it out again: power comes from body rotation, right from the toes. It’s body rotation that shares the load between the muscles, and smoothly produces more power and length of stroke.
-> Holding the paddle
It may look easy, but there is a definite knack to holding a canoe paddle correctly. You can only use a paddle properly if you are holding it correctly in the first place. This is because the correct grip enables the paddler to apply the maximum amount of force with the minimum effort. Canoe paddles have only one blade, with a T-grip at the other end. It’s important to hold this T-grip with your top hand knuckle up and thumb under, and the shaft of the paddle with the other hand. Hold the T-grip in one hand; place the other hand so that if the paddle is held horizontal in front of you, your hands are slightly further apart than your shoulders.
-> Who is in charge?
Paddling a double canoe is an exercise in cooperation, communication and coordination. Each paddler must know what the other is doing, and understand how the canoe will react to each stroke. Effective teamwork takes practice.
The stern paddler has a better overview of the boat and its surroundings, and is better able to control its direction with steering strokes. On the other hand, the bow paddler has a better view of nearby obstructions, and is therefore able to warn of them and begin taking action. Neither paddler should switch sides indiscriminately: the two should paddle on opposite sides to keep things in balance. They should also synchronise so that the boat moves smoothly.
-> Paddling forward
You want to go places, so forward paddling is the important stroke, and is usually described in three phases.
- Catch: is the start of the stroke, the entry of the blade into the water as far ahead as possible, with the blade as vertical as possible. (fotos )
- Power: think of the blade as being fixed in the water: you pull the boat past it. From the catch, the stroke is ‘taken’ by the whole ‘pulling’ side of the body- toes, leg, hip, torso, and shoulder- all working together.
- Exit and recovery: the stroke is finished when body rotation is complete. Taking the stroke too far is simply wasted effort. At exit, the blade moves out of the water to the side, with the top hand still high and the bottom elbow bending to lift the blade. That elbow should stay low and relaxed. Take the blade forward for the next stroke, keeping it close to the water surface and flat so it does not catch the wind.
- J stroke: the path followed by the blade. As the blade passes the thigh, rotate the wrists outwards so that the top thumb points forward. Keep pressure on the drive face of the blade throughout.
-Climbing-
Climbing outdoors on real rock is a rush. But to enjoy it safely, you must have the right gear and the right skills. Different styles of outdoor climbing require different levels of experience. The best options for beginners are listed below.
-> Roped Climbing
Once you start climbing higher off the ground, you’ll need a safety line to keep you from “hitting the deck” and injuring yourself. This safety line typically consists of a climbing rope, a climbing harness and carabiners (special metal links that connect your harness to your rope and your rope to the rock as you climb).
Your climbing partner plays a crucial role in this safety system. His/her job is to manage the climbing rope as you climb and limit how far you drop if you fall. This is called “belaying.” A special tool called a “belay device” helps the belayer grab onto — and control the speed of — a weighted climbing rope.
-> Top-Rope Climbing
Top-rope climbing involves anchoring your climbing rope to a spot up above you, then climbing toward the anchor while your climbing partner pulls in the slack and keeps the rope relatively taut. By creating a solid anchor point and keeping the rope taut, you and your partner limit the distance you will fall if you slip off the rock. Top-rope climbing is also popular because it typically requires less equipment and experience than other forms of roped climbing.
NOTE: Beginning climbers often rely on their more experienced climbing partners to supply certain pieces of gear, such as climbing ropes, carabiners, belay devices and belay gloves. Borrowing such gear for your first several climbs can help you decide which products work best for you before you buy your own equipment.
-> Climbing Safely
Climbing provides a great opportunity for individuals to enjoy freedom and self-determination in a natural environment. An essential part of this freedom is the acceptance of the risks and dangers inherent to climbing.
Exercising good judgment and common sense will help reduce these risks, as choosing and using climbing equipment correctly. But climbing risks and dangers can never be eliminated completely. By purchasing and using climbing gear and by participating in climbing activities, you must personally accept full responsibility for the inherent dangers involved with these activities, including injury or possibly even death.
-Mountain Biking-
Mountain biking is the sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.
Mountain biking can generally be broken down into multiple categories: cross country (XC), trail riding, all mountain, downhill, freeride, slopestyle, dirt jumping, and trials. The vast majority of mountain biking falls into the recreational XC, Trail Riding and Enduro categories.
This individual sport requires endurance, core strength and balance, bike handling skills, and self-reliance. Advanced riders pursue steep technical descents and, in the case of free riding, down hilling, and dirt jumping, aerial maneuvers off both natural features and specially constructed jumps and ramps.
Mountain biking can be performed almost anywhere from a back yard to a gravel road, but the majority of mountain bikers ride off-road trails, whether country back roads, fire roads, or single track (narrow trails that wind through forests, mountains, deserts, or fields). There are aspects of mountain biking that are more similar to trail running than regular bicycling. Because riders are often far from civilization, there is a strong ethic of self-reliance in the sport. Riders learn to repair their broken bikes or flat tires to avoid being stranded miles from help. Many riders will carry a backpack, including a water bladder, containing all the essential tools and equipment for trailside repairs, and many riders also carry emergency supplies in the case of injury miles from outside help. Club rides and other forms of group rides are common, especially on longer treks. A combination sport named mountain bike orienteering adds the skill of map navigation to mountain biking.