Our first trip on the skis was located in Jegersberg, which is an open forest area above the University of Agder. This location is perfect for friluftsliv since it creates a remote feeling as a result of the of lack of cohabitation, which makes you feel further away from civilisation than you really are.\u00a0 It\u2019s perfect for practising cross country skiing due to the allotted tracks which allowed us to meander through different terrain and ensured we stayed focused. Overall I think we picked up the skills faster than we would have done on a short slope, repeating the exercises over, since engagement and therefore focus would have faded and there would have been less challenge for the more able skiers.<\/p>\n
When analysing the leader\u2019s leadership style it was clear that he did not adopt the style of leading from the front – \u201cfollow me!\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0Instead a more autocratic approach was adopted which ensured they were solely in charge of the group and decision making, which was necessary due to the nature of the activities, potential risk factors and the limited experience of the group. However whilst the task was in hand the leader took \u00a0more of a participant stance, joining in with the group which enabled him to model the skills being taught. Support was given to specific individuals to address the diversity of skill levels.\u00a0 At other times he would go ahead of the group so that he could observe people, once again this technique enabled him to give timely advice as they passed; or accompany someone who needed further support through giving them direct coaching \u00a0with techniques whilst keeping them motivated to continue.<\/p>\n
Management of the group was achieved through utilising points of natural regrouping. For example, when a junction in the road was reached the group would naturally gather and await directions to be given. This assured the instructor had control of the group but allowed individuals to perform at their own pace. A good example of this is on reaching the junction we were directed to make our way up a slope.\u00a0 The leader would watch each of us travel up the slope, offering support only to those who needed it. This method ensured that those who had skied before were not held back and more importantly were not forced to engage in basic drills which they had already perfected.<\/p>\n
Following this our arrival at a large open field, which provided our lunch stop, \u00a0allowed members of the party to catch up with the more able skiers and served as an opportunity to share experiences. \u00a0At this point, having had time to assess the group\u2019s overall abilities, the leader shared the learning objectives for the afternoon session i.e. practising downhill skiing, which he\u2019d identified as one of the main weaknesses of the group. \u00a0Identification of this skill gap was useful for everyone as it is an important skill which supports participants of all levels to gain better control, particularly since further down the line we will be carrying more weight which will make manoeuvring and control more difficult.<\/p>\n
For some of us within the group this was a first-hand experience of really getting to grips with what we were up against. For me personally, coming from England where we don\u2019t get many opportunities to ski and skills development is often restricted to artificial slopes, this was a completely new experience and literally presented a huge learning curve for me with plenty of falls to prove it.\u00a0 However, it forced me to consider the skilful play and physical ability needed, alongside an appreciation of this means of travelling through the snow.<\/p>\n
I think that my learning was fast-tracked through working within a mixed ability group since I was able to learn from mirroring the techniques of more able skiers as I went along. \u00a0Also we benefitted from peer-support, for example on one of the inclines my feet slipped out of place, I was immediately supported by a more able skier who was able to correct my stance. \u00a0Consequently, the more competent skiers in the group were able to engage in peer coaching through the sharing of their knowledge and skills – an additional learning outcome for those involved.
\nTherefore on analysing the leadership style and its benefits I recognised a blend of autocratic leadership and experiential facilitation which both ensured control over the intended learning outcomes and the safety of the group whilst offering a measure of freedom for the more able group members, thus meeting the needs of all abilities and successfully engaging everyone in the learning by encouraging participants freedom to give everything a go.\u00a0 The key to this experiential approach was to offer and respond to the need for additional support at the point of need so that challenges did not become overwhelming. Consequently we felt we were able to proceed at our own pace.\u00a0 Furthermore, time to reflect was naturally created at the point of regrouping which offered another opportunity to seek out advice either from the session leader or from peers.\u00a0 By the end of the day I was able to identify and evaluate my personal skills development and areas for improvement; needless to say there is ample room for improvement when it comes to control on downhill slopes.<\/p>\n
In terms of considering wider aspects which supported the success of the session ample regard was given to clothing and equipment which meant the training session was fully supported.\u00a0 An \u2018even better if\u2019 element, which was beyond the leaders control, was the snow conditions.\u00a0 We were practising on solid, packed snow which made the paths very ridged and hard to work with, making the skiing more challenging, especially for a beginner. Consequently, many people including myself had to wax their skis because of the change in temperature but despite this still found it very challenging.<\/p>\n
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