Skiing with CCF

Last month, Mr Macpherson led a CCF trip to Norway, to challenge the pupils to learn Nordic, or Cross Country skiing. Below is the report written by Mr Macpherson:

The CCF organised a 7-day trip to Norway during the February half term, designed to teach cadets the basics of Nordic skiing. Whilst some previous skiing experience is often helpful, it is not essential and the trip was primarily aimed at novices. Nordic skiing is not only a fantastic way of staying fit but it is easy to learn, meaning that even beginners will soon be out exploring the trails.

The group flew from London Heathrow to Oslo followed by a four hour drive into the Telemark area of Norway. The base for our week was Kvitavatn, which lies at nearly 1000m above the town of Rjukan, boasting superb views of Gausta (1883m), the highest mountain in southern Norway.

Cross-country, or Nordic, skiing is a sport that often stands in the shadow of its bigger brother, alpine skiing, and is very popular in the Alps and Scandinavia. Nordic skiing is not only one of the healthiest winter sports available, but is a fantastic way to glide through the snowy landscape and enjoy the absolute peace and quiet, seldom found on ski pistes. One of the best things about Nordic skiing, compared to alpine skiing, is how quick and it is to get started. In addition, all of the Nordic skiing trails in Norway, and many other areas, can be used free of charge.

There are endless skiing possibilities from the door, through forests, across the lake and through the magnificent Norwegian wilderness. Along with reliable snow, the quality and variety of routes both on and off track combine with excellent instruction to make this an ideal venue for all ability levels.

The cadets picked up the basic technique quickly and were soon off exploring the local tracks and before the end of the week they were taking on the more challenging routes above Kvitavatn with confidence.

The snow conditions were variable, which made the waxing of skis quite difficult. However, on the positive side, this meant that the cadets soon understood the importance of using the correct grip wax on their skis. This knowledge is almost as important as the physical ability to ski, sometimes more so!

At the end of the week, a tired but happy group returned to Oslo for our flight home, all looking forward to the start of term the following day!

The attitude and behaviour of the cadets was fantastic all week, some found it easier than others, but everyone persevered and remained cheerful and positive throughout the week, a credit to Shiplake College.