Last month, a group of pupils undertook a Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition in the valleys of Norway. However, while many DofE expeditions involve hikes, this group swapped walking boots for skis for a cross-country skiing expedition!
The following is a report of the trip courtesy of Mr Macpherson, the College's DofE Manager and Head of Outdoor Education:
"In the early hours of Friday 20 January, a group of Shiplake pupils gathered, half asleep, to begin a DofE Gold expedition. They were escorted by two equally sleepy staff members who tried and failed to make sensible conversation with the taxi drivers on the way to the airport. Our destination - Dalseter, in the upper Espedalen valley of Norway.
After arriving in Oslo, we drove to Lillehammer for a lunch break, and onwards to our hotel and base for the training part of the expedition. After dinner, we met up with Tom, our instructor and assessor who went through the plan for the week.
The following morning, the group were kitted out with their skis and shown how to prepare them before we hit the practice area for some basic skills training. During the morning, the group learned how to move on flat ground and uphill, turn and, quite importantly, slow down and stop. The group did well and swift progress was made so after lunch, we went for a short journey to test things out.
Over the following two days, after learning the basic skills, we continued to practise in the local area. We covered both on and off-piste skiing, navigation and emergency procedures. We also introduced the group to the hut system provided by The Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT). Without these huts, this kind of expedition would not be possible.
Training and practice over, we set off on our expedition. Four days touring from hut-to-hut across the open landscape of the Langsua National Park.
Over the next four days, the group navigated independently with minimal intervention from the supporting staff. We kept our distance as much as possible, allowing the group to make their own decisions on route selection and to deal with any issues themselves. Each night, the group would arrive at a mountain hut, prepare their meals, and plan the next day's journey. Again, where possible, we would keep our distance. Most huts came in pairs so the staff team would stay in one and the group of pupils in the other.
The going was much tougher than we had hoped due to a sudden temperature change on day one of the expedition. For a brief period, the weather warmed up enough to start melting the snow which would then freeze solid. This resulted in a real mix of snowy and icy conditions. That said, the scenery made up for any difficult going and throughout the expedition, the pupils were rewarded with stunning views.
The final part of the journey was a steady climb, but we were then rewarded with a gentle few kilometres of descent with magnificent views over the Espedalen Valley, before a nice downhill slide to the hotel - a wonderful way to finish the expedition.
Well done to all involved. It was a real achievement - one which you should all be proud off."
Speaking after the expedition, Year 12 pupil Monty Walker said:
"When I told my family that I was going away to Norway for a cross-country skiing expedition, I found it hard to keep them out of my suitcase! From arriving at Heathrow airport to us sleeping in cabins at night, the Gold DofE trip was so well organised thanks to Mr Macpherson, Mrs Bayley, and our guide Tom.
The trip is something that I will remember and cherish in the future. It was not all plain sailing though as we had our ups and downs. A key highlight was when our group sat and ate lunch on top of Norde Langusa (1553m) and being able to see the whole mountain range beneath us. I could not possibly recommend this trip more!"
Well done to the following pupils for completing the expedition:
- Lily Cheek
- William Forster
- Olivia Parkin
- Oscar Smaje
- Monty Walker
- Benjamin Watkins
- O Wrobel
- Ben Zacharias
