Winter Mountain ski touring (22.03.-26.03.2021)

Welcome back to winter

Since spring had already arrived in Kristiansand, I had to get used to all the snow again.

On Monday, we drove about 4 hours to the north, to a ski area near Hovden.

The town of Bjåen is located north of Hovden and south of the Hardangervidda National Park. After settling into our accommodation, we met in groups of 12 and went out to reacquaint ourselves with our skis and explore the area. We startled willow ptarmigans on our way near the lake and were able to observe their nests. Since the temperatures had risen quite a bit in the last few weeks, the snow was very heavy and the lake began to thaw. However, the ice was thick enough to drive on.

Back near the accommodation, we had fun on a mountain with a few jumps and a mogul slope. We only went inside and had dinner when the sun was starting to set. In the evening, we all gathered in one place and sang, knitted, and played games.

Summit tour with a wildlife surprise

On the second day, the teachers were exchanged and I was in Tim's group for the first time. We carried our skis in our hands or on our backpacks along the road for about a kilometer, crossed the main road, and then waxed our skis. Finally, we set off. We made our way through valleys and over mountains in the mountains. Along the way, we tested our map reading skills and navigated to a small cabin. There, we took a lunch break in the sun. Suddenly, Tim said that you could see reindeer in the distance. We immediately became quiet and didn't move. The herd, consisting of six animals, disappeared behind the mountains a few times and reappeared shortly after.

Since we remained quiet, they didn't notice us and walked calmly about 100 meters away from us.

After they disappeared behind a hill, we got ready to continue. Suddenly, the same herd came back. This time, however, they noticed us and quickly fled.

Our tour continued to the summit called Bukkenuten (1184 meters above sea level), where the wind was blowing strongly, but we could also enjoy a great view.

After a short snack break, we went down the mountains again, crossing avalanche areas. Each person went down individually so that if an avalanche occurred, only one person had to be searched for, and to keep the weight on the snow as low as possible.

On the way back to the accommodation, Tim told us a lot about the current weather conditions in Norway. The last part of the tour was a two-kilometer-wide lake that we were supposed to cross with our eyes closed for 200 steps. The goal was to focus on a point, then close our eyes, and then go. This exercise shows how quickly people can lose their orientation in poor visibility, as some of us went in the wrong direction.

In the evening, we prepared for the next day and packed our large backpacks.

Hard work for one night

We set off on Wednesday morning with full equipment. The weather is good and the path is quite short. After just one hour, we arrived at our destination, a mountain with about 3 meters of snow.

There, we started digging around ourselves in a radius of one meter. Six people work together. Three people dig the hole while the other three shovel a horizontal entrance tunnel towards the hole.

After some time, a connection exists between the two groups. Then we start shaping the roof. For this, we used two different methods. In the first version, five people stood in the hole and put an emergency bivouac bag over themselves. Then, snow was slowly shoveled onto the people from bottom to top. With enough snow, the roof supports itself. The second version is stacked like an igloo using snow blocks and then covered with loose snow.

When the roof was finished, the most exhausting part came, enlarging the hole so that six people could sleep inside.

After a total of six hours of work, the snow caves were ready. And we were completely exhausted :D

Now, we spread tarpaulins on the ground and laid out our mats and sleeping bags.

We also stuck a ski pole in the ceiling to ensure air circulation.

After cooking, we went to bed. The night was extremely warm in my sleeping bag, and when the person next to me turned, I had to turn too, otherwise our knees would collide.

All in all, the night was quite restful.

Avalanche danger and shelter skills

The next day, after everything was packed up, we walked along the valley with our backpacks. At the foot of a mountain, we left our backpacks and hiked up the valley in two groups. We once again drove through avalanche areas, and when Tim stopped at one point to talk about the topic, suddenly there was a 'whoosh' and the snow under us settled. That is the moment when a small avalanche could have occurred. Luckily, it didn't happen.

On the way up, icy wind whipped snow drifts into our faces. We walked the last part to the summit because it was easier.

After enjoying the view, we went down to an adjacent valley. We took a small break at the bottom and then skied back to the accommodation with our luggage. There, we had two hours to dry our things, wash ourselves, and pack everything again. 

Then, we continued and skied a few hundred meters before the task was to build a shelter in the snow.

In groups of three, we first look for a good location and then get started. Since we planned a bit short with the tarpaulin and ropes, our shelter is only mediocre, but following the motto: 'We won't get wet,' we are still satisfied.

In the evening, we sit together by the campfire and tell funny stories from our lives.

The next day, everything is cleaned up and then we return to the accommodation, where everything is packed, cleaned, and we then get on the bus back to Kristiansand, tired and happy.

Once back, everything is unpacked and the Easter trip is planned because we have Easter holidays :D

You can read about how we spent our Easter time and what we saw in the next post.

Until then, stay healthy.

Yours, Maike :)