Exercise Venturer Oakham Telemark 23
With all the many months of preparation now behind us, 15 cadets and 3 staff set out from Oakham in the early hours of the morning in mid-August for the journey down to Heathrow. With a fire alarm there delaying security, we finally had breakfast and boarded. As we approached Oslo the landing was a little bumpy though it was only when we got into the terminal that we realised that we had arrived in southern Norway in the immediate aftermath of Storm Hans which had deluged large parts of northern Europe with rain. A quick call to the camp site confirmed that the Rjukan area had fared slightly better so, with all trains from the airport cancelled, we boarded the replacement bus for Oslo. After collecting the hire vehicles in the city centre, we then set forth through the rain for Rjukan with a stop en route to buy dinner and breakfast, arriving in the early evening to a somewhat soggy campsite.
The first full day dawned slightly brighter and drier, so we headed out for an acclimatisation walk up the saboteur’s path under the Krossobanan cable car up onto the edge of the Hardangervidda and back, which blew away a few cobwebs, before we headed into town for lunch and the challenge of buying expedition food in a Norwegian supermarket. Food shopping successfully negotiated, we headed back to the campsite for last minute packing and kit checks.
The first day of the 4-day DofE Gold expedition proper was dry, bright and cool, so in many ways ideal for walking. The hour or so’s journey to the start provided great views of the area and, once there, the teams set off on their 4-day trek shadowed by the staff for the first few hours. After we dropped back just before lunch, they were then responsible for themselves as they followed the broad routes taken by the Heroes of Telemark in the winter of 1942/43. On the first day, one team headed towards Rauhelleren Hut and the other team to Solheimstulen Hut for their first night’s camp. On day two they both headed south towards the hut at Mårbu where they converged and were met by the staff. This was their hut night – an important part of Oakham expeditions – where they are introduced to the concept of mountain huts which are common across mainland Europe and beyond. They had basic beds and warmth but cooked for themselves, being treated to the wonderful views around the hut which is situated miles from any roads at the top of Mår Lake. The third and fourth days saw them head southwards towards Rjukan via the hut at Kalhovd, before arriving at the top of the Krossobanan in the afternoon of day 4, weary but in good spirits! Over the 4 days they had covered over 85km across the plateau, cooking for themselves and wild camping for two of the three nights. They had met many local Norwegians and were all impressed with their openness and friendliness as well as with the scenery of the Telemark region. The weather was kind to them too with little rain and cool temperatures which made walking pleasant.
After an end of expedition meal, they all visited the museum at Vemork where the Heroes of Telemark – what the Norwegian call the Saboteurs – had bombed the heavy water plant back in early 1943, de-railing the Nazi atomic bomb project. After the battlefield appreciation we headed back to Oslo for the R&R phase, city camping in Ekeburg near the city centre, where they had the following day to themselves to sight see and relax after their exploits before heading home, Gold expedition complete.
Head of Contingent, Cadet Warrant Officer Flo said: “Norway gave us as a year group a chance to bond in tough conditions. We learnt to cope with annoyances but more importantly, we learnt how to build each other up when we were feeling worse for wear. We have some fantastic memories, together as a group we learnt so much.”
RAF Flight Commander, Sgt Charles said: “Norway was an amazing opportunity to chat with people without the distraction of phones and daily life. I enjoyed the nature and culture in Norway, especially how nice all the locals were. I also learnt how to better manage myself.”
We are extremely grateful to the Ulysses Trust for their grant assistance to the expedition. The exped falls in the summer holidays between years 12 and 13, we aim to keep the cost as low as possible to ensure that the maximum number of cadets can benefit and as it stands, all bar one cadet in the year group took part. This means that the exped becomes much more of a wider bonding and personal development exercise in addition to a Gold DofE expedition, and the team of cadets returns ready to lead the Contingent in their final year of school. This opportunity would be much more difficult without the funding we get from the Ulysses Trust. The expedition is also massively retention positive and gives the CCF a distinct, challenging and enjoyable offering to upper school pupils.
