An expedition along the mythical Hardangervidda plateau on kite ski
Highlights
- You will be accompanied by Dixie Dansercoer, one of the world’s leading polar guides
- An improvement approach of kite ski
- Preparation of first polar trip kite
- The mythical Hardangervidda plain
Last minute : should Norway remain closed for Covid-19, we would organize this trip in Sweden.
Throughout the course of this program, we learn the basic kite skiing techniques thanks to the advice and lessons of Dixie, our guide. We take the time to review open and launch the sail, to manipulate and pull it in the wind, tacking in the breeze, etc. Dixie tells us how to progress in kite skiing while controlling our speed and coping with the meteorological constraints of the environment. As the hours pass, we feel more at ease in the use of the skis both upwind and donwwind and in the carving of the sail. We cruise with more serenity and have more sensations. We live this journey like an expedition, we set up camp in the Hardangervidda National Park. This program aims to prepare us for a first polar expedition where kite skiing will be a means of travel.
Overview
Discover this training in this short fim of 3 minutes, images taken in January 2019 :
Itinerary
DAY 1: ARRIVAL AT OSLO AND TRANSFER TO HAUGASTØL
Day 1
We meet Dixie at Oslo Airport and then take a minibus to reach Haugastøl near the Hardangervidda Plateau which will be our kite ski practice area for the next four days.
DAY 2: INSPECTION OF EQUIPMENT AND ADJUSTING THE KITE SAILS
Day 2
We start off our morning by listening to the briefing instructions given by Dixie. These first three days of the program will help us practice and improve our kite skiing abilities. We begin our course by fully understanding the need for good equipment and accessories to go on an expedition:
- clothes (how to choose the four layers of cold weather clothing that provide insulation, understanding how to retain body heat all the while not staying damp from pespiration, and choosing the right garments such as shoes, gloves, etc.)
- how to choose a tent and pulk sled (depending on confort, maximum weight capacity, type of expedition, etc.)
- skis and skin skis
- harness and attachement rope, finding emergency shelter…etc.
- Once the we’ve finished inspecting the equipment, we are ready to learn the basic drills of kite skiing:
- how to use windwindows,
- how to control sail traction
- how to open and adjust the sails safely, etc.
DAY 3: LEARNING PROGRESSION AND NAVIGATION TECHNIQUES
Day 3
The next day, Dixie takes us to a spot famous for its often favorable winds, the Hardangervidda plateau. It's a real treat for snowkiting and kite skiing enthusiasts! We review the equipment needed (traction ropes, control handles, sail repair kit, etc.). For the more experienced and those who are comfortable with the sails, we then learn the different techiques with a pulk sled. For those who wish, we continue to review these maneuvers. With practice we become more self-assured in the use of the sails.
Dixie shares his experience for dual and solo starts, emergency procedures in case of difficulties.
Once these elements are established, it is pleasing to know that we are better able to coordinate our skis to our sail. We then tackle the questions of navigation depending on the constraints we encounter during this expedition:
- wind direction
- speed control
- advancing whilst pulling a pulk-sled
- avoiding ski-kite incidents
- maneuvering the sail to gain power and speed
As our day comes to an end, Dixie shares with us all the practical tips in order to camp in extreme weather conditions. We immerse ourselves in real expediton conditions as we pitch our own tent and soak up the stary night at the heart of the Hardangervidda National Park.
DAYS 4 & 5: PRACTICE ON THE HARDANGERVIDDA PLATEAU
Day 4
We get ready for for two days of practice runs and maneuvers. The wind is on our side and we try to improve our techniques in :
- opening and taking off of the sail
- our advancement techniques while pulling a pulk-sled
- pulling and controlling the sail
- etc.
DAY 6: TRANSFER BACK TO OSLO
Day 6
This morning we take our time and leave for the Oslo Airport.
END OF EXPEDITION
For reasons that cannot be foreseen at this stage, such as unpredictable weather, the physical fitness or lack of fitness of participants or other circumstancess (customs formalities, road conditions, traffic, landslides, force majeure, etc.), your expedition leader may have to adapt the program, if necessary, to ensure the smooth running of your trip. He remains the sole judge and the one who guarantees your safety. Activity times are given as an indication and may vary from one participant to another.
The itinerary for all our expedition programs, or the ascent program for our high-mountain expeditions, are given here as a guide only. They are flexible enough to adapt to weather conditions with a few contingency days. In any case, you should follow the recommendations of your guide, who may suggest that you cancel your expedition due to weather, safety or physical conditions.
It is important to remember that this is a truly unsupported expedition, and that anything can happen. Expeditions Unlimited, your expedition leader, your guide or our local teams can in no way be held responsible.
Any costs incurred as a result of a change in the expedition schedule (extra nights' accommodation, extra flights) will be borne by the participants and not by the organizers. "Contingency days" refer to the expedition in the strict sense of the term (base camp/base camp in the mountains, departure point/exit point on a traverse, etc.).
Any early return of the expedition or of certain members only (early success, abandonment, etc.), generating costs for accommodation, meals, changes to air tickets or other activities not provided for in this program, will be charged in full to the participants.
Trip notes
Technical difficulty
Level of snowkiting: Beginner
This program is accessible to people who have never practiced snowkiting before or very little. Its content is based on the initiation and discovery of the activity. This program aims to make you gain confidence and quickly acquire the basics of snowkiting. You have to be a good skier, both on piste and off-piste. Experience in kitesurfing for handling the sail is a plus. You will learn how to use your safety-release system and disengage the kite; how to use an appropriate anchor for snow or ice to keep the kite down until ready to launch. You will know what the “power zone” is, an area where the kite is powered up and offers the most pull; how to safely launch, fly and land your kite in light to moderate wind conditions. You will earn how to move yourself in most directions and control speed. In light wind, you will keep the kite moving through the airspace in order to keep power in the kite and keep you moving forward. You will fell how to keep tension on the lines that will prevent the kite from collapsing and possibly inverting the lines. You will discover your equipment and its terminology as well as rigging. We organize training courses dedicated to snowkiting as part of our Adventure School, allowing trainees to discover or progress in their practice.
Accommodations
Twin rooms whilst at the hotel or at the cabin, depending on booking availabilities.
Meals
Dinners are eaten at the hotel or at the restaurant (not included in the price of this program). During the course, meals will be prepared beforehand in dehydrated freeze-dried form. They provide us with all the calories we need for the course with priority given to a balanced diet, lightweight, and simplicity of preparation.
Group size
The group is composed of 4 to 3 participants maximum. The number of participants is deliberately limited to allow for greater immersion, to avoid embarrassing our hosts, and to develop freedom and flexibility. However, the maximum number may be exceeded if the last person to register wishes to travel with one or more other people. The services will not be modified, and the conditions of the trip will remain the same.
Equipment
Personal equipment is not provided. However, a complete list is provided to allow you to check that you are taking what is necessary.
Our commitments to sustainable development
Our commitment to a better planet has been a reality since the beginning of our story but we always need to do more and better. Please find out more about our charter and our commitments in terms of sustainable development. We have drafted our charter and take action through six themes on which we act as concretely as possible, most often with you: social equity and cultural respect, preservation of water, waste management in expedition, protection of biodiversity, raise public awareness on these subjects and finally, the optimization and recovery of CO2 emissions.
Regarding carbon emissions, most of which are due to air travel, we calculated and communicated in 2018 on the carbon footprint of each of our programs, expressed in tonnes of CO2.
These calculations made us aware of the importance of the total carbon emissions generated by our activity. Also, we have committed in 2022 to a carbon reduction that we believe is unprecedented in the tourism industry, aiming to reduce the total emissions of our activity by 5% per year, taking 2019 as the reference year (3,430 tonnes of CO2). This commitment is in line with the trajectory of the Paris climate agreements of 2015, the current benchmark. Thus, in 2030, we will not entitle ourselves to exceed 2,160 tonnes of C02 and until then, each year, as soon as the carbon footprint budget is reached, we will stop taking any reservations for the current year. Thus, our maximum “carbon” budget for 2024 is 2,950 tonnes and for 2025, this budget will be reduced to 2,800 tonnes. And so on until 2030. To find out more about all of our calculations and our commitments in terms of reducing our carbon emissions.
In addition, since 2019, we have been encouraging you when you book for your journey to contribute with a donation to an independent NGO, among the two we have selected that share the commitments made in our charter. We matched the amount of this donation to this program's carbon footprint. Thus, the journey you are considering generates 0,84 tons of CO2, which corresponds to a 100% donation of €25 for an estimated value today of €30 per tonne of CO2. This donation remains of course optional and you can decide to give between nothing and 100% of this amount. Since 2019, including covid years of 2020 and 2021, we have been able to collect thanks to you nearly €7,000 for these associations.
Please do not hesitate to come back to us with any questions you might have regarding this carbon footprint mechanism, our other sustainable développement commitments or even to share with us your experience through a chat or a mail at contact@secret-planet.com.
Polar Experience guiding
This program is guided by a Polar Experience guide, accredited by the IPGA (International Polar Guides Association) with a solid experience in the polar regions and who adhere to a specific working method to help participants achieve their goals on an individual basis. They frequently lead participants in Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland, towards the North Pole, the South Pole and elsewhere in Antarctica like in Queen Maud land. Not only are they some of the best polar guides in the world, but they also have first-rate teaching and interpersonal skills, making the experience you are about to have, with and thanks to them, even rarer.
These guides were all trained by our late Dixie Dansercoer, who tragically passed away in June 2021 in Greenland. With many years of polar experience, he had developed a high-level team with a specific approach which can be summarized as follows:
- Respect for the environment: going places and leaving no traces, this is what we implement the best way we can during all our Polar Experience guided trips and expeditions. As expeditions are inherently based on a minimalist’s attitude, we stick to the basics and avoid excesses. Respect for local cultures.
- Safety: our knowledge and know-how has been developed with a major focus on maximum experience and minimal risk for our participants. Preparation and high-quality equipment are obviously two major issues with no compromise. We have as well weather, medical and rescue partners on stand-by 24/7. Your guide has a satellite telephone, an Iridium Go! VHF radio, mountaineering safety equipment, a location beacon, GPS and other equipment necessary for a journey in the best safety conditions.
- Preparation & training: full immersion in physical and mental training, equipment knowledge, first Aid basics, logistical challenges and crisis management. Understanding the environmental, cultural and geographical characteristics of polar environment, learning from pioneering and contemporary expeditions. Preparation calls and expeditions training (theory, practice) over a weekend.
- High quality equipment: constant improvements and customized adjustments for maximum efficiency and performance. Screening of personal clothing and advice on purchase of special polar clothing at partner’s stores with special discounts.
Julie Brown, Dixie's partner of many years, now leads this dynamic little team.
Each participant receives the useful book, Polar Exploration: A practical handbook for North and South Pole expeditions, hard cover or electronic version, written by Dixie Dansercoer, which is the reference handbook that explains all aspects of polar journeys and expeditions: polar environment, safety, preparation, training and equipment.
Departures and pricing
Please find below all dates and prices for this expedition. Prices are quoted "from" and may be adjusted notably according to the number of participants (see trip notes for details). Please note that dates and prices for years beyond 2024, when given, are for guidance only and are subject to change and readjustment to take account of current economic realities.
No date works for me!
I initiate a new datePrice includes
Transfers tel qu’indiqués dans le programme. Accommodations tel qu’indiqués dans le programme. Meals tel qu’indiqués dans le programme. Guiding tel qu’indiqués dans le programme. Equipment tel qu’indiqués dans le programme. Travel folder tel qu’indiqués dans le programme.
Price does not include
All accompaniments, accommodations or meals mentioned “not included” in the program. Drinks and personal “extras”. The “single” supplement or a different hotel category. Other supplements linked to a lower number of participants registered, your desire to customize or privatize the expedition. The mandatory expedition complementary insurance.
Your custom expedition
We put our expertise, our knowledge of the terrain, our creativity, our experience, the quality of our guides and the reliability of our partners at your service to build your custom expedition. We can also personalize an expedition to your wishes as soon as you form a "closed" group, whatever the number of participants.
This means that, unless you authorize us to do otherwise, no outside participants join you, and we can personalize your expedition by adapting it to your own pace, with the program extensions you desire, a higher level of comfort, certain activities, other encounters, etc.
Every expedition of this type is subject to a specific quotation. To get in touch with us now, please fill in the short questionnaire below. One of our experts will get back to you to refine your request and make you a proposal.
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