"The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way" - Robert Kiyosaki
With thoughts of ‘our’ sunsoaked ice cap still fresh in our
minds, My fellow TLs and I met with our mentor amidst the Glum faces and
despondent demeanours of base camp. In the absence of further ice cap travel in
the foreseeable future we had to re-arrange our plans as a group. Thus we
received another lesson in on the recurring theme of our expedition leader
training: Rolling with the punches.
Throughout our trip it became apparent that at all times when leading in
an expedition context having the flexibility to abandon plans A through G at a moments notice in order to make a new
plan is a skill of paramount importance. With some amongst us still suffering
with the injuries from the previous weeks and an advance base camp on the ice
cap loaded with supplies and tents which were no use to man nor beast where
they were, our original roster for our first week working with the Young
Explorers (YEs) was subject to changes. The new plan resulted in some people
returning to the ice cap with the tent rescue party, others remaining at base camp
and still more of us heading out to various new locations with YEs to find
adventure in the absence of the ice cap.
It was someones unenviable task to chase the storm battered remains of this beast
around the ice cap.
I was going to get my first chance to
work with the YEs this week and I couldn’t wait, although Id have to. They were
heading out straight away and I still had umpteen thousand filthy socks and
other bits and pieces to corral and clean and re-pack after our week away on
the ice. So the (Gnarly Gnarly) Otters and their leaders set off for the
Nůvvavum peninsular to the north west
of base camp leaving us to our washerwoman inspired beating of socks on rocks.
Me, the TL mentor and three other TLs were to set off to follow them the next
morning. So I scrubbed and washed and soaked and cleaned, and eventually came
to the realisation that on exped cleanliness is relative, and though my socks
still wiffed faintly and looked as though they might up and walk them selves
out of my tent at a moments notice, I could at last bear to be in the same tent
as them, so that would do. The following morning dawned and I eagerly packed up
ready to head off the 7k to the peninsular where we would be spending the rest
of the week. For a short walk it was not
without its excitement. First after reaching the end of the ‘road’ we set off
cross-country and up a neighbouring valley to find a river crossing site. Despite
its relative proximity this valley was fascinatingly different, it was, as our
geomorphologist informed us a former glacial lake which had broken fourth from
its headwall and drained at some point this meant that in comparison to our
‘home’ valley it was relatively wet at seemingly fertile, extensive dwarf birch
forests amongst the wetland and lakes.
The neighboring valley.
As we climbed higher up the valley
towards a gorge of the river, the land dried out and we started searching for a
safe place to cross. Insert calamity no.1, some of our group were less
confident in and around water and so I eagerly volunteered to help our TL
mentor scout out some crossings and then get people safely across. In my
eagerness to prove my competence (coupled with my eagerness to get in the water
as any member of my family will attest) I hurried in to plant myself firmly up
to my waist so that I could help my colleagues across moments later our mentor
came across to put my pack on the further bank for me. As I helped her past me
I spotted, firmly attached to the outside of my bag the lightweight fast drying
pair of trainers which I had packed specifically for river crossings. I looked
down and there, thoroughly submersed and fully soaking wet beneath the water
where my feet, wearing heavy, leather gore-tex line B2 mountaineering boots…..
Nightmare.
So we all got a cross and I soldiered on with now sodden
feet feeling a prize idiot. On the way
back down the valley however we encountered calamity number 2. One of our group
who had just been forced to miss out on the ice cap week due to an injured
ankle , re-injured the ankle on the uneven terrain. This required evacuation to
base camp. The evacuation came in the form of the chief scientist detouring the
day’s oceanography study to pick up the injured party by boat. SO after waiting
by the fjord side for a while and trying desperately to dry my socks out, we
left minus one member of our crew to meet up with the others you on the
peninsular. When I got there I was both pleased and surprised to meet a group
of YEs with huge grins and excited attitudes.
Given that 36hrs before I had
seen tears and anger from a number amongst the expedition I was not expecting
to be greeted so warmly by the group. But to their credit (and I dare say that
of the leaders who managed to keep them bus) the group was boyant and eager to
investigate their ‘paintpot’ valley.
Home sweet home, the Otter's den !
Our sun-soaked little corner of norway, 'Paintpot valley'
Over the next week I would come to know
all of the group better. They taught me to fish (although I was very
unsuccessful) they taught me the words to their ‘marching’ song ‘the gnarly
gnarly otters’ and above all they taught me (although I’m not sure they new it)
a huge amount about leadership in an expedition context. Simply by working with
them I learned a lot about myself,
about where I am successful in leadership, and where I am less so, areas to
work on and which habits to maintain and which to see off rapidly. Above all by
watching their interation with their leaders and the other TLs who were working
with otter fire and other fires, I learned that as a leader, you must never assume the
respect of the people you are leading. With all the experience in the world and
15 everest summits under your belt if you neglect to give a group the time and
attention they desire, or if they become aware of your weaknesses or
shortcomings, then even the (seemingly) nicest group of people can turn on a
person.
Learning invaluable lessons from a seasoned and accomplished outdoor leader.
As well as learning through experience with the YEs, I was very lucky in that Otter Fire had a most excellent leader team. Comprised of the Deputy chief leader and the Chief scientist, there was no shortage of experience or expertise, and I was very fortunate to get to work with them both and learn a lot from each of them. The DCL, is a seasoned outdoors man, bushcraft instructor and serving member of the RAF, so I managed to glean, by watching him working with the YEs, Brilliant methods for taking the more military style of leadership that I learned working with the Air Cadets, and tweak those skills to apply them in a civilian context. as a Mountain Leader, Winter ML and soon to be international ML he also had an encyclopedic knowledge of knots and practical outdoor skills to teach. The Chief Scientist has spent years working as a career, outdoor science teacher, taking young people on exciting but none the less scientific, trips into Scotland's wild places. In essence my dream job which I was previously un-aware of the real world existence of. From him I learned about the variety of exciting options opened to me, asd well as some invaluable tips about delivering scientific teaching in an outdoor context, and keeping a groups focus when you are literally surrounded by distractions. Two fascinating and thoroughly inspirational outdoor leaders whom I feel privileged to have worked with.
A pretty epic place to study science and have adventures
Our Job as TLs was made particularly difficult by our relative
closeness in age to the YEs (some YEs were older than a few members of the TL
group) without the bonus of respect through seniority in years, I witnessed
particular members of the TL programme struggle to earn the respect of the YEs
and others who earned too much of their ‘respect’ and became overly
friendly rather than acting as ‘leaders’
during this time. and I hope I managed to learn from their short comings and
treat the group with a mutual respect that indicated to them that my intentions
were honest and despite our closeness in age that I had earned my place as
their ‘leader’ (although I actually found that by establishing a careful
balance between being their equal and being ‘in-charge’ as it were, I managed
to get the best out of the group[I hope]).
All in all I was simply thrilled to
spend an exciting week in a fascinating place, getting to work with a
thoroughly Excellent group of young people who most certainly handles their disappointment with grace and a brilliant attitude.
I leave you with the view out too sea from my humble Bivvi Bedroom.
