Life at Southern Base Camp (January) We
come together as a large family at Trollhaugen Farm base camp and
learn a multitude of new skills.We learn new ways of study and begin
to document our learning through prose, poetry, drawing and craft.
Each day starts with morning chores ranging from wood splitting,
carrying water and cooking on a wood stove to monitoring solar power
and humanure composting. Morning chores are followed by silent observation
of the world from everyone’s secret spot. After breakfast we begin
our study with a main lesson. January subjects are directly connected
with the expedition preparation and range from meteorology and wilderness
medicine to nutrition and equipment construction. Each day we practice
skiing.We learn classical and skate skiing, and take to the slopes
of a nearby ski mountain for backcountry downhill lessons. Afternoons
are devoted to studying and projects. Everyone has an independent
project in an area of expedition concentration, such as food manager,
equipment manager or master navigator. As students progress on their
projects expedition plans materialize into reality. Days end with
a study hall, songs,music and community time.
We learn about nutrition, appropriate foods
for the trail and the importance of a local diet.
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From steel and wood we craft a knife, perhaps
the most important tool of the entire journey. |
Peter Marques of Tentsmith is a tent sewing
teacher. |
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