Hi everyone! Odd Sock here, reporting from Norway again! Yesterday I decided to go with the Troll hunting humans, to see why they are being so unsuccessful! I wrapped myself in a big jacket inside a rucksack, and clung onto a flask of hot chocolate (to both keep myself warm, and to protect it!) I also asked them to explain a bit more about this activity they call ice climbing (as I think this is the way they look for trolls who live in the trees on top of steep icy waterfalls). It was -12.5degC when we set off, so both Ice climbing and troll hunting seem to require humans to wear LOTS of warm clothes! (They also where helmets on their heads, in case ice lands on them, or in case trolls throw rocks at their heads!) These are what the spikey crampons look like that the humans then strap to their big warm boots. ...And these are the sharp ice-axes that they hold in each gloved hand. By kicking the sharp front points of their foot crampons into the ice, and hitting their ice-axes in, they can gradually make their way up steep ice! If you look very carefully at the photo below, then you will see that one of my humans is using his left hand to screw something (called an ice screw) into the ice, and you will see that ropes are trailing beneath him. Another human standing at the bottom of the ice cliff holds the ropes with a special "belay" device, and the rope is clipped to the ice screws (which are screwed into the ice at intervals). This stops the human falling far if he slips! Having checked the top of the cliff for trolls, the unsuccessful humans then fasten their ropes to something strong, like a tree, and use their special "belay device" (shown above in the middle) to slowly slide themselves back down to the bottom of the cliff. Their ropes can then be pulled back down too, so they don't need a new rope for each climb! Well that's the end of my report on ice climbing. In my next blog I'd like to show you where we are all staying, and show you some more troll signs that I think my unobservant humans are completely missing!
7 Comments
Jeremy Bear
22/1/2014 05:14:00 am
The equipment used for climbing (and troll hunting/ protection) amazes me. Lovely pics! I wonder if it will snow in England this winter :(
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Odd Sock
22/1/2014 06:18:30 am
Yes, the stuff they use amazes me too. I hope we get snow - I want to build a snowman, and the snow here is too powdery! xxx
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Sallyjain Warburton
22/1/2014 05:23:35 am
So interesting. I think you are very courageous to climb what looks like a mountain, very brave indeed. I did some ice wall climbing in Canada
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Odd Sock
22/1/2014 06:21:17 am
(I was at the bottom with the hot chocolate flask Sally, but don't tell everyone...) xxxx
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Jeremy Bear
22/1/2014 06:24:38 am
Guarding the hot chocolate flask is important too!
Lucky and Bluey
24/1/2014 12:45:44 am
We finks this is a very gud write up an we as learned a lot bouts ice climin. Well dun Oddsock 😀
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Odd Sock
25/1/2014 01:06:46 am
Thanks guys...will write up my final trip (and troll) report once recovered from very late journey home...😊❤️
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AuthorsThe Top of the Wardrobe Gang: Oscar Rabbit, PD Monkey, Odd Sock, Burton Bear, Terry Tiger (TT), Burton Bear; helped by Melinda Kinsman Archives
October 2018
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