Sandstone Rocks!
Norwegian Orienteers are used to spending their Easter-holidays on trainingcamps. Normally Sweden and Denmark
are popular destinations, but this time we wanted to try something different. And the 15 brave vikings will not
regret that they took a chance!
Already the first day on Sedm Chlebu (known only as "the bread-map") people came back smiling from training -
discussing all different and funny-looking sandstone-formations. The terrain was gentle and served us a perfect
start, even though the temperatures were somewhat lower than some of us expected... And in the evening some
stunned norwegians discovered that some Czech people spoke our own language gramatically better than ourselves
as we attended Zuzana's norwegian class. But the students got something in return... Norwegian newspapers and
fresh gossip about the royal family...
Tuesday and Wednesday went on with trainings at Houska and other good maps, all in the surroundings of the
friendly hosts at pension Zaksin. The quality of our group were quite good, with several members of the
Norwegian national team. Karina Nordrum, Ingrid Bronebakk and Anne Margrethe Hausken among the women, and
Ivar Haugen, Oystein Kvaal Osterbo and Oyvind Helgerud were leading names. But on Wednesday even the best
map-reader got lost when our cars was gone from the parking-place... Some searching later, most people
discovered that the cars had to be moved after an order from the forestkeeper. Some people gave up the search
and jogged the 5km back to the pension.
That our hosts at Zaksin were flexibel, was well demonstrated on Friday morning, when the breakfast interval
was stretched to 08.00-12.30 after a visit to Prague the night before. But even after a short night's sleep,
everyone was ready to face the real test in the Sandstone on the first race at 14.00 that day.
The competetions were probably the toughest orienteering-experience for most of us. Up and down, climbing and
sliding - never time to rest, never an opportunity to just run away in full speed. Too tough for those who
struggled with injuries - but for the rest the courses provided a real challenge, and a lot of discussions
afterwards...!
In the womens Elite Karina Nordrum and Ingrid Bronebakk were going for The double, but Ingrid mispunched on the
chasing start. In the mens, strong Slovak Marian Davidik looked to be heading for the victory, but Vikings never
give up, and Oystein Kvaal Osterbo and Ivar Haugen completed The double after outsmarting Davidik towards the
end.
In the end our stay was discribed as a complete success. Both as maps and courses, race and trainings were
concerned - but also socially we managed to have some fun also outside of the forest. All week very well
organized by Zdenko, Jaromir, Anna and Zuzana - the last three, helpers who did everything they could to make
us feel welcome, and who also provided trainings of high quality. We are grateful that they would spend their
whole Easter holidays with us, and promise to do whatever we can to repay that service sometime.
And, Yes - we would like to come back very soon!
On behalf of 15 Norwegian Vikings;
Jorn Sundby - velky sef.