Minnesota National Guard troops build ice walls, snow caves to endure conditions in Norwegian mountains
HALTDALEN, Norway -- WCCO is with the Minnesota National Guard in Norway to mark 50 years of our countries training together.
This week, guard members are dealing with the dangers of Norway's cold and mountainous terrain.
Members of the Norwegian Home Guard are right by their side to help navigate deep snow, strong winds and unpredictable precipitation at high altitudes.
Due to a wind event overnight Thursday, troops spent hours building up an ice wall around their tents for protection. Maj. Katie Lunning is the officer in charge of this year's NOREX exchange.
"We use our shovels and just make a brick and build it up. If the wind isn't as high, you can have the wall about two-thirds height they said around the tent. But with the winds last night and the way that they're coming in today, we built the walls up to almost the same height as the tent," Lunning said. "The goal of the snow wall is to make sure it's a windbreak to keep the canvas dry and to keep the wind blowing off you as much as possible."
Lunning braved the storm right beside the troops she commands.
"I definitely woke up and I could feel the tent swaying back and forth, but the Norwegians know what they're doing, so we have a stove going, we have really great wool gear to keep us warm, so even though you could hear it howling outside, we were comfortable."
The wind shook everything, and brought sub-zero temperatures. Troops relied on the shelter of their tents for protection. Cpt. Ellen McNair says Norwegian Home Guard troops stressed the importance of safety when it come to using this stove.
"You start the stove as soon as you get in the tent because that's the source of your heat," McNair said. "You turn this heat gauge up all the way, it's got five levels up all the way to 5. You do a couple pumps of the fuel. The fuel is outside of the tent for safety purposes."
Once the fire is inside the stove, it heats up fast. With eight people in the tent, they take turns on fire watch. That means one person stands guard to put out the fire if it gets out of control. They also carry a knife to cut the sides open and get people out if needed to escape a burning tent.
While some stay close to the protection of the tents, others head further up the mountain. Troops dig snow caves that will provide shelter from snow, rain or sleet. It's another layer of protection from an unpredictable storm. They will hunker down inside until the weather allows them to move around. The snow cave is the perfect size to enjoy rations and a bit of down time with comrades.
This was one of the last looks these troops will get at the beauty and the danger a Norwegian winter brings. The time has come to descend the mountain and return to garrison. They overcame their fears and successfully completed training – thanks to the Norwegian Home Guard's expertise at conquering the elements.