A typical day at the camp
Every day here at the camp is different for everyone, but this is what a typical day at the camp looks like for me. I wake up at 7 or 8 am depending on what time was decided yesterday. My sleeping bag is cold and a bit wet from last night’s rain and my back hurts from sleeping on the ground. Despite this it doesn’t take long before I start giggling with my tent-roomies to the weird noises and dreams we’ve had during the night. After a while I put on my goretex shoes and windproof overall and step outside the tent. There’s frost on the tent and the sun is shining.
I head off to basecamp. The 700 m long walk to basecamp is wonderful. The air is a bit foggy, the sun is shining and the spectacular mountains surround you wherever you are. In basecamp, our wonderful chefs have prepared porridge and coffee for us, and after we’ve had our meal in the sunshine it’s time for a morning meeting where we go through the program and hype each other.
During the day I write material for the blog and the Expedition Arcada book in the sun together with Ica and the media team. Although we all have different tasks we tend to do them together which is fun. When we’ve completed our daily tasks or want to take a break we usually come up with some fun activities. Today I organized soccer and stretching for the people in basecamp and then some of us went hiking in the mountains.
Lunch is always served at 12 am and dinner at 17 am. I tend to get cranky when I’m hungry or tired but not once have I stayed hungry here at the camp, thanks to our lovely kitchen staff and sponsors. We’ve had chicken tikka masala, stew and chicken with coconut-sauce to name a few of our fantastic and luxurious meals. Besides that we can have coffee and tea whenever we want. Before going to bed we usually eat a light meal consisting of fruit and bread and have a warm cup of tea. After that it’s time for our evening meeting where we sum up the day and go through tomorrow’s program.
My late night routines take a lot of time. I pack my backpack for tomorrow with both warm and light clothes and plan a new combo of clothes for preventing freezing during the night. Last night’s combo was quite successful; 1 pair of normal socks, 1 pair of thick woolen socks, legwarmers, leggings, woolen leggings, 2 long sleeved shirts, a fleece, a beanie and gloves. I was all cuddled up in my sleeping bag, the zipper closed all the way up to my nose, and on top of my sleeping bag I had a woolen blanket about twice my size which kept me warmer than usual.
There are many things about camp life that I’m completely hyped about because everything is so different from everyday life. For example I find it really cool to eat my meals, on the ground, from a badly washed bowl with a plastic spoon four times a day. I also love how small I feel next to all of these breathtaking mountains. What’s really exciting about this place though is the change in temperature. In the morning it’s really chilly and all clothes are needed, but after a while it gets warmer and close to +23 degrees Celsius. We hang out all day in t-shirts and shorts but as soon as the sun sets it gets freezing cold, not to mention the nights when it’s actually minus degrees…
One thing I’ve noticed in particular during this expedition is the easy going feeling and energy we have here. The atmosphere in the camp has stayed incredibly positive despite some small set-backs like stomach illness, rain, bad sleeping and struggles with the wifi. It seems like there’s no time for negative thinking since everyone is so stoked about being here, far away from civilization. One thing that has definitely helped us get through every day is humor and laughter. I feel so lucky for the chance to try something completely different together with very different personas. Change really brings out the best of you, and so does outdoor life! Vive la France!
Lisa Sandström, sports and health promotion student