elusive moose » Ice-skating

Keeping safe on the ice

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:55:29 +0000

With so many frozen lakes and ponds everywhere this time of year, the thought of venturing on the ice is a tempting one. Particularly if you like ice-skating as much as I do! But safety has to be a priority, if you don’t want an ice-skating session with the family to turn into a bad memory, or worse, a tragedy. So remember the basic ice safety rules.

- Don’t venture on ice that’s less than 10cm (4 inches) thick.

- Don’t skate alone. You should always have someone with you in case of an accident.

- Children should not be allowed to skate on a pond unsupervised.

- Do not congregate in one area, particularly if there are a few of you in your party.

- Ice thickness is not consistent. Water currents, particularly around narrow spots, bridges, inlets and outlets, are always suspect for thin ice.

- Beware of ice around partially submerged objects, such as trees and logs.

- Stay away from cracks, seams, pressure ridges, slushy areas and darker areas that signify thinner ice.

- Don’t skate in the dark. Skate only during the day when the light is good and you can see your surroundings.

- You should carry a rope and some ice picks with you at all times on the ice.

- It’s a good idea to pack a change of clothes to take with you, in case you do fall through.

Did you know? Factors influencing ice formation

admin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:43:49 +0000

Winter is on its way, and hopefully we’ll soon have a few frozen lakes to go ice-skating on. I can’t wait, as I just looooooove ice-skating! But thick, safe ice can take a little while to form, and the following factors all play a part:

- Steady sub-freezing temperatures: The colder it is for a longer period of time, the better the freeze-up of lake waters.

- Calm days and nights: The less the wind blows, the faster and more solid ice freezes.

- Water type: The higher the salinity of a body of water, and the larger its size, the slower the rate at which it will freeze. So a fjord will take a lot longer to freeze over than a small freshwater lake.

- Heavy snows: The formation of good ice is hindered by heavy snow (or worse, rain).

- Vegetation: Shoreline plants result in thinner ice. Reeds and tree roots near the water’s edge can weaken ice and slow formation. Avoid these areas wherever possible.

- Moving water: If there are springs or feeder streams that put water into a lake for example, make sure you know where those areas are to avoid weak ice. The more moving water in a location, the less solid the ice will be.

Rakkestadfjella, Indre Østfold

admin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:52 +0000

Rakkestadfjella is the largest continous forested area in Indre Østfold. With over 80km of marked trails and 70km of cross-country skiing trails, it’s a great recreation area right in the middle of the wilderness, used by locals in both summer and winter. Pine forests dominate the landscape, which is dotted with ponds, lakes and marshes. You can swim and fish in many lakes in summer, and ice-skate and go cross-country skiing in winter.

One of the easiest ways to access Rakkestadfjella is to drive to Skrabberud, from which trails lead in various directions. Follow road 124 from Rakkestad – you’ll see a sign on your left after about 6.5km, then follow the dirt road for another 7km. There is a 20kr toll on the way.

South of Rakkestadfjella lies Linnekleppen, one of the best viewpoints in Østfold. On a clear day, and armed with a good pair of binoculars, you can make out Gaustatoppen at Rjukan on the other side of the Oslo Fjord. See separate entry on this blog at http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2009/10/walk-linnekleppen/

Go ice-skating

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:06:43 +0000

One of the great joys of winter in Norway for me is being able to go ice-skating. Not on a tiny, packed ice-rink of the kind they put up for the Christmas season in London and many other cities, but in the open air, either on the frozen moat around Gamlebyen here, or, if the ice is thick enough, on one of the many lakes in the area. It hasn’t been cold enough yet this year for this, but another alternative is to go for a spin at Stjernehallen, Fredrikstad’s indoor ice-rink. It’s used by the local team in the afternoon for practice, and in the evening on match days (more on this later…), but in the morning and on Sundays you can go ice-skating there, and it’s free! So pack your skates (or borrow some – they don’t rent any) and have some fun!

Stjernehallen, Utfarten 16, Fredrikstad. Tel: 69 36 83 00, www.stjernen.no. Open to the public Wed-Fri 10am-2pm, and Sun 10.30am-12.30pm.