I’m going to pick up where I left off Sunday night: the crumpled paper ball game or should I say the “Owen Show!”
Each player has to pick five words that they write on five papers. These papers are then crumpled up and placed in a bowl. Each word must be related somehow to the day. The group is divided in two teams. Taking turns and alternating between teams, the players must make it through three rounds of guessing the words. During the first round, the players must pick a paper ball with a word and explain it to their teammates without actually saying it. They have one minute to try to get through as may balls and guess as many words as possible. Each word guessed is worth one point. Once all the team members have had a go, the papers are crumpled back up and returned to the bowl. During the second round, the players must mime the word to their teammates, and in the third round, they can only say one word as a clue to the word on the paper. We called it the “Owen Show” because a generous amount of the words was related to this charming character, his expressions, his nicknames, etc.
The evening is festive, and laughter fills the lodge with a warmth that is palpable. Once again, it’s great to see everyone together enjoying this truly unique evening! After the game, we’re sent off to get ready for bed. Outside, the stars have taken over the sky, and there are thousands of them.
Good night 😉
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“Good morning, sunshinesssss!” We wake up to a golden sun, heralding an equally golden Monday. We’re served a delicious apple pancake breakfast and then get ready for our first ski touring outing on Surprise Lake—time to get the most out of the little snow Mother Nature has blessed us with.
Once we’re outside, Chloé explains how to adjust our touring skis. For many, it’s their first time. We head to the lake to put on our skis and start by practising moving without the poles, which goes really, really well. It’s quite warm outside, spring is definitely in the air.
Without too much delay, we set off in single file, following our guide, Chloé. For some, things get a little complicated. We record a few falls, but no injuries. Mauricio joins us for a little learning activity. Everyone puts down their bags and poles and gets in a line. Mauricio steps away from the line and tells everyone to close their eyes and move towards his voice. No cheating! When he says stop, you stop. Most of the group makes it to him quite successfully. He then explains the reason for the exercise. If you get lost in the woods and start shouting for help, it’s virtually impossible to identify where the voice is coming from because of the echo. But when you use a whistle, the sound points you directly in the right direction. That’s why every participant will be carrying a whistle on the expedition over the next few days.
We continue our trek, stopping for a moment to bask silently in the sun. The soothing effect nature can have on us is amazing. The warm sun on our skin is simply magical. During this quiet moment, we can hear the lake, alive and well, transforming itself beneath our feet. At times, a drumbeat can be heard. It’s impressive, if not a little unsettling at first.
We keep going and complete our 2.2-km outing. Then it’s back to the lodge for lunch. Once our bellies are full, we all enjoy a bit of free time before preparing for tomorrow’s big departure (Tuesday). Marie-Michelle gathers us in the lounge to show us how to organize our backpacks for the expedition. The last items of equipment are presented to us, and we’re told how to split up our essentials between our day pack and our night pack.
Once that’s done, we’re asked to head to our rooms and prepare our gear for tomorrow. It’s not that easy to decide what to bring and what to leave at the lodge. The weather is particularly warm for this time of year. We need to rely on our self-awareness, our body awareness and our ability to manage the rather warm weather of the last few days.
Let’s go back a day for a minute. On Sunday morning, as we were digging a hole in the ice, members of the Voyageur Quest team made an even bigger hole in the ice with a chainsaw. A hole big enough for a polar dip directly in Surprise Lake. Today (Monday) is the day! Everyone dons their bathing suits and heads for the lake. The current record for the polar dip challenge here is 4 minutes.
Believe it or not, 7 out of the 10 participants break the record by staying in the water for 4 minutes and 3 seconds, the new record set by Owen, who wants to prove to everyone that he’s not “all talk and no show.” A polar dip is quite the experience . . . You have to concentrate on your breathing in the bitter cold of the lake. When you emerge, you feel an intense warmth as your body works hard to adapt to the temperature. What an extraordinary dose of adrenalin!
Once we’re out of the water, we throw some random clothes on and head for the sauna to acclimate. A perfect moment to relax and reflect inward on what we’ve just accomplished. Opportunities like this don’t come around often, and the participants did a great job of “seizing the day” so to speak. They showed courage and extraordinary self-control today.
All warmed up, we head back to the lodge for our last supper, served by Nikoline and Baris. Guess what? It’s a real treat! In between the main meal and dessert, we head outside to admire the magnificent sunset. Another gift from Mother Nature today.
We wrap up the evening with some well-deserved free time for the participants. They make bracelets, play games and, of course, laugh together! Beautiful humans bonding, ready to set out on an adventure tomorrow (Tuesday).
Good night and see you tomorrow!
Laurence Yelle, Volunteer photographer-blogger for the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation
Translated by Anna Tomczyk
In pictures
