Safety training

Unfortunately I don't have many pictures of my first two days at UNIS, even though they were quite exciting.  The first two days of any course here is mandatory safety training, which is rifle training, first aid, safety equipment, and survival suit training.

The walk from Nybyen, the dorm buildings, and the UNIS building is always between thirty and forty minutes long and it was drizzling as I walked with some of my fellow classmates down the road to UNIS. I got to UNIS right as my first class started. It was strange seeing people I hadn't met yet, as I felt like I knew everyone in the class, but of course of the twenty students I had met only half. The instructor, Frede, was the picture of a Norwegian outdoorsman, with blue eyes and a grizzled white beard. As he continued to talk about the dangers of Svalbard, he pulled the sleeves of his thermal shirt up to reveal colorful sleeve tattoos on both arms. He spoke about wearing proper clothing, avoiding glacial crevasses and slippery rock slopes, and who to call in case of an emergency. Soon it was time to take the bus to the rifle range.

We passed the Svalbard Seed vault (I'll visit that later), and then arrived at the rifle range. It was a small wooden shack facing a mountainside. We went inside into a cramped room where Frede showed us a poster-board with a number of plastic slides on rifle sighting, proper rifle care, when to load the rifle, etc. He explained that the rifles we were going to use are lethal up to 5 km, able to kill someone at the UNIS building from Nybyen.  Then it was time to learn how to load the rifles. Using dummy ammo, we learned how to properly half-load our bolt-action rifles. And then live ammo was brought out. Frede waved a loaded rifle around. It was actually quite safe, he made it pretty clear how half-loading a rifle makes it impossible to fire unless the bolt is pulled back, pushed in and locked. We learned how to position ourselves into the lying down shooting position, the classic movie sniper pose with the legs at an angle to the gun and one pulled up. It was comfortable enough. We were told to hold our breath and gradually tighten our trigger finger until the gun fires. We should be surprised every time the gun is fired. These guidelines allow the gun to be aimed more accurately. Then it was time to actually shoot. We split into two groups, and I was in the first group. We loaded the rifles like we'd been taught, and lay down in the proper position, with ear protection. Then we were told to shoot four shots when ready. I tried to relax, but then gunshots were all around me. My shoulders tensed up and I felt like I forgot everything I had just been taught. It was like being in the revolutionary war with all of us shooting in a line. I lost track of how many shots I fired. When we stood up, I could feel myself shaking. We all walked over to the targets, and it turns out I actually hit my target three times out of four.

We then had to learn to shoot from a crouched position. The steps to get into this position are as follows: stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, turn your right foot ninety degrees, drop your right knee so that it lies where the toes once were, move the left foot half a foot-length up and turn it forty-five degrees right. Now you can sit down on your right foot and rest your left elbow on the outside of your left knee. Now you can hold your rifle with your cheek pressed against the stock. Also if your anything like me, you will be in excruciating pain in your knees and ankles. Shooting the rifle hurt so much because there was a sudden shock to my already hurting knees and ankle. I tried my best to focus and relax, and shoot the way I was suppose to, but I could not wait to get out of that position.

I hit the target four times, but they were a bit spread out. I proudly showed my bullet holes to Frede, who put a little check by my name. I was so relieved. When we all returned back to the shack, the next group was sent to shoot. Frede called my name. He said he wanted me to shoot with this group too. I screamed internally, then walked to where he pointed me too and got back into the crouched position, my knees and ankles protesting even more. But I was able to shoot a little bit closer, and the wooden wheel he used to measure just barely covered all the holes. So I passed the rifle test, and can now carry a rifle into the field. When I returned to my room, my shoulders ached from holding in tension, but I slept very well that night.

The next day, we spent the morning practicing first aid skills, which was maybe not fun, but wasn't stressful. We giggled while patting and touching people we had only just met. The new first aid equipment I was shown was really cool. These things called Sam Splints seem really handy, and I sort of want to buy one for myself. We trained with CPR, bandages, splints, and emergency blankets. Next, we were shown the emergency communications equipment we would be given, emergency beacon, SatPhone, other kind of SatPhone, GPS, and two-way radio. We were also shown the emergency packs for winter and summer seasons with a number of useful things. The logistics personnel (Sebastian?) demonstrated how to use the gasoline-powered camp-stove (big flames at the beginning) and then we practiced setting up a tent.

After a short break, Frede came to show us the survival suits. These are heavily insulated flotation suits that are used to ensure survival in the event we are dumped into the Arctic Ocean from a boat. So we all suited up, trying to squeeze into the skintight wetsuit layer.

We were then driven to the docks of Longyearbyen, and we waded into the Arctic Ocean. It wasn't exactly comfortable being in a very bulky wetsuit, but it wasn't particularly cold. I got a bit wet. We then needed to jump in swim to each other and form a chain, and then swim all to shore, which we did. And then we were done with our safety training! Now I am a little bit more prepared for my outdoor adventures in the Arctic.