40tude's 'Heroes of Telemark' Challenge

For this winter challenge with a difference in Norway our team retraced the route of the WWII Operation Gunnerside, celebrated in the 1965 film 'Heroes of Telemark'. 

Our team were taught a range of new skills by highly specialised ex-military winter survival experts, so they could look after themselves in the harsh Nordic winter environment and widen their knowledge of the daring and successful World War II sabotage operations.

They were be required to become competent in a variety of arctic skills including Nordic skiing, snow shoeing and survival techniques. They put these into practice in the second, operational phase, as they took the route taken by special forces operatives in February 1943 to sabotage the German hydrogen plant near Rjukan making 'heavy water' for use in atomic bombs.  This involved a 4-hour ski in white arctic warfare camouflage suits, in challenging mountainous terrain, following the exact route used by the saboteurs 79 years ago. 

Team work, self-discipline and utilising the skills learnt in Phase 1 were essential in successfully completing this route.  Well done team, you have all done brilliantly well!

If you'd like to show your support of their considerable efforts you can make a donation here:

Donate in support of 40tude's Telemark team