Episode guide, 71° nord (Norway) 2010

Photos : TV Norge

Episode 0 : The final casting

For this 12th season, more than 2500 Norwegians applied. Of these 38 were selected for the final casting. They meet in Arendal in the afternoon April 9th, and are transported to Hove, where they will get four tough days trying to convince the producers that they should be among the 12 participants, 6 girls and 6 boys, for the journey.

For the first time since the 2003-season, a special episode of this final casting session was made.

After arriving Hove, in nice weather, they all get registered. And then they start with a test of their maximal pulse, which will indicate their physical condition, and ability to push themselves. And it will also show the competition instinct.

Each of them shall run pulling tires in ropes behind them. They are looking forward to start.

Afterwards, they can raise their tents. Then they are welcomed to the camp by Tom Stiansen, who again will be the host for the program. They spend the rest of the evening getting to know each other better. But they are unsure if they really should go to sleep. But near midnight they do.

However, they were right. At 04.00 they are woken up by Jan Fasting and the rest of the crew. They must pack all their equipment fast, and walk to the beach, where they shall warm up with strength exercises.

Important for the participants on the journey is the ability to listen and receive messages. Standing on a quay, one girl, Gøril, get the impression that they shall start swimming, and jumps into the water, whereas the rest of them stand left on the quay.

Walking back, they get instruction to organise, so that they increase their speed. Many of the applicants have leader experience. Erlend, thinking of himself as a good leader, take the lead.

Next is to run uphill and downhill with their backpacks on. Their physical condition varies a lot. They return to the camp, but not for long, as they are soon asked to return to the beach, carry dry clothes, and to dress light.

The exercise is paddling, as a relay with three teams, and with three persons in each kayak, even though it is designed only for two. This makes the kayaks unstable. This shall show their abilities to work as teams, and the competition instincts.

The whole time at Hove, they have been observed by the crew. After the first day, Tom announces the first selection, where 16 of the 38 applicants have to leave. This naturally gives one satisfied group, and one disappointed. Some are surprised to still be in, whereas some are surprised to have to leave.

They go early to sleep, but again they are woken up after only 2 hours. This is a test of their motivation. This will be the heaviest test so far. They have to fill up their backpacks with stones, so that it weight 2/3 of their own body weight. Marit likes to carry weight, if it is her own things which she can use, but she doesn't expect to be in need of stones.

With heavy backpacks they walk uphill with only headlamps in the dark night. Then it is time for a "refreshing" night bath in the sea. With only 11 degrees in the water and 4 degrees in the air, they have to swim 100 meters.

While eating breakfast, they discuss the events from the last night. It has been tougher than most of them expected it to be.

They are divided into one group with 8 persons, and one with 14. Erlend, being part of the 14 person-group, thinks that this will be perfect for the next selection, but can not be sure.

The group of 8 will repel down from the 37 meters high Tromoy bridge. Daniel is afraid of heights, but gets very excited when he gets down. The others seem to enjoy it.

The other group of 14 shall compete in three teams, and move themselves by use of ropes between two trees, without touching the ground. What the producers look for is which role each takes in their group, and how they act as teamworkers. One of the teams has more problems then the others.

Then it is time for a new selection. First Tom asks if their motivation is good enough, and if someone wants to leave. And Anne Stine, who has been in doubt, tells that she isn't motivated for the journey.

Tom then announces the names of 8 of the participants that will be on the show: Hedda, Vidar, Tonnie, Christian, Mari, Erlend, Gøril and Thomas.

The other 13 applicants shall fight for the remaining 4 places in the group. They meet another night with uncertainty. But for the first time, they have a good night's sleep, without interruptions.

The event for the 13 is to build a båre. They are divided into two teams. Again, their position in the team will be observed. After building the båre, they have to carry each person one round on the beach.

Afterwards, they are divided into new teams, and the assignment is to build a fire and make a litre of water to boil.

This was the last event, and now it is time to announce the final 4 participants for the journey: Marit, Tom, Julie and Morten. The 12 of them get their equipment, and get ready for the journey towards North Cape.

Episode 1

Day 1 (April 13th)

After the days at Hove, the group goes to Lindesnes, for the start of their journey against 71 North. Meeting the group again, the host Tom Stiansen takes Julie and Morten away from the rest. These were the last two persons selected at Hove, and get the challenge to be leaders of one group each for the first assignment. Each team must consist of 3 girls and 3 boys.

Julie picks Vidar, Christian, Hedda, Marit and Tom, and Morten picks Erlend, Thomas, Gøril, Tonnie and Mari.

At the thousand year centre, they find the information about the assignment, and all the equipment they will need. The race has started.

In the first part they will compete in the two teams. They shall get from Lindesnes to Kostøl in Ålefjærsfjorden, a little north of Kristiansand. Each team gets two vehicles for their disposal. These have a speed limit of 40 km/h. In Kostøl they will get more information. As it is military vehicles, it is required that they also have a military chauffer for each group.

Morten's group starts first, but with Julie's group close behind. The main road E-39 is the shortest route. However, they are unsure if it is allowed for a vehicle with speed limit 40 km/h to drive at this road. Julie's group asks their chauffer, who says it is allowed. The others ask a tractor driver, and by this take the decision to drive the longer road. At 19.15 Julie and her team arrive Kostøl as the first. From here they go by boat to Kjevik, where they meet Tom 40 minutes later. The group gets 5 points in advantage against the other group.

By foot they go to the Norwegian Air Force's school at Kjevik.

The other group is 1 hour behind. They expect the other group to be punished for driving a road they were not allowed to use. However, Tom informs that military vehicles are allowed to use the main road, so Morten's group looses this first part.

In a flight simulator at the school centre, each group shall navigate and make a flight with helicopter from Kjevik by Evje and Rjukan to Notodden. They must first choose course, and calculate fuel consumption and time. Julie's team is confused, whereas Morton, who works in the navy, and Gøril, who has flied before, takes the lead.

Both teams expect the same time, but Team Julie has calculated a little more fuel consumption, and almost three times as long distance as Team Morten. Morten's team is almost perfect on everything, and gets 5 points for this. The simulator is very realistic, and gives them a feeling of flying. For Team Julie, Christian is the pilot, with Hedda as navigator. The flight goes well, except for the detail that they crash at the airport… Gøril takes the pilot seat, with Morten as navigator. But despite her flight experience, Gøril has big troubles, and they crash several times during the takeoff, and also at the airport at the destination. For this part, Team Julie is the best, and they are still in the lead. This gives them an advantage for the next leg, which is cycling.

The military will transport the group to the next leg. However, one person from each of the teams shall stay left in Kjevik. The leaders choose Marit and Tonnie.

The others are transported to one camp each nearby the city of Notodden. As Julie's team won the first part, they will be located 5 km closer to the goal. Marit and Tonnie will travel to Notodden the next day. They will carry one GPS each, and a coordinate for the team, where they will find bikes that they will be using for the rest of the assignment.

Tom tells Marit and Tonnie that they will be flown to Notodden. And then the little surprise: They have to jump in parachute to their targets! The girls are not very happy with this, as they both are afraid of heights.

Day 2 (April 14th)

In the morning the girls get instructions for the parachuting. They are both nervous. They also get the instructions with the GPS coordinates.

Meanwhile, the others eat breakfast and relax in their camps. When Vidar sees the plane flying close by, he guesses that someone is going to jump out. Seeing Marit jumping in parachute, some of them get jealous. Having landed two different places, Marit and Tonnie has to use the GPS to find the bikes for their teams. Tonnie has trained for using GPS in advance, whereas Marit is inexperienced. Tonnie soon finds the bikes, and the instructions. They shall go as a common team to Tuddal Hotel, which is the goal for the assignment. The distance is about 40 km, and they must climb about 800 meters. By use of radio, she contacts the team, and gives them the GPS coordinates. Marit also finds bikes, and contacts her team. And her team makes better navigation than the other team, and by this partly compensates for Marit's GPS problems.

Morten's team is efficient and soon get on their bikes. Gøril takes the lead, and holds the speed. And it doesn't take long before they see the other team ahead of them. This gives them motivation, and soon passes them. And Julie's team is similar demotivated. Tom in particular has problems.

The last 6 kilometres are the hardest, with 400 meters climb. They have to go off the bikes and walk. Morten has little energy left, and Thomas carries Morten's backpack. At 19.15 they arrive the hotel, and are met by Tom, who invites them in for a nice dinner, as the winners.

The other team is more than 1 hour behind.

Day 3 (April 15th)

In the morning, the whole group reunites. It is time for the first free pass event, ahead of the voting for the first participant to be marked.

Only 6 persons shall participate in the free pass event. Morten, as leader of the winning team, shall choose one person from the other team that shall participate, whereas Julie must choose one from Morten's team that shall not participate. Morten and Julie are part of an alliance together with Christian and Thomas, and Morten includes Julie, whereas Julie removes Erlend from the free pass event.

The free pass event is a kind of ladder game in the snow at the mountain side. They will be presented statements about the other participants, and can bid numbers of transitions in the playing board. If they will hear the statement first, they can bid at most 3 fields. If they don't hear the statement, they can bid up to 6 fields.

If their answer is wrong, they must go the same number of fields backwards. If they land on a field with a rod (act as a "ladder" in ordinary "ladder game"), they can move upwards to the end of the rod. There is also a field with a tunnel, which they also can use as a "ladder". In one field is a vertical rod, which they can climb, and jump as long as they can.

All except Mari are right on first question, all bid 3, but because of a ladder the result is 7 fields forward.

But after some moves, Mari is clever, when she bids only 2, answers wrong, and by this returns to the vertical pole. She then jumps herself to the lead. Thomas does the same. But because of the wind, he doesn't manage to jump all the way to the finish. And when Morten bids 6 fields, and answers correctly, he wins the free pass.

The alliance of 4 thinks their plan to mark Erlend will work, as they expect also Tom to vote like them. But as Julie, Morten and Christian are the persons ranked lowest, he obviously didn't join them. Christian is the first to be marked.

Episode 2 :

Day 4 (April 16th)

In a nice but cold and windy morning at Tuddal, the group is ready for the next assignment. Some of them hope that they will be going upwards in the snowy mountains, whereas others dislike ski and snow, and want to go downward.

Again they divide into two teams. Tom and Mari were ranked highest the day before, and will be leaders. Tom selects Erlend, Hedda, Vidar, Julie and Tonnie, whereas Mari picks Gøril, Marit, Thomas, Christian and Morten.

The assignment is skiing towards Rjukan, over the mountain Gaustatoppen, 1860 meters above sea level. The first team to the top will spend the night in the cottage on the top, the others have to camp outside. The two teams shall take different routes, Team Mari by Lille Gaustakne (1443 meters), and Team Tom by Store Gaustakne (1523 meters).

Mari lets Gøril and Thomas take the lead in navigation. Tom's team gets out first, but Mari's team holds a higher speed, and soon reach up to the others. However, they discover that they have left out the instructions.

Tom and Tonnie are not experienced with the combination of skis and backpacks. In addition, they get problems with galls. The other group, being in the lead, has problems with the navigation, and even though they stand very close to Lille Gaustakne, they continue, without going to the top. Mari's team reaches their top at 13.15, and Julie sees the other team, and thinks they go to the wrong top. If they are at the right top, the get their time reduced by 10 minutes, if they are wrong they get 10 minutes added.

Team Mari still has troubles with the navigation, feeling that the map and the GPS differs, and again make a wrong decision on their route. This causes them time, and they get frustrated when they realise their mistake.

Tom, Tonnie and Vidar are all tired, and it goes slowly. At 17.45 Team Mari reaches the top as the first. It is tough for the other group to see that they will loose the race, reaching the top 30 minutes after the first group.

Team Tom has to camp outside. It is not easy to raise the tent in the wind. As Team Mari has lost their instructions, Morten visits the others in the tent, and manages to get a look on their instructions.

Day 5 (April 17th)

In the night the wind increases, and the team sleeping outside are allowed to go into the cottage too.

In the morning, the host Tom takes the easy way to the top, by using an elevator inside the mountain. He gives them instructions for the rest of the assignment. They shall get down to a place named Svinroe. On the way, they shall solve a puzzle. The first team will get 5 spots in the free pass event, and are also allowed to use the bath facilities at Gaustablikk hotel. And the losers have to make and serve them dinner.

Team Tom has 20 minutes advantage, as they have been on the right top. But the first part down is steep, and the inexperienced skiers, Tom, Tonnie, Julie and Marit, must take it easy. Julie is frightened. Team Mari reaches the extra assignment first. By use of beacon searchers and searching sticks, they shall find a buried thing. The other group is not far behind. The targets are buried deeply, but after lots of digging, Tom's group finds it first. The other group finds it a little later, but doesn't manage to catch up until they come down to Svinroe.

The free pass event takes place at the Vemork bridge, 84 meters high. The one keeping the nerves under control, by holding the pulse at the lowest, gets the free pass. Tonnie will not jump, and Gøril takes her place in the event, even though she also is a little frightened for heights.

Gøril is first, with a pulse of 130, 70% of her maximum pulse. Erlend is next, and his pulse is as high as 219, 5% more (!) than his max. Julie has 103 (55%), Tom only 87 (47%). Hedda (59%) and Vidar (40%) finish the event. This means that Vidar gets the free pass.

While the winning team enjoys the bath, Team Mari prepares a meal for them, to be eaten outside.

Day 6 (April 18th)

The day starts with voting, to mark the second participant. Gøril is ranked highest, with Mari as second. Again one from the 4-person alliance is marked, this time Morten.

Episode 3 :

Episode 4 :

Episode 5 :

Episode 6 :

Episode 7 :

Episode 8 :

Episode 9 :

Episode 10 :

Episode 11 :

Episode 12 :

Episode 13 :

Episode 14:

Last update : 13.12.2011