Karthaus song

Chorus:

Karthaus, oh Karthaus, you've taught me all I know;
I now have twenty-seven words for different types of snow.
Karthaus, oh Karthaus, you really are the best,
But after all that thinking(*), I have to get some rest.

Halfway up a mountain, in northern Italy,
The summer school's been coming here since nineteen-ninety-three.
The food is quite amazing; you eat enough for four;
You think you've eaten all you can, but still they bring out more!

[chorus]

The hiking in these mountains is really very nice,
But walking to the cross is something I cannot do twice.
I've wandered up, and wandered down, and wandered round some more,
And consequently now my knees and legs are rather sore.

[chorus]

We've had a lot of lectures, and maybe learnt some stuff.
I think we'd all agree, though, the equations were quite tough.
We did the exercises, got answers double-quick,
And found we could do calculus, but not arithmetic.

[chorus]

I've learnt a lot of other things while I've been on this course:
I now can click my heels and insult you in Old Norse.
I've not learnt how to tango; that's maybe just as well,
But absolutely crucial - goats are evil, can't you tell?!

[chorus]

So now we leave you, Karthaus. We've had an awesome time.
We must meander home along our personal flowlines.
We'll all of us remember the things that happened here,
And when I've been to therapy, I'll hold those memories dear.

[chorus and repeat]

(*) or drinking, or eating, as appropriate.

Ian Rutt
Karthaus, 23 September 2005

Edelweiss (the NorthGRIP version)

Basal ice, basal ice,
Three thousand meters beneath us.
Red and white, basal ice,
We're so happy to see you.

Papers in Nature and Science too:
These can be expected.
Basal ice, basal ice,
we're so happy to see you.

Ian Rutt and Nanna Karlsson
Karthaus, 23 September 2005