The Volunteer - NWRFCA - Northwest Reserve Forces & Cadets ...

4 LANCS
4 LANCS hit
the slopes
BY 2 LT KEELING & WO2 MCGRATH
FOLLOWING an epic journey of 21 hours
from Blackburn TAC to the heights of
Samoens, by use of the Channel Tunnel, we
arrived safely.
The Exercise is an annual event held on
the slopes of the Grand Massif, France. The
team consisted of 17 people commanded by
Capt ‘Sped’ Lydiate.
Accommodation was self-catering
apartments within a typically ornate chalet
building at the LaGrange Hotel complex. This
was ideally located only five minutes drive
from the Samoens Grand Massif Express.
The resort is recommended for any future
adventure training in the Grand Massif area,
summer or winter.
The weather was overcast on the way
down and continued to be change, showing
all four seasons in one week. The team were
not disappointed!
The first day was spent getting our ski legs
and giving the non-skiers familiarisation
training. After the first full day’s skiing all
were tired but morale was high.
The team soon gelled and started training
on basic ski techniques.
After a full day on the slopes Cpl Barrett’s
team were confident they could endure
another day.
After a decent night’s sleep the group
were in attack mode for the slopes. The mild
weather continued to have a sugary effect
on the slopes. The beginner’s group, working
towards their Basic Ski Award, were taken
off to Flaine. The trip pushed the boundaries
and placed members outside their comfort
zones, building confidence.
The CO and Maj Callaghan joined the
second group in the afternoon to practise
on more demanding slopes at a much more
rigorous pace.
The day finished with a ‘wash’, confidence
improving and all talking about the day’s
events.
The weather changed
Wednesday morning with
heavy rain in the afternoon
and visibility poor. However
it was another successful
day on the slopes. Everyone
continued to benefit from
the lessons and became
even more confident and
competent. The snow was
wetter than previous days
and seemed harder to ski
on. Another tiring day was
concluded by quality hot
meals from the aspiring chefs
in the group.
The beginner’s group got some classroom
lessons that evening as part of their Basic
Ski Award and all were well on their way to
meeting the standard required.
The other group had the opportunity
to get a little higher on the slopes, and try
some of the more challenging pistes, with
very undulating runs. The challenging
environment saw an increase in wipeouts;
this just boosted morale and although it was
a hard days skiing, all were pushed to the
limits.
It was still raining heavily on the
Thursday but in true Brit style we embarked
on the daily trip up the mountain to find a
‘white out’ and awesome snow.
This proved extremely testing even for the
advanced skiers. Visibility was poor and at
times it was hard to establish and reference
point to navigate a safe route down the
slopes. The result was another hard day but
sadly it only left use more day of skiing.
And what a fantastic day it was! The
glorious chilly weather and the snow
conditions were perfect. All managed to
hit the slopes with the expected erupting
enthusiasm. The picturesque landscape was
viewed from the chair lifts above the cloud
cover, the sun hitting Mt Blanc in all her
glory.
The two groups met at the summit of
Flaine for lunch and for the first time spent
the afternoon together to complete the
exercise. We celebrated with a final meal and
then set off on the dreaded 20 hour road trip
back home.
www.nwrfca.org.uk THE VOLUNTEER 21