1077 – ‘Northern Challenge’ – Germany

NORTHERN CHALLENGE 2 was a 150 (Yorkshire) Transport Regiment RLC (V) ski expedition to Ruhpolding, Germany at the beginning of February 2011. Led by a TA Captain with the support of a regular SSgt, the expedition looked deceptively simple to organise on initial inspection. It was only when the icy slopes of the funding applications, military staff and diplomatic clearances, JSATF(A) and Admin Instructions started to be navigated that the sheer gradient of the task at hand was appreciated. TA time commitments exceeded that of a regular for a few weeks and right up until two weeks before departure we were still struggling against the odds the make our dream become a reality.

With the green light finally received, a TA officer, a TA Sgt, five TA LCpls, four TA Ptes and one regular SSgt ventured forth to gain a Basic Ski Proficiency course in Nordic or Alpine Skiing.

Three recent OP HERRICK veterans were involved in the expedition and whilst two found the further time away from their families difficult, one had the good sense to ensure his wife joined the TA at the same time as himself and could thus participate in the expedition! The stories around the dinner table of various Afghan exploits were one of the highlights of the trip and whetted the appetite of the remainder, inspiring them to be brave enough to stick up their hand and seek out Operational glory and that all important piece of campaign ribbon. Having a willing and knowledgeable audience was also very useful for the tour veterans, giving them the opportunity to speak frankly about their experiences and to come to terms with what can be an arduous and stressful time.

As seven of the teams had never skied before, the learning curve was steep and the motto on their ski tops of "our courage is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall" could not have been more apt.

The six Nordic skiers tested the limits of their physical endurance and came back several kilograms lighter. Balance and grace are not adjectives commonly used to describe a soldier, and such terms couldn’t be used to describe their more powerfully built langlaufers. However, three of the skiers were athletic PTIs who learnt to glide across the snow with seemingly effortless ease.

For the Alpine contingent, courage and legs of steel were the order of the day. On their first day the gentlest of blue runs seemed a place of peril. Legs throbbed from that painful snowplough and an inability to control speed and the immediacy of the ground were at the forefront of the mind. The contrast on the seventh day was clear for all to see, with brave soldiers carving down red runs gaining speed all the time and falling infrequently.

Fun was had by all and stories of their exploits have already been retold on many occasions:

Such a low key expedition would not typically attract much funding and without the Ulysses Trust grant, there’s no doubt that the expedition could not have gone ahead. We are most thankful for the kindness of the trustees in supporting the Regiment. The expedition helped to re-integrate our recent Afghan veterans back into the Regiment and to show them the benefits as well as the duties that come with being a member of the Reserve forces. Video footage taken will be edited to create a recruitment evening motivational tool, demonstrating an Adventurous Training opportunity that most civilians can only dream of. Once again, many thanks from 150 (Yorkshire) Tpt Regt RLC (V) for your kind support, it truly was appreciated by all