Page 82 - RADC 2016

ADVENTUROUS TRAINING
Ex AORAKI SERPENT
By Lt Col A K Thomas
Out of the blue, I received a request
from my old Sergeant Major, to help 2nd Medical Brigade with their ski-touring trip to South Island, New Zealand. The aim was to deliver Ski Foundation 2 and 3, Winter Mountaineering Foundation courses and develop ski-touring experience within the AMS.
So on Fri 14 Aug 16, I ew back from Cyprus to meet up with the remainder at AMSTC in York, ying from Newcastle on Sat, and nally arriving in Christchurch
on Tue! For the rst week we stayed at Tekapo military camp, in tiny pre-fab huts, and managed trips to Roundhill, Ohoa ski areas before a blizzard-swept ascent in the Braemar range area, using 4x4 twin-cabs to get us up and back from the patchy snow line.
The following Tue, we relocated to Queenstown, the Trg Offr having cut an unbelievable and probably unrepeatable deal with the Mercure Hotel. For the next week we managed to get to Coronet Peak, Cardrona and Remarkables, following the successful one day ski pass and recce, followed by a ski tour
up and over the back of the pisted areas.
Keen to get
as many of the
participants to get
the experience of an
overnight hut night,
I organised a visit to
the Snow Farm. This
is a Nordic ski pisted area, but with links to the backcountry. Twenty of us skied out to Meadow Hut and then on to the Kirsty Burn Hut, a port-a-cabin where 7 of us stayed the night before returning the next morning. This ski out with 6 or 7 in each group again proved challenging with the snow forcing its way into our hoods, the latter hour in 15m visibility, although I’m so glad we elected
to stay – lots of food, card games and dits,
rather than having the misery of the return ski out.
All of the objectives were successfully
completed and the following quali cations were awarded to expedition members: 4 achieved the Ski Foundation 2 (SF2), 9
the Ski Foundation 3 (SF3), 15 members achieved the Winter Mountain Foundation (WMF) quali cation and 5 ski leaders (SLs 2 and 3) gained a minimum of 10 days leading groups on day tours. There was still time for a Fergburger, watch North Island play south Island at ice-hockey and a have ago at one
of many activities for which Queensland is famous.
It was an excellent opportunity for me to integrate with the wider Regular and Reserve AMS and to deliver 3 WMF courses which
I drip-fed on the piste, in the backcountry and in the evenings or mornings at the accommodation. Keep your eyes out as 2 Med Bde repeat something similar twice yearly, albeit trekking or ski-touring. Serious thought is being put to a ski-touring trip
to Patagonia next time, and there may be an opportunity to get a place on their AT exercises on a ll-up basis.
80 RADC BULLETIN 2016
This is a Nordic ski pisted area, but with links to the backcountry.