Page 158 - MBS 2022/23

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www.raptcassociation.org.uk
It is great that although we’re only a small team, we have this level of support.
As an ATI, we are very fortunate with the level of Specialist Instructional Officers (SIOs) we work with, the SIOs in JSMTC are some of the best in the outdoor industry. Working alongside such high performing people sets the standard that should be achieved by ATIs. SIOs are great at developing us, having the experience in the room to ask questions on how to give the best product to our students is fantastic. The SIOs have developed my own performance in climbing, kayaking, and biking and made me a safer, dynamic and more specialised instructor. Since the move to the mighty Ballachulish, I have been assigned a mentor - the legend SIO Ben Wallace, not the secretary of state. His mentorship is to provide direction, goals, allow growth, accountability and create an environment where it is okay to fail. This is to accelerate my performance during my assignment and in turn for me to develop higher performing students. This mentoring will further help my capabilities when I am in further roles within the RAPTC.
A Winter Mountain Foundation group ascending Southeast Ridge of Creag Meagaidh
I feel very lucky to be in this role within the RAPTC and have been inspired by a lot of mentors on this journey, however, as Jordan Henderson quoted on the High- Performance podcast ‘Luck is hard work
WO2 (QMSI) G Charlton deep in thought about overcoming an overhanging cornice on a mountain in Lochaber.
meeting opportunity.’ So, thank you to all the people who have inspired or mentored me in the past, I hope to inspire the future AAPTI’s, RAPTCI’s and adventurers.
It’s MBS article time once again, and this provides another opportunity to reflect on the training year and to share the
great experiences, hard work and strong successes, as well as the challenges, of the Joint Services AT world.
Leaving JSMTW Ballachulish late in 2022 after a two-year assignment, I arrived at JSMTW Bavaria in October, with just enough time to quickly settle in before jumping straight into the relentless winter delivery. The time spent with the ‘Ballahooligans’ was unforgettable, and the year was concluded in style, with the Alpine Concentration, or ALPCON, successfully returning to Realp, Switzerland, with JSMTC staff delivering courses from foundation level all the way to instructor level. The concentration was preceded with a week of invaluable staff training, where JSMTC staff had a rare opportunity to challenge themselves on the Südgrat (south ridge) of the Salbitschen, ATIs need AT too, after all. The ridge was completed quickly from the Salbit hut, with all 4 teams of 3 finishing far ahead of anyone else and gaining valuable experience and blowing off the alpine cobwebs prior to delivering courses on the ALPCON.
Post-ALPCON, I had the incredible opportunity of attending my Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor (MCI) assessment at Glenmore Lodge, Aviemore, and achieving a pass thanks
SSgt (SSI) R Penver RAPTC guiding students to the summit of the Weissmies, the gnarly SSgt (SSI) S Littlewood RAPTC in the background
JOINT SERVICE MOUNTAIN TRAINING WING BAVARIA
SSgt (SSI) S Davison-Webb RAPTC
to the support and development given by many of my fellow instructors within JSMTC, without whom I would not have succeeded. A huge thank you to you all.
A period of normal wing delivery ensued, keeping staff busy. Rolling in November saw the start of the Stubai ski serials. An intense period of 5-weeks just prior to Christmas where Bavaria wing staff deliver two packages of the challenging Ski Leader 1 (SL1) Course. Lean snowfall conditions provided a challenge to begin
with, however a combination of a very experienced JSMTC and Bavaria wing team with a resort that is based on a glacier allowed training to successfully take place, albeit with some creative thinking from the team to maximise the poor conditions.
Upon the completion of Stubai, and a well-deserved winter break for the Bavaria wing team, 2023 kicked off with a week of JSMTC staff training facilitated by Bavaria Wing instructor FSgt Pilling and myself, with the aim of ensuring all of