Page 66 - RSDG Year of 2023

64 EAGLE AND CARBINE
ALPINE RACE TEAM, EX SPARTAN HIKE AND GB SNOWSPORT
I was kindly asked to write an article on my current role as the Ex Controller for SPARTAN HIKE and my voluntary support to the wider Alpine Community and GB Snowsport.
Ex SPARTAN HIKE is a winter sports exercise that delivers an Alpine and Nordic competition that is one of two Qualification Champions for the Army Sports Alpine and Nordic Championships. The role of the Ex Controller is like a contract or project manager who must deliver the exercise to a set of requirements and within in a budget. The exercise provides the opportunity for 420 Service Personnel to compete in the full range of Alpine and Nordic events, 150 and 270 respectively. It is a fantastic opportunity that still exists in a remarkably busy and constrained Army.
On retirement from Regular Service in Feb 2018, I was assigned to the SO2 SPARTAN HIKE role, which was based in Upavon, having recently moved to Aldershot. As a secondary role, I am the Technical Advisor to the Army Alpine Committee, which started in 2014 when I qualified as a British Technical Delegate (TD). The roles and responsibilities of TD are primarily safety, but also ensures fairness in any decision making that may influence the outcome of the results and is not clearly defined in the rules. The route to this role started in Dec 84 when the Junior Leaders Regiment RAC were requested to enter a team to the new RAC Championships in Verbier, which at that time was organised by Maj Austiin Ramsden. The JLR RAC ski team then competed in a Divisional
Championships in Austria, there were four at this time, and then returned to Stanley Barracks, Bovington. This was a fantastic introduction to the Army and Alpine ski racing.
On arrival at the Athlone Barracks, Sennelager the Regiment had several successful sports teams and access to adventure training was fantastic. Ex Snow Queen held in one of the many ski lodges in Bavaria provided the opportunity to be given the ‘nod’ of possibly joining the Alpine Ski team. Thankfully, I was given the ‘nod’ to join the team. The Alpine ski team initially trained at the RAC Championships in Verbier, Switzerland and then moved to Alpbach, Austria in 1995. It was a positive move and due to a combination of our Austrian trainer Gerhard, individual ability and good continuity in the ski team the Regiment won the Army Championships in 2002. The following year was my last with the ski team, but I remained involved with ski team to assist with planning for the winter season.
In 2007 one of the Divisional Championships was looking for officials to support their winter sports exercise and in Jan 2008 I deployed to support Ex PIPEDOWN. This was the chance to give back to the winter sport that I had previously enjoyed and get out of the RCMO office! It was another great experience broadening my skills set in understanding risk management and ski racing. I was offered to assist with the Army Aline Championships Ex LION’S CHALLENGE in 2010 and this was my intro- duction to the responsibilities of a TD and the TD Forum.
Maj RM Anderson
Army Team Photo ISSSC
British Championships DH Start