Page 48 - 1RHA 2024

1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
Nordic Skiing Lieutenant G Weil RHA
As 2023 drew to a close, seven members of the Regiment travelled to Norway to take part in the 2023/24 Nordic Ski season. This began with Ex Nordic Gunner, which saw the mainly novice team taught the basics of Nordic and Biathlon. The demanding routine for the exercise included two long ski ses- sions a day as well as evening range sessions to develop their marksmanship. With temperatures that regularly dipped below -20 degrees the training camp was challenging and rewarding in equal measure. After Christmas leave the team went out to France to compete at Ex Spartan Hike in Serre Chevalier, and after successfully qualifying for the Army Championships, to Ruh- polding, in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps.
Ex Nordic Gunner 23 began with the customary mammoth jour- ney from the UK to Norway. Starting with a long drive through the night to Kiel, the team got to enjoy some respite on the Ferry across to Gothenburg, before a final four hour drive up to Skei- kampen, where they were to spend the next month.
With the snow already falling thick and fast, the team hit the ground running as soon as they arrived into Skeikampen, spend- ing a busy evening getting their kit sorted for the first of many lessons beginning the next day. The first week saw the team’s five novice skiers learning the basics of classic technique, and a few days and many broken ski bindings later they were all picking it up well. The first week also saw the team fire biathlon rifles on the ranges for the first time, and although everyone’s shooting certainly had room to improve, they made a good start.
After the initial sessions the teams split into different ability groups under separate instructors, where they trained for three weeks, often covering upwards of 30 km a day on skis. After the first few weeks the novices took part in a couple of mini races, where they skied competitively for the first time. These races also provided a valuable chance for the team to familiarise them- selves with race procedures, (waiting around to start skiing in -20 degrees wearing only a single layer of lycra is not enjoyable). The third novice race was a short 3 km biathlon, where despite some questionable shooting, Gnr Hill managed to come in at an impressive third place.
During the training camp the team also had the opportunity to explore Norway, with a couple of trips to Lillehammer on the
Patrol Race
weekends. Highlights included a sauna interjected with dips in the frozen lake and tobogganing.
Towards the end of the camp some of the advanced skiers also got the chance to go to Sjusjoen where the REME were con- ducting their camp and race them in a 7.5 km Biathlon, the RA acquitted itself well, with all skiers coming in the top 11. The last week of Nordic Gunner consisted of a number of informal races, including 10km classic and biathlon races, as well as a mixed dis- cipline relay and a patrol race. These races saw the team go from strength to strength, coming a close third overall in the classic race.
After four weeks of training and racing Ex Nordic Gunner 23 was finally drawing to a close, the team managed to win a decent number of medals for its efforts in the 10km biathlon and classic races. Capt Murrison won a silver and bronze medal, Lt Weil won two silver medals, and Gnr Hill won two bronze medals, each for their respective categories (female senior, male senior, and male senior novice).
With the prizes distributed and the final closedown admin done it was time for everyone to embark on the great return journey to the UK. Despite the best efforts of the Eurotunnel staff to thwart us in this endeavour by going on strike everyone made it back to Larkhill in the early hours of the morning of the 22nd. A thor-
LBdr Parker after shooting
Nordic Ski Team 1st Biathlon
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