Page 6 - 2004 AMA Summer

he trouble with Unit AT is that the soldiers do tend to get in the way of
personal goals. In between getting charges through the RCP syllabus: climbing the Perion; watching England beat Australia; conducting additional training for RLT instructors, I had to find an amenable 7a to flash. As well as this there is the general wet nursing of the soldiers: do you have your helmets, harnesses, rock shoes, rope etc. Ensuring that they all get fed, time off, prefer­ ably in Benidorm. How is it possible to fit in your own climbing? It is possible and you the instructor must make the effort, or what is the point of all that effort and pain to get there in the first place!
My Hot Rock exercise to the Costa Blanca had the usual AT aims, but I didn’t document my aims, I now believe this to be a serious omission, for what drives us the instructors/leaders of AT to jump through the JSATFA hoops without some form of reward for our efforts. My own personal goal was to climb 7a onsight by the end of the week. I was extremely lucky in that I had an RLT instructor (Cfn Graham Miller - newest AMA recruit!) and as a last minute addition SSgt Chris Mitchell (JSRCI/Army Team). Without these it would have been more difficult to achieve most of the aims. But it did mean I was able to juggle the needs of the soldiers, aims of the exercise and personal goals of myself and the other instruc­ tors.
Highlights of the exercise included; a simultaneous ascent of the Peñón d’lfach by
K ten soldiers on three ÉKíx. different routes (this
was achieved
T
by Mike Smith
by Graham leading Via Pany under very close supervision and a fleeting appearance by Loz Owen (IS climbing champion) who assisted for three days); England beating Australia; six RCP certificates were awarded and a night out in Benidorm achieved, although we did forget the odd rope and harness! As well as this the team climbed 50 named routes which totalled 2085metres of rock climbing. Chris climbed Tai Chi on Oita (see page three of Rockfax guide) and Graham gained more multi-pitch experi­ ence that he thought possible, including Marion 5+. Via Pany 5 & Via Valencianos 5+.
Oh I forgot did I get the 7a nailed? Well that would be boasting wouldn't it?