Page 28 - 2018 AMA Winter

EXPEDITIONNEWS
In Arolla the short version of the PdG (26km, 1900m vertical ascent) commences, and approximately half of the participants start from this point. After a brief refuelling and rehydration stop the course continued with a 1000m ascent on skis to the Col de Riedmatten, just as day broke. A short boot pack with skis mounted on the backpacks over the Col led to a long descent down to Lac Dix and along to La Barma before another gruelling ascent in the heat of the morning sun and amongst some spectacular avalanche debris to the crowd lined segment on Rosablanche. As fatigue started to affect the team, we linked ourselves together by means of short “tow ropes” – a technique often used by endurance athletes. A great effort by Maj Blankenstein, by now at the head of the team, kept momentum flowing and brought us together as a team to the last major challenge along the route. A section climbing with skis on packs up a steep mountain gully or “couloir” where 1300 steps had been cut into the snow by Swiss mountain troops, brought competitors to the summit. Here you felt as though you were at the London Marathon, or in the Tour de France because hundreds of spectators had made the journey from the Verbier ski area to the ridge of Rosablanche to support the race. With leg muscles screaming by now, the encouragement of the spectators and their offerings of tasty, savoury snacks were very gratefully appreciated! It was an emotional moment at the summit of Rosablanche as we were able to look back at the Matterhorn way off in the
distance, and then realise that you were climbing on skis up the glacier beneath its very own north Face just a few hours ago. The “hard yards” are mostly done now, and you know that you’re probably going to succeed in completing the race. Up to this point, nothing is certain.
The final approach to Verbier included the slightly demoralising “false summit” of the Col de la Chaux which had to be surmounted before a long descent of the Verbier pistes into the village and the final one mile run along streets packed with spectators to the finish line in the centre of town.
The AMS team finished in 12 hours 30 minutes, 27th out of 39 international military teams who started the race, and 207th out of 350 teams who completed the full distance. The JSMTC team finished in a time of 13 hours 53 minutes and the Royal Engineers team completed the shorter Arolla to Verbier race in a very creditable time of 4 hours 58 minutes. We were some way off the new record for the long course set by an Italian team this year of 5 hours 35 minutes, but there is lots of scope for improvement.
The PdG offers a unique opportunity to test a number of skills including leadership, teamworking, communica- tion skills, navigation, decision making and physical fitness, all while engaging with teams from other nations. This is overlain on the requirements set out by the Swiss military, requiring participants to
demonstrate sound alpine knowledge and ski touring skills, experience participating in ski mountaineering races, excellent skiing skills and experience skiing roped together. The training conducted by the AMS team for the 2018 PdG helped to develop and refine these skills and facilitated successful completion of the race. We are very grateful to AMS Winter Sports and to their committee for offering to allow us to train in Serre Chevalier alongside the Alpine and Nordic skiers at the AMS championships. We are also grateful to 16 Medical Regiment and AMS Support Unit (Lt Col for their support and encouragement, and to the RAMC Charity Fund for their generous support towards our training and equipment costs.
The PdG will run again in 2020, by which time we very much hope that Skimo will have been accepted into the portfolio of recognised Army winter sport activities. There is a challenge for us to create a framework to assure appropriate governance of this activity both during skimo races and during training for racing. Work is ongoing in this area but for those who are interested in participating in skimo races in the future, the minimum requirement will be to have completed the Ski Foundation Level 3 qualification where you will gain experience of ski touring and operating in high alpine terrain. Combine this with a high level of physical fitness and a desire to challenge yourself physically and mentally against one of the greatest and most gruelling endurance races in the world, and you could find yourself on the start line in 2020.
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