Page 18 - QARANC Vol 15 No 1 2017

16 QARANC THE GAZETTE
Defence Medical Group (North)
Exercise Snowbuck 2016
27 November–10 December 2016
If anyone has ever told you that a 24-hour minibus journey with 9 snowboards, 9 suitcases and 9 people in a 9-seater van is enjoyable then they must either be lying or they slept for the entire journey. However, when you do have something incredibly exciting to look forward to, like hitting the slopes for a two-week snowboarding exercise in Austria, it definitely helps to soften the journey’s blow.
Departing from RAF Leeming, a group of enthusiastic DMG North snowboarders of all levels – novice to ninja – began the epic road move to compete in the AMS Development and Race Camp 2016, held on the Stubai Glacier, Neustift, Austria. Our team consisted of two Officers, two SNCOs and five Cpls and the journey began with a huge traffic jam, requiring numerous ambulances, police cars and fire engines, setting us back nearly two hours. Whilst waiting in the traffic jam we came to the realisation that our little 9-seater van had the makings of a strong AMS trauma team, who were seconds away from deploying when the traffic started to move. However, our planning was not in vain, as the trauma team would need to deploy in a different role using brawn instead of brain; utilising our man (and women) power to bump start two broken down vehicles during our 24-hour journey. On two separate occasions, the trauma team jumped out of the van like something from a Kwik Fit advert to bump start both cars to the great delight of all occupants, before springing back into the van to continue with our journey. After exiting the ferry at Calais our road trip across Europe continued hassle free
and without any further need to rescue stranded motorists. After 24 hours, we safely arrived in Neustift Austria and longed for a bed to rest our travel sick limbs.
Upon completing the 24-hour journey, all had hoped that a shower and sleep would be the only objective for the afternoon; however, our Team Captain, a seasoned veteran of these exercises, had other ideas and set about systematically getting us organised to complete all the required tasks to enable us to be at the start line up the mountain the following morning, booked in, fully equipped, fed, briefed and suitably rested. Once the admin was complete, we had a quick freshen up and headed out for supper. This wasn’t going to be a late night though as we could hear our beds calling from the restaurant and the advice from the ninjas was that rest was needed, especially for the beginners – a valuable piece of guidance!
We were put into ability groups under the guidance of Austrian instructors and lessons were to take place for six days straight, taking up the entire first week of the exercise. If anyone ever says that learning to snowboard is easy, then they must have been snowboarding for years and simply forgot the time when just staying upright was a battle, let alone turning! By the end of day one, every single one of the novice contingent had a super sore bum and was absolutely knackered. The novices consisted of Lt Col Penny, Cpl Carr, Cpl Downing, Cpl Jolly, Cpl Smith and yours truly. On day one, the novices had gathered themselves into a group, along