Page 116 - RAPTC Year of 2019

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OC and WSM Bal on approach to climb Western Rib, Annoch Mor. OC at the back carrying all the kit!
JSMTW BAVARIA
Sgt (SI) Penver RAPTC
Joint Service Mountain Training Wing Bavaria (JSMTW Bav) is a type 4 adventurous training centre, located in Bavaria, Germany. Responsible for the delivery of JSAT ski courses during the winter, and alpine mountaineering, climbing and kayaking in the summer months.
I arrived in June 2019; a very busy period for the centre and a steep learning curve for myself, as this time of year marks the start of the alpine mountaineering season. This starts with JSMTC staff training followed immediately by the Alpine Concentration headed up by HQ JSMTC. Following on from this are three subsequent alpine serials, all of which are organised by JSMTW Bav.
During these weeks, we deliver courses across the full spectrum of the alpine mountaineering scheme from Alpine Mountaineering Foundation (AMF) to Alpine Mountaineering Instructor (AMI). As a newly qualified AML I delivered AMF. Which saw me guiding and training 2 students to be competent operating in an alpine environment ranging from glacial travel to rocky ridge traverses as well as multi-pitch rock climbing.
On return from the alpine serials, the work tempo at Bavaria wing stays high! Even with the delivery of the alpine serials, day to day delivery of climbing, klettersteig, kayaking and mountaineering courses continues out of Hubertushaus throughout the summer.
The transition to winter delivery seems as though it is just around the corner. The Bavaria wing team deploy to Stubai in order to conduct refresher training before delivering Ski leader 1 (SL1) serials, which take us up to Christmas leave. These serials are designed to qualify new SL1’s enabling them to be utilised during the Snow Warrior Concentration (SWC) serials delivered from Haus Magnus and Drei Muhlen lodges. All of which are risk managed by JSMTC.
All in all, it has been a hectic initial six months in my new post as an instructor working in JSMTW Bav. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. I have no doubt it will continue to be busy and challenging; however, I look forward to embracing all the coming year has to offer.
being on kinetic Ops, then Bal Wing provides, albeit in a risk- controlled environment.
In December 2019, I led my final Ex CANICE concentration. Ex CANICE is an annual pure water ice winter climbing exercise held in Canada. In total, we took 22 Personnel on the exercise and roughly half were novices. It was the most ambitious Ex CANICE to date, which saw the second phase of the exercise relocate itself deep into an area called the ‘icefield parkway’. We based ourselves out of a small log cabin settlement and dragged our resident Chef with us. Ambient temperatures of around -28°c on most days, no electricity, running water, Wi-Fi or phone signal... Perfect!
The end is in sight for my time in Bal Wing, and it is safe to say that it has ‘fed the rat’, it has got all of my ‘tickly spots’ and I will be sad to hand over to Capt (MAA) Fletcher RAPTC in October. The team here are outstanding, courageous, strong, but what is most evident is the passion. A passion not only in personal performance but also a passion for producing the best students they can. If you haven’t had the pleasure of doing a course here, please book yourself on one!
JOINT SERVICE MOUNTAIN TRAINING WING RIPON
SSgt (SSI) C White RAPTC
Preparing to descend below