Ex DRAGON SNOW

In March 2023, members of 5 (FS) Bn REME attended Ex DRAGON SNOW (Ex DS). This Adventurous Training (AT) package was located in Tignes, France, and the aims of Ex SD were threefold: to challenge soldiers mentally and physically by pushing them out of their comfort zone; to become better leaders by pushing yourself as an individual and leading your team through challenging conditions and exhaustion; and, to develop teamwork as a main factor which allows you to overcome obstacles together and you will get to know your strengths and weaknesses.

The end state is seen as acquiring Ski Foundation (SF) qualifications such as the SF1 or SF2 qualification, and if you choose to go through further training to progress to a Ski Instructor you would attend SF3/SL1 courses and undertake continuation training. The AT package consisted of two different weeks of skiing for two groups of around 30 Service Personnel and was organised by 1 Field Company OC, Major David Melia. Our week started by leaving Lyneham Barracks in Wiltshire for a late-night movement via coach and ferry; and after a 25-hour journey we arrived in Tignes, France. On arrival, we had an admin day to sort out our accommodation, Ski equipment and Ski passes. This was my second time skiing with the Army and I can honestly say I grafted hard and really had to push myself to obtain the SF2 qualification. It’s a big leap from SF1, the course consisted of avalanche drills, mainly off-piste skiing and touring for many hours at a time which was the most exhausting subject on the course. There were six of us in total on SF2, some people had completed it before but were advised to carry out more SF2 training.

The first day consisted of how to put on your skis, take them off and how to adjust them properly, how to come down the slopes correctly and control your skis. Bearing in mind we have skied before, we needed to refresh our minds and get the currency of our skills back. On the second day, we mainly focused on avalanche drills which consisted of using a transceiver to find the location of a bag that was buried underneath the snow to then finally probe around the area to recover the bag (which represented a body); which was then extracted and pulled to safety. Day three was mainly focused on off-piste skiing which led us over a frozen river covered in snow located in a valley; you had to stay vigilant at all times and carry out the correct drills to stay safe and enjoy your time on the slopes. Day four was a real eye opener consisting of touring. We were introduced on how to correctly set up skis to walk up the slopes, which included putting on Ski skins, clamps, changing the touring setting for the various angles you encounter on the slopes. This was the most exhausting day due to the fact that after many hours we toured up a slope to then get caught in a snow storm with adverse weather conditions; this impaired vision to roughly five metres. The final day was a summarisation of everything we learned throughout the week where we were watched closely by our Instructor to see how we were skiing en-piste and off-piste correctly while carrying out our drills and proving we have obtained the aims and objectives of EX SD. I obtained my SF2 qualification and I can honestly say it pushed me out of my comfort zone both physically and mentally.