RAOC Gazette - page 146
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1977 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1977 |
| Late date | 1977 |
| Transcription |
KNEES BEND Bv CAPTAIN C, R. MURRAY IT has been apparent for some time that there exists a real interest in adventure training activity within the Corps, The attraction of adventure is vital to our recruiting efforts, but through withdrawal of troops from overseas stations, this is being seriously eroded. It is necessary, therefore* to recreate the adventurous angle ourselves. To this end the RAOC (UK) Ski Committee, chaired by Colonel Keith Beresford, has put into effect various annual training exercises such as * Snow Plough ' which readers will recall was fully reported in the June issue of THE GAZETTE. Exercise Knees Bend, developed from Snow Plough, aims at teaching novices to ski within a two week period as well as improving the skills of those Corps members who have skied before. A ski hut, sited on the edge of the Cairngorm Moun- tains in Fnverness-shjre, was rented for the period February and March 1977 at a cost of £1,200 and this provided the basis for what is to become an annual Exercise Knees Bend. The ski hut was in fact an old disused railway station at Nethybridge in the Spey Valley. Nethybridge is a small village ten miles from Aviemore and seventeen miles from the Cairn- gorm ski slopes. Due to the popularity of the four courses run and an anxiety not to turn down any soldier who wished to learn to ski, it was necessary also to hire three caravans to provide overnight accommodation. The Permanent Staff amounted to seven at the outset but due to the ever-increasing number on each course, two extra ski instructors were co-opted at a later stage. It was due to the co-operation of those units loaning their resources (both material and individuals) that we were able to put through and train over one hundred soldiers and WRAC in this two month period. As already mentioned in the previous article on Exercise Snow Plough we are very proud that several of the novice skiers, trained on Exercise Knees Bend, went into the Army Championships in Scotland and the Corps achieved the outright winner in both the Mens and Ladies Novice Championships, Of the four courses run, each contained a group of twenty five (or over) students and ran for a period of two weeks. Each course arrived on Friday and on Saturday and Sunday were issued with equipment, instructed in the theory of basic ski-ing techniques and allowed to acclimatise themselves to the new conditions in which they found themselves. But, on the Mon- day morning they donned their weatherproof clothing and carry- ing skis, sticks and boots, they found themselves on the snow for the first time. At this juncture the ski instructors led by T Sergeant Pete Mollison (Training Centre) and Sergeant * Legs Dymond (RAOC Apprentices College), took over their lives and with shouts of l Stop,' ' Get up off your * and 4 Bend the knees/ the students found themselves in a completely new world totally dominated by these men. Apres ski—all very tiretng As confidence grew, and the skills were refined (much to the relief of our ski instructors), students were able to attempt free ski-ing down the Coire Cass and the Coire na Ciste ski runs, completing short slalom runs, and eventually progress- ing to short 'jumps/ The second week allowed them to develop their skills to a point where they were able to touch upon parallel ski-ing. It was due to the high standard of instruction and the perseverance of the students, that they were able to en- joy so much free ski-ing in that second week. Pete Mollison, 'Legs' Dymond, Paul Markwick and Mick Stewart must take a great deal of credit for their patient and understanding leader- ship of the uninitiated. I am pleased to report that the majority of students stayed the course and earned a certificate of competence for the level achieved in each case. Despite much very strenuous activity those attending the course persisted in following the well known * apres ski' activities. Football was played against Nethy- bridge Football Club (we went down fighting) and the other amenities in the locality were very well used. For the forthcoming season the Ski Committee have man- aged to rent the staff quarters of the Nethybridge Hotel for what will be known as Exercise Knees Bend 78, This will provide a warm and comfortable building with amenities far (Continued on page 134.) W e are making progress—I think The ski hut for next season — 1 1 |
| Book number | R0246 |