Serre Chevalier, France
Activities: Nordic skiing, biathalon, downhill skiing
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Exercise
Spartan Hike 2005 |
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Having just landed in Heathrow after a particularly heavy week in Norway for the new year break the last place I wanted to be was in a minibus at the beginning of a twenty-plus hour journey to the south of France. This was, however where I found myself, with fourteen other over-excited Officer Cadets. We were about to embark on a three-week skiing exercise in Serre Chevalier; taking part in the Army's divisional ski championships (despite the fact some had never even seen skis before). Our initial exuberance lasted approximately one hour, leaving about nineteen hours with which to feel bored, uncomfortable, and to lament not bringing a tape adapter for my iPod. Cut to 6.00 AM the following day, and having arrived at our accommodation and had a brief sleep, we dressed in our finest hats and mittens to endure a 'warm-up' PT session in an icy car park under the instruction of Sgt Major Eaton. The rest of the day was spent sorting out skis and poles, and learning the finer points of ski waxing. A task that grew more tedious every day. We were soon clad in an unrealistic amount of lycra and on the tracks finding our Nordic ski legs. Those of us who were confident Alpine skiers quickly realised this was not going to be easy. No one mentioned we would have to ski uphill... Several days in the cycle of morning PT, ski training, lunch, more ski training, waxing, dinner then sleep culminated in the team selections. Having never been selected for a sports team in my life, I was over the moon to be selected but a bit apprehensive - could I really go the distance in a 30km patrol race? Only time would tell; but the answer was 'probably not' at this stage.
We
were accommodated in two chalets - one for guys and one for girls.
We tired of coming together for evening meals after just two evenings;
not least because of the girls' bizarre and varied dietary requirements
which appeared to change daily. |
However, the ULOTC found it's team spirit for the first race - a novice seeding race that was a gentle 5km introduction to Nordic ski racing. We cheered each other on from our makeshift camp near the finish line; and even our experienced teammates took part for solidarity.
Outstanding weather prevailed for the races - a 10km and 15km race saw us all make steady improvements to our speed and technique. Towards the end of the second week we began spending more time on the rifle ranges in preparation for the relay biathalons - a biathalon is a combination of Nordic cross-country skiing and target shooting. After our first biathalon, a 4 x 7.5km relay we stepped up the pace for the 4 x 10km, and the mens team - Sgt Major Eaton, JUO Simon Clarke, Ocdt Mark Luson and myself took home the bronze TA medal. Mine now is proudly displayed next to my London Marathon medal, which though I claim to have won in 2002 I did in fact just find on the street...
A day spent blitzing about Serre Chevalier downhill on proper, Alpine, skis was a welcome break from the grueling races; followed by a relaxing trip to the outdoor heated pool. What was to come next was so arduous, unpleasant, and upsetting that to this day I wake with a start in the middle of the night covered in sweat and shaking from the recollection. A 30km 'Patrol race' - a Nordic ski race with a tactical edge, involving command tasks, mental tests, and target shooting. I was ready to pack the whole thing in after what seemed like an hour-long climb on a sixty-degree slope at about kilometre three (OK it was probably only a twenty-degree slope). However, I had about 27km remaining, some of it untracked to the extent skis were useless, and to top it off, a storm was closing in. When we (eventually) crossed the finish line I fell to my knees and thanked God I was alive. Despite the fact that we beat Southampton OTC by over thirty minutes (yes, minutes) in this race, a race official lost our shooting score sheet, and so we conceded defeat under the most bitter circumstances. Not that I'm a sore loser. OCdt Ben Babington-Browne
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