Station personnel from RAF Lossiemouth have recently spent some time on the slopes in Kitzbühel, Austria as part of a station ski expedition; Exercise Snowy Owl.
Adventurous Training Instructor (ATI) Corporal Harris from RAF Lossiemouth's Physical Education Flight played a key role in organising the event making it Lossie's first ski trip in 7 years.
When asked about organising the trip he said:
“It’s been a great experience running this expedition and I am delighted that the hard work has paid off. Seeing everyone enjoy themselves, learn new skills and push themselves physically and mentally is what adventurous training is all about” - Cpl Harris, ATI.
Adventurous training (AT) encompasses a variety of physically and mentally challenging activities offered to service personnel. These activities allow them to bolster their physical and mental resilience whilst also meeting other members of the Armed Forces. AT is conducted away from station, allowing participants to experience new and challenging environments.
Personnel of varying ranks and professions got to down their tools for a week and get some quality time on the piste. Cpl Harris taught the beginner groups and found it very rewarding to see the progress that individuals could make in the space of a week, watching those with no experience at all managing to ski down tricky runs by the last day:
“I felt like a proud Dad!”
The advanced group was led by Squadron Leader Edge, 1 Squadron, who guided his group through various drills including carving effectively and body positioning.
All participants thoroughly enjoyed the week, pushing themselves out of their comfort zones in a different environment with a new group of people that they don't necessarily get the opportunity to work with in their day-to-day roles. At the end of the trip personnel obtained their Ski Foundation Level 1 (SF1). Air Specialist Class 1 (AS1) Woodfine, a gunner from 5 Force Protection Wing, was delighted to get a place on the trip having not done AT yet:
“To be able to go skiing for my first AT trip was fantastic! It was frustrating to get to grips with but the more I threw myself into it, the more I improved. By the end of the week, I was flying! I would 100% do it again”.
It's not just skiing, RAF Lossiemouth offers a range of AT activities including mountain-biking, hill-walking, and climbing to name a few. Personnel interested in applying for the various AT activities available are encouraged to contact PEd Flt, or keep an eye out on Microsoft Teams and the Lossie Lowdown for updates.
Cpl Harris hopes that the trip will continue to be an annual event, so keep a look out next year!
