On the evening of the 26th of February 2020, 5 personnel from HMS King Alfred, the Royal Naval Reserve Unit in Portsmouth set off to the Cairngorms – a mountain range in Scotland. After a long drive and a stopover at Faslane (HMS Clyde), we arrived at the Rothiemurchus Lodge on the 27th February. Health and safety is particularly important when you are going into such unpredictable conditions and you have to be very aware of your surroundings to keep not only yourself, but to look after the team. Because of this, we decided to make the first day a ‘preparation day’; we made sure we had all the correct kit in our bags, shovels, snow axes and all correct kit for heading into the mountains! The purpose of the expedition was to introduce the Team to the Winter mountaineering environment and provide them with the skills needed to operate happily and safely in this, what is forecasted to be, very inhospitable conditions; and as always to bound the team ethos.
“The King Alfred adventurous training to the Cairngorms was a fantastic five days. It was particularly special for me as it was my first time in Scotland. The training covered an introduction into winter mountaineering which I thoroughly enjoyed. From lessons on crampons and ice axes to avalanche theory and navigation. During the training the conditions changed dramatically (Pictures 3, 4 and 5). The kit provided to us proved be essential to stay safe in such a remote climate. Overall, it was an extremely good week offering all sorts of new experiences, which I highly recommend!”
OC Kerian Gill RNR
We started our adventure with our first morning on Friday out on the mountain where the weather conditions were looking windy but there was a fresh power of snow waiting for us. We started with some basic winter skills, such as how to carry your ice axe and creating steps in the snow such as cutting a ‘V’ shape and digging out the snow, slash steps and slab steps. We also ran through some ice axe self-arrest drills which was fun for all but also a valuable skill to learn. This is where you find yourself sliding down the side of a mountain and learn to gain control back of your own body. We made a slide on the snow for us to practice falling and going through different techniques. Picture 1 shows a team member heading down, head first.
“It was highly rewarding to be exposed to a challenging, unfamiliar environment, and learn new skills to operate effectively within it. Drills, such as ice axe arresting and crampon, required diligence and stamina to ensure safety on the mountain.”
AB Sam Lanham RNR
As we are all military, we were already experienced in map and compass navigation skills from various lessons and practical activities/expeditions we had all done in the past. For a few of us, it was the first time we had used it in these types of conditions where visibility was impaired, wind was blowing us away and temperatures were not friendly! This was very valuable to us as it showed us that we will not always have such pleasant weather conditions to use our skills in so an exposure to this was a real eye-opener. By far, the weather was the biggest challenge we faced with many regular hikers turning back as the snow was too angry for them to conquer but we carried on as far as we saw fit, helping each other along the way and staying close to give reassurance and support. A big part of this trip was both bonding and team building where we all look out for one another – a key skill that can always be developed and trips like this enable us to work on this as you are all in it together, no matter your rank. Looking after each other in these environments is essential; Picture 2.
Not only was it a good experience for us to learn different skills that you wouldn’t so much learn in your normal everyday life, but it helped for us to bond with other people that you could meet on your travels, or just in the evening with each other where we would cook our own food and eat around the table.
“A lot of my friends and oppos were jealous that I had such an opportunity to go on this trip. It was something I not only could enjoy at the time, but also enjoy talking about to other people and convincing them to try it one day. I joined the reserves for these opportunities and I am making sure I take every one of them.”
AB Grace Walton RNR.
