3 Military Intelligence Battalion’s Annual Ski Exercise: COCKNEY SKADI VII (2022)
This was the 7th edition of Exercise Cockney Skadi, which is 3 Military Intelligence Battalion’s (3 MI Bn’s) regular skiing expedition. 34 members from our London-based Reserve Battalion were able to attend this year’s Exercise and travelled to the Tyrol region of Austria. Home to 80 ski areas and almost 3000km of skiable terrain, the team had a wide range of different areas to explore during the expedition. The team were based at Das Pillersee Hotel in Sankt Ulrich am Pillersee which was ideally located within a reasonable ski-bus ride to several Austrian ski resorts, including Buchensteinwand and Steinplatte.
Having originally been planned for January 2022, the uncertainties of COVID-19 meant that it was rescheduled to the 11th to 19th March 2022. This was significantly later in the season than previous editions of Exercise Cockney Skadi had been held and was also the first time that it was based in Austria. The delay also meant that all documentation and authorisations needed to be resubmitted for funding, travel, movement of equipment, ski qualifications, etc.
Despite warm weather being forecast and limited new snowfall in the weeks prior to the expedition, conditions remained largely good throughout the region. However, with the temperature pushing into double digits on several days, by late afternoon many runs became increasingly challenging, with noticeably slushy conditions.
Given that restrictions have been in place on both international travel and group activities for much of the last two years, many members of the battalion had limited opportunities to spend time together in-person prior to this expedition. The chance to reconnect with each other and complete adventurous training in Austria was a very welcome return to normality.
The battalion’s ski expeditions are always popular as they provide an excellent chance to bring together different people from right across the battalion. Our group had a broad mix of skiing experience; ranging from complete novices through to very advanced skiers. We also benefitted from having a full range of ranks in attendance (1 Colonel, 3 Majors, 1 Captain, 4 Lieutenants, 1 Warrant Officer, 2 Staff Sergeants, 1 Sergeant, 3 Corporals and 18 Lance Corporals). Junior members of the battalion certainly benefitted from the opportunity to mix and spend time with more senior soldiers and officers, in a more informal and relaxed environment.
The overall training objectives of Exercise Cockney Skadi VII were to deliver Ski Foundation (SF) 1, 2 or 3 qualifications. However, as with all adventurous training there was an abundance of challenges and situations which helped to further develop personal characteristics of leadership, teamwork, and resilience. The battalion is also in the fortunate position that many members of our group have progressed through SF 1, 2 and 3 qualifications and have subsequently gone on to obtain their instructor qualifications and were able to provide instruction for members of the group seeking to gain:
Ski Foundation Level 1: alpine skiing for beginners.
Ski Foundation Level 2: developmental training for intermediate skiers introducing off-piste and ski touring techniques.
Ski Foundation Level 3: more advanced training focusing on off-piste skills, alpine touring and multi-day ski tours.
3 MI Bn’s main party departed from 3 MI Bn headquarters at Worship Street on Friday 11th March. Travelling overnight by coach, the party sailed to France from Dover, before driving through Germany into Austria. Finally arriving in the early evening of Saturday 12th March, we were fortunate to have excellent accommodation, which was very welcome and gratefully received by many members of the party after almost 24 hours of travelling.
Our first ski day was Sunday 13th March. Dividing into smaller groups based on previous experience meant that instruction could be tailored to individual abilities. Starting in the Buchensteinwand resort, our SF1 groups focused initially on basic principles and safety; including how to put on skis, use ski lifts and basic techniques for turning, and perhaps even more importantly, stopping. Several members from SF1 commented that they were “apprehensive before their first day, not really knowing what to expect having never skied before.”
Even in more advanced groups, for many people the last time they had skied was before Covid-19. Several members said that they “found the first day’s skiing a real challenge” and “needed to refresh my ski legs”. However, all members of the expedition quickly adapted and were soon demonstrating improved techniques in order to take on more demanding runs.
Throughout the initial day’s skiing, instructors made use of filming and videoing individuals to provide focused coaching and feedback points. This was really appreciated by several participants, including one who said this “really helped to show me what I needed to work on during the week, especially the smoothness of my turns and lateral separation”. The main teaching points for our SF1 groups early in the week included the importance of light and the effect of contrast on visibility, as well as technical coaching on pole planting and weight shifting on turns.
On Tuesday 15th March, our SF2 and SF3 groups travelled to St Johann to tackle some more challenging runs. In the afternoon, these groups refreshed their avalanche rescue drills, including practicing using transceivers to find equipment buried in the snow. Further instruction on ski touring showed these groups how to put their skins on, and they initially practices walking about on the flat, then proceeded up some small slopes.
Unfortunately, warm southerly winds brought rain and Saharan sandstorms on Wednesday 16th March. A drastic reduction in visibility prevented any skiing from taking place. Instead, a cultural visit to Salzburg was quickly arranged. This included visits to a museum about the Austro-Hungarian empire, the local fortress, and Mozart’s birthplace. Everyone really enjoyed the chance to see Salzburg and immerse themselves in the history and culture of the city for the day.
Overnight, conditions improved and on Thursday 17th March our SF2 and SF3 groups went to the Saalbach-Hinterglem ski area. Both groups skied off piste for a few miles before donning skins and climbing to the top of the mountain. The return journey involved a longer off-piste skiing through some less-than-ideal conditions. However, with perseverance some excellent skiing was undertaken in outstanding scenery.
Towards the end of the week SF1 groups had started to make significant progress. Now able to confidently link parallel turns on Blues and some Reds, they were introduced to the concept of lateral separation. Instructors tasked several individuals navigating the ski area which helped to develop piste map reading skills, as well as leadership, communication, and teamwork, especially since some of the runs still posed a considerable challenge due to the sludgy conditions. From having never skied at the start of the week, our SF1 groups attempted their first Red and Black runs on Friday 18th Mach. Despite some spills, everyone got down in one piece and was very happy with their progress over such a short time. What was a challenging run earlier in the week, presented little problem now for the novice members of the expedition.
Feedback from all participants has been incredibly positive. Individuals highlighted the personal strides forward they made in their own skiing over the course of the week and achieved their SF1, 2 or 3 qualifications. However, now hopefully coming out of the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the other main comments was that participants felt there had been a real benefit from having time together in an adventurous training environment. Thanks must go again to the Ulysses Trust for their financial support which enabled 3 Military Intelligence Battalion to successfully run Exercise Cockney Skadi VII.
