JOINT GLACIER 24 was a seven-day adventurous training expedition to the Stubai Valley in Austria. The purpose of the trip was to take eight non-skiers and eight with a variety of experience and instruct them either in skiing or take them to their next qualification level.The purpose of this type of trip is to expose members to controlled risk and give them the tools to deal with stressful situations such that they might encounter in their work or on operations. There were seven members of the reserves on JOINT GLACIER which included the two instructors with the majority never having attended adventurous training.
The ski area of the Stubai Glacier is a high alpine environment has no trees and can be a harsh environment, however the first few days were glorious sunshine, but this was followed by snowy and windy conditions with temperatures around -8oC. A big part of this type of training is how it relates to how we can become more effective and the Adventurous Leadership and resilience training or ALeRT is at the core of this. The reservists found the use of this model which provides coping mechanisms and reflection very beneficial when things became tougher, and the best quote was in flat, light conditions with a vicious wind when everyone else was hiding inside was ‘This really is adventurous training’ .
This was a worthwhile expedition, and it not only did it test individuals, but it value in unit cohesion and morale was one of its biggest benefits. In a unit made up of Royal Navy, Army, Air Force and Army Reserves the chance to come together and meet and get the chance to work together and share their struggles really cannot be underestimated.
A final thank you to the Ulysses Trust for their kind support in making this happen.
