Ex TELEMARK TITAN 2024 was the FANYs’ first foray into telemark skiing as part of a fortnight of race training in Pralognan-la-Vanoise, culminating in the British and British Army Telemark Championships. The Corps was keen to take part in the exercise as, since 2019’s Ex Viking Challenge, kindly sponsored by the Ulysses Trust, members had not had another opportunity to try Telemark skiing. Two members were able to take part in the racing element, and two others as both reserves and reconnaissance for future Corps exercises. We hope to be able to mount further expeditions to offer Corps members the chance to enjoy the teamwork and experience, regardless of income and Telemark skiing knowledge.
Ex TELEMARK TITAN 2024 brought together a unique combination of 100 army and civilian skiers, aged 14-72, with Telemark experience ranging from complete novices to those seeking selection for the GB Development squad and for the Inter-services snow sports competition. These diverse participants were seamlessly accommodated, integrated and challenged by the Army Telemark Ski Association, who delivered an exceptional programme, including:
60+ hours expert coaching, including from former Telemark world champions
Championship and Development race series, incorporating slaloms, jumps, and skating
Fantastic networking and team building opportunities
Both FANYs competed in the Development races, acquitting themselves admirably alongside many more experienced racers. Alex Wharton performed particularly strongly and was awarded second place civilian female across both race series – an incredible achievement on just her second time telemarking.
While the infamous “mountain race”, a gruelling uphill relay, was cancelled due to bad weather, the organisers and resort worked hard to maximize opportunities despite the weather, with the FANYs able to undertake parallel slalom racing, powder and off-piste skiing, and avalanche rescue skills training.
We are always grateful to the Ulysses Trust for enabling our members to take part in exercises that they would not otherwise be able to do, and we hope that the Trust would be interested in supporting a FANY-led Telemark exercise in the future. It is not easy to develop interesting opportunities for Corps members that reward their dedication and commitment to the Corps whilst catering for a range of ages and abilities, but we feel this might be an exciting challenge which would push our volunteers outside their comfort zone whilst learning new skills.
Alex Wharton commented “The challenge of learning and then mastering a new technique in a short space of time was very tough, but we rose to the challenge and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”
