14 - 21 December 2011
Day 1. After a very early start leaving Abingdon the previous day and a good nights rest, we found out that we couldn’t go skiing due to the lack of snow and the resort being closed. Everyone was a little disappointed but luckily for us, Captain Chapman had sorted out a very good replacement for skiing. We found out that we were to go ice-skating in the little town of Grindelwald. This was about an hour away by local train.
When we got to the ice rink, everyone was excited to get a chance to do something with a winter feel. After a successful three hours and a hot chocolate in a local café, we headed back to Camping Jungfrau, but not until we had a good snowball fight! Yes snow had arrived, well in Grindelwald at least...
Day 2. Once again we woke to find that there had still not been enough snow to allow the resort to open, even though the forecast had been for loads overnight. However Captain Chapman saved the day and once again we headed back to Grindelwald to attempt the indoor high ropes course, set out high above the skating rink we had been on the day before. This we found out is the longest and hardest indoor course in Europe.
We all managed to tackle obstacles such as a see-saw, hamster wheel, and zip wire. I feel that it is safe to say that everyone pushed themselves to their own limit and some even surprised themselves!! Quite a few talented climbers defeated the hardest course, the black run. A path, high above the ice rink along vertical climbing walls, slides, cotton reel, cargo nets and a near vertical flat wall. Hats off to those who conquered the feared black course and whose names are now in the book of fame, and to everyone else for completing the other three courses.
Day 3. We awoke today to find fresh snow everywhere. Everyone was very excited as we were told that we would be skiing. We all travelled up to the village of Mürren, first by the bus, then cable car, then train. When we arrived the intermediate/advanced groups skied down the blue slope and disappeared from sight to meet the challenges of the Mürren resort. Right from the beginning falls were had by Tim McGovern and James Baker. We in the beginners group remained on the blue to start our training. Everyone fell over at some point or another! But as the day went on, most of us seemed to improve.
Day 4. As we begun, everyone seemed more confident than the previous day. The beginners group started using button lifts for the first time thus skiing down steeper and more challenging slopes. Turning wasn’t everyone’s forte right at the beginning of the day but at least we could all now stay on our skis and stop, well most of the time!!
Once again falls were not a rarity seeing as some people had only put on skis for the first time just the day before, but at the end of the day everyone had improved, After a 15 minute walk in ski boots to the station we were told that the tracks had been blocked by the falling snow, which had not stopped all day, so we had to walk back the way we had come to the cable car down to the bus stop.
Day 5. Today all of the groups started in the same place for the first time this trip. We were also placed into mixed ability sets for a ski down a longer blue run. This was a chance to show the more experienced Cadets what we had achieved so far.
The beginners later went on to do a fun ski, which lasted a lot longer than runs we had done before. Today was all about technique. Skills including side stepping and plough parallel turns were the day's focus point. As always, everyone had a few more tumbles. Huge progress was made by the entire group especially Zach Muncaster who, like two others in the group had never put on skis a week before.
Day 6. Like the day before, all of the groups went to Mürren as Wengen had still not opened. This however did not matter because, as we were to find out, the conditions in Mürren were the best for years with fresh powder snow everywhere we looked. We all started in the same place. All of the groups tried different runs over and over and our group had even completed a red run twice with only one person falling each time.
As this was the final day skiing so there were special exercises throughout the day. Before lunch, the beginners focused on a few little technical bits and pieces. After lunch was all fun stuff - synchronized skiing in pairs, fours and as a group whilst Robbie Henley OA, our instructor, looked on. The last run of the day and trip was a human slalom with all the groups, instructors and supporting staff taking part. This was a huge amount of fun.
Finally our thanks go to Robert Stewart, David Giles and Robbie Henley (OA) for their excellent instruction, and to Capt John Chapman, Capt Ollie De Wilde (OA) and Flt Lt Paul Tolley (OA) for their huge contributions to the trip, without which we would not have had so much fun.
So that is the end of Winter Warrior VI, bring on Winter Warrior VII.
