In March 2009 42 Royal Auxiliary Air Force Reservists participated in Ex Wintermarch in the Rjukan Fjellstue and Hardangervidda National Park area of Norway, hosted by the Norwegian Reserve Officers Federation. Superb instructors and an excellent programme were provided by the Akershus Garrison Company.
The aim of the event was to provide a combination of practical and theory training in Extreme Cold Weather (ECW) operations. Classroom based theory lessons were reinforced by practical sessions and covered ECW clothing, survival, combat, cross country skiing, avalanche conditions, route selection and terrain awareness, together with First Aid and shelter construction.
The programme followed a logical sequence, allowing for safety related topics to be covered prior to exposure to the associated risk. Layered training allowed individuals to develop their skills as the week progressed and overall instruction was to an extremely high standard. The Battlefield tour covering local WW2 operations also proved to be a popular aspect of the programme.
Ski training followed an assessment of each individual’s ability and allocation to an appropriate group, allowing instructors to focus on individuals with similar ability levels. All personnel developed and improved their cross country skiing abilities by the end of the exercise, despite a limited amount of time for instruction.
The cross country ski instruction was supplemented by the use of downhill facilities at a local Sports Centre to demonstrate the key differences between the two styles of skiing and emphasise the differences in equipment. The provision of alpine ski equipment and instructors was funded by a grant from the UKRFA and this proved a particularly useful element of the programme.
Exercise Wintermarch offers a cost effective range of recruiting and retention benefits and proved extremely popular in 2009, attracting the largest number of Reservists from the largest number of Squadrons ever seen. This confirms that it is now seen as open to all.
Training for reservists in ECW conditions is considered very beneficial given the climatic conditions of our current operations. The participants in Exercise Wintermarch 09 felt the programme provided them with a balanced and challenging range of activities in a dramatic, but enjoyable environment. Exercise Wintermarch 09 can be considered a resounding success.
To obtain a full list of the events supported by the UKRFA, contact the Secretariat on 020 7426 8361 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
