This 6-day mountain walking expedition took place in the Tatra mountains of Poland with 9 members of the Army Reserve unit, 208 Field Hospital which is based in Liverpool.

The aims and benefits of this expedition were to develop individual courage and leadership skills through controlled exposure to risk in a challenging outdoor environment, in order to enhance Operational Capability.

The Tatra’s are a rugged, rocky mountain range to an altitude of 2499 metres or 8200 feet which stretch from Poland to Slovakia, with a variety of wildlife including wild bears, which the team encountered on the trip! The team trekked for 6 days along a route mainly along the border between the two countries.

Each team member carried all their own equipment for the duration which was a challenge in itself and individually took turns in navigating the terrain under the watchful eye of the expedition leader.

The Tatra mountain region was set up as a National Park in the 1950’s to protect the flora and fauna, especially the Ibex mountain goats, eagles and bears. Camping is not allowed, so the team used the mountain huts which are located in positions ideal for walking the region. These huts range from basic facilities to those that are quite comfortable - however the team were unable to get space on one night and had to sleep outside on the ground under the stars; it only rained a little! The huts also have electrified wire fences around them to keep the bears away.

Each day the team had breakfast of bread, cheese and ham and started the days trekking. As each hut is in a valley, there was an initial climb out of the valley up on to the ridges of the national borders. For the first 3 days the weather was excellent with great visibility and the scenery was stunning although the ridge walking could be exposed at times.

The afternoon descent from the ridges down to the next hut was typically steep, with tricky rock sections requiring hands and feet and on occasion a lot of loose scree rock. On arrival at the hut a full meal was provided early which the team found strange at first but became accustomed to. Then early evening a supper was served which was either a savoury or sweet dish.

Accommodation comprised of bunk beds with each person using their own sleeping bags. If the huts become full, they will give you a sleeping roll mat to use either in communal areas or, if safe outside!

Each day had its own rewards and one highlight was when the team encountered a bear at about 50 metres away! Fortunately it was more interested in eating the local vegetation rather than us! The team took some photos which accompany this report.

The weather had turned during the second half of the trek, with rain and colder temperatures to deal with. Many of the rocky paths are limestone which becomes highly ‘polished’ with the wear and tear of walkers and become extremely slippery to walk on. We were lucky during this section as most paths were granite and afforded better grip, however most of the team had lucky escapes from the occasional falling over!

The final day's trek was to climb Mount Rysy at 2499 metres, the highest mountain in Poland, but due to the lowering temperatures, driving rain turning to snow, the team were unable to summit and the highest point reached was 2300 metres, just short of the elusive peak. There were sections of rock with chains attached to assist ascent and descent, but with the snow falling, these chains were like holding blocks of ice! The team laid some poppies, with the expedition leader saying a prayer and gave a reading for a past unit member that had fallen and died at this same spot.

The team had some time in Krakow with some visiting city attractions and others going to the museum at Auschwitz-Birkenau which was both educational and moving.

The expedition was a great success and many thanks to the Ulysses Trust for their grant.

Major Glen Martin