Exercise Northern Lion took nine army potential officers into the heart of the Bavarian Alps to take on some of the most majestic mountains in the most dramatic of scenery that Europe has to offer. On top of that a 23 hour drive across the continent from Preston to Oberstdorf (the alpine base of operations for the week) and back as well as a final rest day which gave the POs a taste of traditional Bavarian living after five days of arduous climbing.
The aim of exercise Northern Lion was to demonstrate the importance of adventurous training and the role it plays in a junior officer’s life from the logistical to motivational demands that will be required of them. As well as to foster friendships between a group of young men who would be starting their journey at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, some as soon as this September.
Preston to Oberstdorf No trip can start without an assembly point and Fulwood Barracks in Preston, home to the Duke of Lancaster’s 4th Battalion, was the place. Six of the POs and two WO2s met there and started out at 7pm in two combi vans and made the journey down to Sandhurst to collect the four remaining members of the group. At around 1 am the group was finally all together and we set off to Calais in two groups of six, with a driver and a buddy to talk to (navigation was handed over to a TomTom) working on roughly a 4 hour shift pattern.
Early Days in the mountains After a long drive the group were eager set off for the first mountain, to meet our guide, put on our equipment and start climbing. The method of climbing used is known as ‘Klettersteig’ in German, there is no exact translation in English but the closest phrasing is something like ‘iron path’. The idea is simple, a thick metal cable is laid along the mountain so that an individual or group can put on a harness and helmet and clip on to the cable and then traverse up the mountain. This allows for quicker ascension up a mountain and for even more striking views, but is also a novel and enjoyable alternative to trekking or rock climbing, whilst placing different physical demands on the body.
The first day of climbing couldn’t have gone any smoother, the weather was glorious and everyone seemed to get to grip with the equipment and friendships were firmly being forged. Topics of conversation included: how awesome we thought our Slovenian mountain guide was, whether loyalties even existed when it came to gucci kit and if Borat was better than Ali G (no answer was ever agreed upon).
All seemed to be going well until we got to the cable car at 16.40 to find that the last car departed at 16.30. Down we went a further 1500 metres - as you can imagine not everyone was happy and to add salt to the wound when we reached the bottom, the clerk who wouldn’t allow us on, got off the final car.
Day two started a little slower - after getting out of the cable car we were hit by thick cloud cover and thus headed straight for the mountain café where the group had its first batch apple strudel. After clearing up, the group split in two and took differing routes. A successful climb later and we were back at the café when several members of the group decided to run down the mountain instead of taking the cable car down, resulting in some very sore feet indeed!
Sore legs, waterfalls and the Alpspitze The next several days were more of the same, great climbing routes, lots of laughing and big portions at dinner.
One day in particular that stood out was our day in Austria. After a 2 hour drive across the border we arrived at Stuibenfall where we climbed across the rock face until we came across the waterfall. At this point the climbing became solo, with a 521 foot drop beneath and a roaring waterfall in front, the path itself meant you were getting wet.
The final day of climbing took place on the Alpspitze, a 2628m pyramidal peak. After four hard days the 3 hour climb to the top was a hard one. Hit by a small hail storm on the way up, we reached the summit and the summit cross, a giant cross erected in 1946, at around 2pm. The descent can only be described as precarious at best, a scree slope down the entire side of the mountain before having to go through a cave in the dark before finally making it through.
With the final day of climbing over, the group headed back to our base in Oberstdorf to shower and then go out for dinner. The hostel receptionist, an extremely helpful and friendly chap despite a questionable choice of head ware, booked us into Hotel Traube for dinner where we had a traditional Bavarian buffet, a selection of slow cooked meats and pickled root vegetables and the occasional Stein! With a final farewell to our guide Borut who at 52 was most definitely fitter than those of us half his age, the group was ready to head home along the 23 hour road back to Preston.
Challenges and Benefits Without doubt the physical demands of the trip had begun to take a toll on individuals. Carrying weight whilst climbing is hard and is not a physical activity that is usually done, especially over the course of five days in mountainous terrain. The benefits of such an expedition though certainly outweighed any physical hardship. The group gelled well from the start of the week but by the end were a close knit bunch, illuminating how beneficial Adventurous Training is to a group whilst also demonstrating that as a leader you start first and finish last. You have to plan and organise and consider any contingencies whilst frequently having to maintain a higher level of fitness so as to be able to set an example to all members of the group and to be able to dictate the pace if an when necessary.
The whole group would like to thank the Duke of Lancaster’s 4th Battalion for organising the trip and the Ulysses Trust who kindly donated money so that we could take part in the fantastic training and adventure that we all went on.
