Prior to the start of the competition the team spent 7 days familiarising itself with classic and skating skis. These proved considerably more difficult to control than the downhill skis we were all used to and egos were bruised for the first few days. We also experimented with the dark art of grip and glide waxing. At first we all felt much more at home on the ranges honing our marksmanship for the biathlon stages of the competition. However, cross-country skiing is an addictive mixture of physical and technical challenges and soon the team captain was having difficulty getting his team to limit the daily mileage and hang up their skis in the evening.

The competition phase of the exercise included a mixture of classic and skating races comprising team, relay or individual events. The highlight for us was the biathlon where cardiovascular fitness, skating skiing technique and marksmanship were all tested. We didn’t leave with any medals, but all involved found it hugely rewarding. In addition, we successfully raised the profile of our unit and competitors from rival TA teams have already joined our next selection course. We also used misfortune in the Military Patrol Race to show our strength of character. When a ski broke early in the race, we opted to carry on, with the team senior NCO running 16Km with a heavily laden Bergen. Despite running in his ski boots, at times off track in thigh deep snow, we beat a few teams on skis earning respect from officials and teams alike. We look forward to building on our experiences next year and are grateful to the Ulysses Trust who helped to make it possible.

Team Captain of Nordic Skiing