The training took place in the High Tatras, in difficult weather and terrain conditions, and was led by a qualified instructor from the Polish Mountaineering Association – Krzysztof Treter. As part of the training, the six-person group of soldiers from Świętoszów completed a course in high-mountain tourism and ice climbing. The knowledge and practical skills taught to the scouts included, among other things, individual preparation, preparing equipment and gear for operations, and navigation, including plotting an approach route to a selected mountain objective, estimating the route and assessing its difficulty. During the training, the soldiers learned techniques for moving through high-mountain terrain using specialist mountaineering equipment, as well as how to cope with various extreme situations.
Thanks to favorable weather, the first two days focused mainly on techniques for moving in crampons, using an ice axe in two-person teams. The scouts also learned how to construct rappel anchors in snow using an ice axe and ice screws. During the first sessions, they had the opportunity to cross a small section of the mountains surrounding the Gąsienicowa Valley. There, they had to demonstrate considerable knowledge and skills, as well as physical fitness, wading waist-deep through snow on steep Tatra slopes. During the training, the soldiers were also prepared to conduct independent operations in high-mountain terrain such as the Tatras and other mountains of this type, including the Alps and the Himalayas.
The two-person teams completed technical tasks involving crossing a mountain slope, installing fixed ropes, rappelling on single and double ropes, placing ice screws, building rappel anchors and protection points, and learning self-rescue and rescue techniques.
After the practical sessions, theoretical classes were held, during which the trainees learned about the topography of the Tatras, the characteristics of rock formations in the mountains, and emergency situations such as mountain accidents, including altitude sickness, hypothermia, frostbite and avalanches. Learning how to use avalanche equipment, such as probes, transceivers and shovels for digging out victims, proved particularly important during the training.
On the third day, the soldiers took part in an ice-climbing session in the Zmarzły Staw cirque. It was a real treat for the soldiers, who were participating in this kind of training for the first time. Due to heavy snowfall in the Tatras, the following days were devoted to improving mountaineering techniques, theoretical knowledge, navigation and avalanche prevention.
On Friday, as weather conditions improved, the scouts set out under the instructor’s supervision to climb one of the most beautiful Tatra peaks – Kościelec (2,155 m above sea level). In difficult terrain, including deep snow and fog, they made their way toward the summit. Their arduous effort was rewarded when they reached the summit after six hours of pushing through the Tatra snow.
The mountain training conducted by the scouts of the 10th Horse Rifle Reconnaissance Company was one of the important elements of their preparation for operations in the specific combat environment of the mountains, especially in winter conditions and limited visibility. The training in the Tatras left unforgettable impressions and, more importantly, provided essential training experience. All the soldiers demonstrated determination and psychophysical endurance in the face of the hardships of operating at high altitude, in low temperatures and exposed terrain, and under severe physical fatigue.
This training was only the introduction to a series of courses planned for 2015 in climbing, rope techniques and operations in high-mountain terrain under all terrain and weather conditions, preparing the soldiers to operate in peacetime, during crises and in wartime. The greatest benefit of mountain training is that it verifies the scouts’ physical preparation and suitability for service, while increasing the training value of soldiers serving in reconnaissance and assigned to conduct operations on the battlefield in specific, extreme conditions.
Katarzyna Przepióra/ii