Training Diary - Part 2
Crevass Training Continued – 24 to 26 July – Dartmoor
The beautiful wild uplands of Dartmoor, in the south west of England might be a long way from Antarctica but its unpredictable weather, disused quarries and remoteness proved the ideal training ground for learning and practicing the crevasse awareness and rescue skills we may require on the ice. Conducting the training was veteran mountaineer Dave Pearce, an Everest summiteer, who has travelled and operated in many of the worlds most inhospitable cold weather environments.
Moving safely in a crevasse field or dealing with a fall into a crevasse is not something you learn from one day to the next. It requires understanding, the right equipment, training, practice and total trust in your team mates. Dartmoor is punctuated by old quarry workings and that is where the residents of and visitors to Dartmoor witnessed the Best of British Team tied together on a climbing rope or dangling over the edge of a disused quarry 30 meters up in the air relying on there team mates to get them back to terra firma - safely.
The thought of tucking into a limp soggy sandwich at lunch was not something the team had to worry about. We did lunch in style, courtesy of a Fortnum & Masons supplied picnic which did wonders in satisfying our hunger.
Much learned……..
<Click to view image gallery for the weekend>
Training Diary - Part 1
First Crevass Training – 08 to 10 May – Isle of Purbeck
The team's first training session was on the Isle of Purbeck with ex Royal Marine Phil Ashby QGM back in May. The cliffs around Swanage are a great place to start basic rope and climbing techniques. Combine that with cliff swimming and beach running, this was a stern physical test and a key team development weekend. Phil Ashby", QGM, an Alpine mountain leader, was with Manley in the winning team for the first ever race to the Magnetic North Pole. "Manley has put together an excellent team" comments Phil, "good attitude, good fitness and good fun".
Dave Pearce, Everest summiteer and expedition guru, will be putting the Best of British team through their paces in July in some remote spot on Dartmoor.
"It is essential the boys can do all the rope and survival skills with their eyes shut" suggests Dave, "I will put them under pressure, but in a more friendly environment. Later we will transfer the skills to polar conditions". www.peakaspirations.co.uk
"Our training philosophy is that once a base level of skill has been attained, then we go cold" Expedition leader Manley Hopkinson explains. "You try tying your shoelaces with big polar gloves on!"
The Best of British team will undergo a rigorous and demanding training schedule over the coming months in 2 parts: an individual fitness development regime will be created for each team member based on a comprehensive physical assessment, with a regular cadence of whole team sessions in a variety of conditions with basic skills and team development in Britain, more advanced skills training in the French Alps, and the final expedition readiness training in Norway. |
