View Full Version : 1/10 winter training
Just ran into an interesting article on 1/10 SFG ref their current Winter training on Monarch Mtn. Listen to the Radio report it was a nice report on the BN training.
Spending a week skiing might sound like recreation to some, but for the Army’s 10th Special Forces Group, it’s a critical part of their work. Based out of Fort Carson, they’re high altitude-cold weather specialists. Like the legendary 10th Mountain Division troops who pioneered winter warfare during World War II, the 10th Special Forces Group has to be ready to conduct military operations in heavy snow or on a steep mountainside.
So recently, a few hundred Special Forces soldiers headed up to train at Monarch Mountain near Salida. It’s the first battalion level cold weather training they’ve had in years and the soldiers only have five days on the slopes to get competent, regardless of their ski experience. Reporter Shanna Lewis grabbed her skis and headed out to the slopes to file this report.
This is either 3/10 or 2/10 that got to go skiing.. it's probably 3/10 since they usually hang out at Monarch. 2/10 has more expensive taste and hangs out at Keystone.
mffjm8509
02-14-2009, 21:59
Not this year Bill......WET on the CHEAP. No condos, no mountain money, no Parrot Eyes......
We stayed in tents at the fairgrounds in Salida and bussed up the hill to Monarch every day.
Good thing I spent Christmas at Keystone!
longrange1947
02-15-2009, 12:25
Shades of Cannon Mountain, NH and living in tents in the park at the base. :D
We stayed in tents at the fairgrounds in Salida and bussed up the hill to Monarch every day.
You guys should have driven a bit further west and hung out at Crested Butte instead. At least they have a few nice, warm bars downtown (and free shuttle busses to and from the slopes) to use as warming huts. ;)
mffjm8509
02-15-2009, 18:59
You guys should have driven a bit further west and hung out at Crested Butte instead. At least they have a few nice, warm bars downtown (and free shuttle busses to and from the slopes) to use as warming huts. ;)
Out of the question with the budget we were given this year.
Tents and transportation were provided by a local unit, fairgrounds were free as long as we took the boys into town every night, blue bird busses took us up the hill every morning. An MKT cooked breakfast and dinner and LRRPs were issued for lunch. The 1SG came at lunch with hot soup and coffee. At first glance, most of you would think that this isnt too bad of a set up but those of you with time in 10th Group can relate to how this was compared to how we normally conduct our down hill training.
The excess cash saved went into buying new sleds, stoves, and miscellaneous cold weather team gear that hasn't been replenished since around 2003.
By the way.....at the same time we were living in tents in Salida, 3rd Group was staying in condos and skiing Keystone AND the 10th Group CED was at Keystone assisting in 3rd Groups training.....go figure.
Hmmm...1/10th WET in my time started with a parachute jump into mountain pastures near Bad Reichenhall with all of our equipment (including skis, poles, and bear paws), followed by a tactical mountain movement back to Bad Tolz. A fun-filled two weeks. And lodges? What lodges? ;)
Richard's $.02 :munchin
Just did a weeklong stint down at the Frasdorf. 4 days of downhill at Reit Im Winkle (painful for the newbs like myself) and a few days of cross country- with a night out in the tents.
Took the sleds along and rucks...great weather with fresh powder a few nights.
Considering the stories I have read, ours was mild :)
Ret10Echo
03-03-2009, 12:14
Just did a weeklong stint down at the Frasdorf. 4 days of downhill at Reit Im Winkle (painful for the newbs like myself) and a few days of cross country- with a night out in the tents.
Took the sleds along and rucks...great weather with fresh powder a few nights.
Considering the stories I have read, ours was mild :)
As long as you are getting onto der Berg.....:lifter
Dragbag036
03-03-2009, 17:40
Hmmm...1/10th WET in my time started with a parachute jump into mountain pastures near Bad Reichenhall with all of our equipment (including skis, poles, and bear paws), followed by a tactical mountain movement back to Bad Tolz. A fun-filled two weeks. And lodges? What lodges? ;)
Richard's $.02 :munchin
Spent a little time in that area myself. Had to do a Mountain school that they wanted to start for Internationals based out of Mittenwald. The week of patrolling was done in the Bad Reichenhall area. Viele Klettersteige und Langlaufloipen.:lifter
alfromcolorado
03-03-2009, 18:45
The Frasdorf House... Man, that name brings back some memories.
Have they fixed it up any?
Just did a weeklong stint down at the Frasdorf. 4 days of downhill at Reit Im Winkle (painful for the newbs like myself) and a few days of cross country- with a night out in the tents.
Took the sleds along and rucks...great weather with fresh powder a few nights.
Considering the stories I have read, ours was mild :)
The building is still definetly a product of the 70's-80's updating...but as far as new renovations I would say no. The bathrooms have been maintained, the basement is still our of the movie Saw. Bedrooms are still double bunks airborne school style, but still, its a place to put your head down and drink some beers after a long day of skiing. Just the right fit.
alfromcolorado
03-04-2009, 20:01
The building is still definetly a product of the 70's-80's updating...but as far as new renovations I would say no. The bathrooms have been maintained, the basement is still our of the movie Saw. Bedrooms are still double bunks airborne school style, but still, its a place to put your head down and drink some beers after a long day of skiing. Just the right fit.
I had some good times there and the price was right for training and Spass.
RichL025
03-04-2009, 20:35
1-10 was my first SF unit. WHen I found out the story behind the Frasdorf house, I thought to myself "THESE guys know how to do it!"
And then when I found out you could sign out the keys from S3 for recreation!
Viel Spass!!!
Conrad Y
03-04-2009, 20:36
I had some good times there and the price was right for training and Spass.
Amen Al.
Now the keys are a bit more close hold due to people not cleanin up after themselves...still can get the place though.
I had some good times there and the price was right for training and Spass.
I couldn't resist piggy backing on to this thread as soon as I saw "Spass." Also, I've done lots of skiing with the 10th, but never in Colorado - I just can't relate - but when I saw that we were talking about the land of the mammoth mogels (you could hide a Volkswagen in those things), I had to though in my zwei phinnings worth.
I went to Germany from Texas back in the dark ages - not knowing nothing about snow.
But since I arrived in January, it was just about two weeks before I found myself on a mountain, skis on my feet and looking a broken leg right in the eye. I'm not kidding about the leg - I only lasted 3 days before I broke it - it was actually inevitable. The one good thing about breaking a leg (and this is where some of the Spass comes in), while the team was out skiing, I was back at the Gasthaus, leg propped up on a chair, hangin out with the frauleins practicing some Deutsch and learnin that I liked dunkles bier besser als helles (still do, but now, I just drink Shiner).
About that piggy back thing - I posted the following on the thread about climbing skins - but it fits here pretty well too. Obviously, I came back the next year and actually learned how to ski. I also learned that I liked a Radlermass as the first drink of the evening after a long hard day skiing – a real thirst quencher! It's a full liter (that’s the mass) – half light-colored beer (helles) and half Lemon-lime sodapop). I know it sounds bad, but it is really pretty good.
Mitch
I first used the skins in 1973 - our little motley crew started up to the top of the Sneibstein (we were in Germany when we started) spent the night in the Sneibstein Haus, right on the German/Austrian border; the following morning we proceded to invade Austria - to the top of that mountain. Used the black seal skins all the way up.
They worked ok - but getting down was a lot quicker, a lot more fun with the skins in the ruck, but scarier. We did lose Ralph on the way back down (fell off a cliff) - but that just helped him to get down quicker, though he never saw his skis or ploes again. He and his best bud did the one pole one ski trick the rest of the way down.
Mitch
alfromcolorado
03-06-2009, 16:08
Alle deutsche Biere sind gut aber nie mit soda pop dazu.
One of my favorites was Aventinus.
I couldn't resist piggy backing on to this thread as soon as I saw "Spass." Also, I've done lots of skiing with the 10th, but never in Colorado - I just can't relate - but when I saw that we were talking about the land of the mammoth mogels (you could hide a Volkswagen in those things), I had to though in my zwei phinnings worth.
I went to Germany from Texas back in the dark ages - not knowing nothing about snow.
But since I arrived in January, it was just about two weeks before I found myself on a mountain, skis on my feet and looking a broken leg right in the eye. I'm not kidding about the leg - I only lasted 3 days before I broke it - it was actually inevitable. The one good thing about breaking a leg (and this is where some of the Spass comes in), while the team was out skiing, I was back at the Gasthaus, leg propped up on a chair, hangin out with the frauleins practicing some Deutsch and learnin that I liked dunkles bier besser als helles (still do, but now, I just drink Shiner).
About that piggy back thing - I posted the following on the thread about climbing skins - but it fits here pretty well too. Obviously, I came back the next year and actually learned how to ski. I also learned that I liked a Radlermass as the first drink of the evening after a long hard day skiing – a real thirst quencher! It's a full liter (that’s the mass) – half light-colored beer (helles) and half Lemon-lime sodapop). I know it sounds bad, but it is really pretty good.
Mitch
I first used the skins in 1973 - our little motley crew started up to the top of the Sneibstein (we were in Germany when we started) spent the night in the Sneibstein Haus, right on the German/Austrian border; the following morning we proceded to invade Austria - to the top of that mountain. Used the black seal skins all the way up.
They worked ok - but getting down was a lot quicker, a lot more fun with the skins in the ruck, but scarier. We did lose Ralph on the way back down (fell off a cliff) - but that just helped him to get down quicker, though he never saw his skis or ploes again. He and his best bud did the one pole one ski trick the rest of the way down.
Mitch
alfromcolorado
03-06-2009, 16:10
Amen Al.
I really miss those days, especially down here in Surf Frigging City, NC.
I want to get back West or over to Germany NOW.