Oberammergau 2003
Note: this is not a Herts and Bucks Wing activity, but
an annual course organised by HQ Air Cadets. Six places are available for every
Region, so talk nicely to your Squadron Commander if you want to be put forward
for the next one ...
36
cadets, 4 supervising officers and a team of RAF Ski instructors arrived in Oberammergau one
Saturday afternoon in April,
and settled into four guesthouses in this beautiful Bavarian village.
Boots, skis and poles
were hired, and everyone had time to unpack and settle into their rooms before meeting at a
restaurant for an initial briefing, and an excellent meal and social evening
There
followed six days of excellent skiing on and around the Zugspitze, the
highest mountain in Germany. On the first morning we were grouped according
to previous experience and ability, from group 1 (expert) to group 6 (absolute
beginner).
We skied in these groups
for the rest of the week, and it was remarkable just how much everyone's skiing
improved day by day as our instructors led us down increasingly challenging runs,
progressively improving our
confidence & technique
Although
April is the end of the skiing season, it snowed heavily on most days. On
the second morning we drove through particularly heavy snow to the
Ehrwald,
in Austria. The normally efficient authorities seemed to have been caught
slightly by surprise, and we were putting snow chains on the bus near the Austrian
border before the first snow plough appeared
During the week, we experienced a wide range
of snow and weather conditions, ranging from perfect piste to fresh powder, and
from brilliant sunshine to whiteout.
It is important to learn how to ski safely
in difficult conditions, and the instructors had plenty of opportunities to teach us how to deal with different
snow and weather conditions
At the end of every day, we returned to our
guest houses for tea and cakes, and had some free time to shower, walk into town
or visit the swimming pool before meeting for dinner in one of Oberammergau's
many excellent restaurants. On most days the whole course dined together, but
there were also evenings when we dined as a guest house or ski group, so there
was always someone new to talk to
Throughout
the week, we enjoyed the company of Air Commodore Chitty, who spent a day with
each of the skiing groups. No doubt he picked up some useful skiing tips from
our instructors, as well as getting to know the students, and seeing at first
hand the many benefits of the course
