Military Ski Training Facilties (w/ Photos)

[Manney]

Aim - To identify contemporary facilities used to regularly train troops in military skiing.

Scope: Military specific and dual use facilities (mil-civ). Additional data on specific ski training, if available. Can be read in conjunction with the military ski master list here: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5999&sid=98b264af4c ... 0e2c50f5db

Format: Five entries per post (limited by forum photo limitations)… The photos give a vague sense of the number of students might be trained or accommodated at each site. Some show nearby topographical features that give a sense of terrain or remoteness of the location. A few schools are beautifully crafted, giving a sense of how far back their military skis histories are. Some military schools have public road access but the buildings and facilities are usually closed to the public.

Limitations: Few pure “ski” military training facilities appear to exist. A lot of military ski instruction occurs in the context of winter mobility or winter warfare training. The former can include mountaineering, snowshoeing, and skiing. The latter is impressively broad and includes virtually every aspect of soldiering. Some even specialize in high altitude training or equipment development (typically clothing, not skis).

Threshold. A reasonable threshold for making this list is (1) the presence of a school house of some sort and (2) close proximity to a skiable area where students can progress from theory to practice. Vast, restricted, spaces for manoeuvres and weapons handling is an obvious plus… especially those suitable for supporting a range of mobility tasks beyond just skiing (mountain rescue, search and rescue, avalanche training, higher altitude helo insertion and extraction etc.).

Observations will follow the last post, when complete.

Canadian Armed Forces Arctic Training Centre (CAFATC)
le Centre de formation des Forces armees canadiennes de l’Arctique (CFFACA)
Country - Canada
Operator - Canadian Armed Forces (Canadian Forces Land Advanced Warfare Centre)
Associations - Regional Ranger Patrol Group (ethnic Innu troops from the region. Member International Association of Military Mountain Schools
Location(s) - Resolute Bay, Nunavut, Canada
Lat/Long - 74°41′N 094°52′W
Purpose - general purpose Arctic survival and high Arctic military mobility training, including tundra skiing
Average winter temperatures (high/low in Celsius) High -25° Low -36°

NATO Mountain Warfare Centre of Excellence
Country - Slovenia
Operator - NATO
Associations - collaborates with the Slovenian Faculty of Sport for high altitude mobility research. Staff drawn principally from armed forces of Slovenia (CO), Italy, Germany. Member International Association of Military Mountain Schools.
Location(s) - Poljče 27, 4275 Begunje na Gorenjskem, Slovenia
Lat/Long -
Purpose - general mountain warfare training, experimental development of clothing systems and mountain bicycles for military use
Average winter temperatures (high/low in Celsius) +13° to -3

La Escuela de Montaña (The Mountain School)
Country - Chile
Operator - Ejercito de Chile (Chilean Army)
Associations - Member International Association of Military Mountain Schools.
Location(s) - Rio Blanco, Los Andes, Valparaíso, Chile
Lat/Long - 32.908082S 70.298365W
Purpose - all aspects of mountain warfare training including alpine skiing
Average winter temperatures (high/low in Celsius)

Army Mountain Warfare School (AMWS)
Country - United States
Operator - US Army, Vermont National Guard
Associations - Member International Association of Military Mountain Schools.
Location(s) - 100 Lewis Chapel Rd, Camp Ethan Allen, Jericho, VT 05465, United States
Lat/Long - 44.479580N 72.950898W
Purpose - general purpose mountain warfare, including alpine, XCD, XC
Average winter temperatures (high/low in Celsius) +1 to -12

haee elteetyood vaarapheyar skool
(High Altitude Warfare School)
Country - India
Operator - Indian Army
Associations - cooperative relationship with US, UK, and German militaries
Location(s) - Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Lat/Long -
Purpose - mountain warfare, winter warfare, high altitude warfare, alpine and XC skiing
Average winter temperatures (high/low in Celsius) +4.4 to -7.7

[Manney]

Escuela Militar de Montana y Operaciones Especiales
(School of Military Mountaineering and Special Operations)
Country - Spain
Operator - Ejército de Tierra (Spanish Army)
Associations - Twinned with Chilean Mountain School. Co-operative arrangement with the Candanchu ski resort for use of their facilities. Member International Association of Military Mountain Schools.
Location(s) - San Bernardo barracks, Base Oroel n San Bernardino, 22700 Jaca, Huesca, Spain
Lat/Long -
Purpose - mountain and winter warfare, Alpine, XCD and XC skiing
Average winter temperatures (high/low in Celsius) +11 to -1

Hatsavita Mountain Warfare Training Centre
Country - Russia
Operator - Ministerstvo vnutrennikh del (MVD, Russian Ministry of Interior)
Associations - GRU Spetznaz
Location(s) - Labinsk, Krasnodar Krai, Russia
Lat/Long -
Purpose - mountain, winter, and special operations warfare
Climate/snowfall -

École militaire de haute montagne (High Mountain Military Sxhool)
Country - France
Operator - Armée de Terre (French Amy)
Associations - possibly a cooperative relationship with the Chamonix ski resort. Member International Association of Military Mountain Schools.
Location(s) - 820 Rte des Pecles, 74400 Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France
Lat/Long -
Purpose - military mountaineering, alpine skiing
Average winter temperatures (high/low in Celsius) +6 to -1

Centro Addestramento Alpino (Alpine Training Centre)
Country - Italy
Operator - Esercito Italia (Italian Army)/Military Centre for Sports
Associations - Member International Association of Military Mountain Schools.
Location(s) - Via Regionale, 79, Caserma Perenni, 11013 Courmayeur AO, Italy
Lat/Long -
Purpose - winter mobility training including alpine, XC, and pulk/sledge
Average winter temperatures (high/low in Celsius) +5 to -2
Notes: Barracks named in honor of Lt Luigi Perenni, champion cross country skier, killed in a mountaineering exercise in 1943.

Norway Forsvarets Vinterskole (Norwegian School of Winter Warfare)
NATO Centre of Excellence - Cold Weather Operations
Country - Norway
Operator - Hæren (Norwegian Army)/NATO
Associations - Norwegian Military Academy (same camp). Member International Association of Military Mountain Schools.
Location(s) - Hamarveien 110, Terningmoen Camp, N-2403 Elverum, Norway
Lat/Long - 60.879738N 11.542478E
Purpose - ski training, winter survival, avalanche rescue and survival, winter warfare, escape and evasion
Average winter temperatures (high/low in Celsius) +4 to -11

[Manney]

Mountain Warfare Training Center
Country - United States
Operator - US Marine Corps
Associations -
Location(s) - 1000, Pickel Meadow, Bridgeport, California, USA
Lat/Long - 38.359178N 119.504381W
Purpose - military mobility training, mountain warfare, mountaineering, XC and BC skiing
Average winter temperatures (high/low in Celsius) +11 to -13

Northern Warfare Training Center (NWTC)
Country - United States
Operator - US Army/US Army Alaska/11th Airborne Division
Associations - US Special Forces, US Airforce, US Coast Guard
Location(s) - Richardson Hwy, Delta Junction, Black Rapids, AK 99737, United States
Lat/Long - 63.520727N 145.853947W
Purpose - cold weather mountain combat, search and rescue, winter mobility, downhill and XC ski training
Average winter temperatures (high/low in Celsius) -10 to -26

Ausbildungsstutzpunkt Gebirgs Und Winterkampf
(Training Camp Mountain and Winter Warfare School)
Country - Germany
Operator - Heer (German Army)/Army Training Command/Infantry Training Centre Hammelburg
Associations - Member International Association of Military Mountain Schools.
Location(s) - Karwendel Barracks, Mittenwald, Bavaria, Germany
Lat/Long -
Purpose - Army mountain guides, Army high mountain specialists and snipers in alpine terrain, search and rescue, alpine mobility including alpine skiing
Average winter temperatures (high/low in Celsius) +4 to -4

Gebirgskampfzentrum Saalfelden
(Saalfelden Mountain Combat Centre)
Country - Austria
Operator - Bundesheer (Austrian Army)
Associations - Member International Association of Military Mountain Schools.
Location(s) - Wallnerkaserne, Blattlfeldstraße 131, 5760 Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer, Austria
Lat/Long - 47.424613N 12.855717E
Purpose - mountaineering, search and rescue, mountain guiding, alpine skiing (instructor level)
Average winter temperatures (high/low in Celsius) +10 to -6

Kompetenzzentrum Gebirgsdienst der Armee
(Military Mountaineering Service Competence Centre)
Country - Switzerland
Operator - Schweizer Armee (Swiss Armed Forces)/Training and Education Command (joint)
Associations - Member International Association of Military Mountain Schools. Collocated with the Swiss Commando. A number of Swiss mountain specialist units and detachments.
Training Centre.
Location(s) - 6490 Andermatt, Switzerland
Lat/Long - 46.637308N 8.592405E
Purpose - Readiness authority for the Mountain Specialist Btn (this is a fairly unique function normally associated with higher headquarters), alpine training of the Mountain Specialist Btn 1, search and rescue, Special Forces training, mountain training of other Armed Forces, doctrine.
Average winter temperatures (high/low in Celsius) +3 to -4

[Manney]

UP Kannabe Uenodaira Ski Area
Country - Japan
Operator - Commercial Ski Hill
Associations - Not applicable
Location(s) - 158-2 Hidakacho Tada, Toyooka, Hyogo 669-5371, Japan
Lat/Long -
Purpose - Used by JSDF for basic military ski training for up to the unit level. Beginner and intermediate hills, OOB skiing areas, chair lifts.
Average winter temperatures (high/low in Celsius) ~0C
Notes: There are a number of facilities dotted around Japan to fulfill the ski training needs of the JSDF. The JSDF is also known to train soldiers at the Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort in Sapporo, Hokkaido. Winter manoeuvres are conducted at the Japanese Self Defense Forces Yausubetsu Training Area in Hokkaido (Sector South), Ojojibrara Maneuver Area, Sendai (Sector North East).

Notes and Observations.

1. Why use foreign languages? First, the names of centres are proper nouns. Second, that’s what their nations call them. Third, a bit of cultural respect isn’t such a bad thing. The world doesn’t run on American English. Fourth, something learned during the military ski project… if you know the proper name of something, it’s easier to find stuff because not all search engine entries are indexed in English.

2. Training Level. No two schools are the same. Some are schools for general purpose forces but even these have student limits (a Division typically has over 10k soldiers). Others train Specialist and Elite Forces. A few just train instructors, who go back to deliver instruction at the formation (Division and above), unit (Brigade, Battalion), or sub unit (Company, Platoon, Section) levels.

3. Training scope. Narrow to broad. Not many “ski schools” operated by militaries. Skiing is mobility… and there are all kinds of skills needed to support winter mobility. Not just skiing… mountaineering, rappelling, snow shoeing, snow mobiling, BV 206 operation, skijoring, etc.. Sometimes alpine and XC training is given. This isn’t the same as recreational alpine or XC skiing, involving carrying a 80-120# pack and weapon, covering considerable difference, eating field rations, while performing a variety of military skills (shooting, helipad preparation, reconnaissance, mortar firing, artillery spotting, forward air control), finishing with a night in a tent or snow cave before doing it all over again for several days or weeks.

4. Temperatures. Don’t be thrown off too much by the figures. These are temperatures at the school house. The highs are average highs in the first or last month of winter (whatever is warmer). The lows are the average lows in the coldest month of winter. The temperature range, however, does indicate the prevalence of heavy, wet, dense snow or dry powder snow in a region.

The temperature ranges also provide some insight into the philosophy of military mobility. Movement doesn’t stop because of the weather. One day could be skiing. A warm front might move in and bring rain… so the troops breakout snow shoes or proceed on foot. The next day might be over rocky ground, etc. Or the need to reposition quickly might arise, so it’s skijoring behind a BV 206 or packing gear into a helicopter and rappelling onto a waypoint. So there’s no line that connects real military skiing with Hollywood depictions (Heroes of Telemark) or civilian recreational skiing.

Lots can change with elevation. Wind chill can be very high on the slopes or on the tundra. This can limit movement as much as comfort.

There are few schools below the Arctic Circle that get extremely cold. Look at the figures for the Canadian training center… they’re quite extreme. The coldest average low at the training center near Fairbanks is equivalent to the warmest average high in Resolute Bay.

Near open water tends to be a bit warmer, even if the humidity and wind affect wind chill somewhat, Also, big snowfalls tend to occur a few degrees either side of freezing. When it’s crazy cold (-20C and below), the air is typically dry as popcorn, so little to now snow. What’s on the ground, however, doesn’t melt.

16. entires. List complete. Here’s what’s missing, and why.

1. British Army. Doesn’t operate a full time school. The British Army Adventure Training Bavaria (JSMTC Bavaria), has skiing at its Alpine Training Centre (ATC). This centre operates seasonally and is staffed incrementally. Those staff members often have to be trained first, so true expertise is thin. Adventure training is a peripheral thing… give the troops some fun challenges. It’s not the same as specialist qualifications. More past time level stuff.

On paper, the British Army has a mountain training center. Joint Service Mountain Training Centre, Plas Llanfair, Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Wales. It’s on the south side of the island of Anglesey. Hilly, but a long way from Ben Nevis, Scotland, the highest mountain in the UK (4400 ft). Anglesey doesn’t receive snow of any meaningful kind in the winter. The centre, therefore, doesn’t receive ski students… there is nothing nearby to train them on.

So neither the Alpine Training Centre nor the Joint Service Mountain Training Centre occupy the same category of “ski training facility” as others making the list. This is probably why the Royal Marines conducts contact training with the Norwegians, Swedes, and Finns at the unit level. Their focus is on military skiing.

2. Swedes and Finns. Don’t appear to have formal schools specifically for alpine or ski training.

The Finnish Army’s Jaeger Battalion is undoubtedly the most experienced in winter warfare.

https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/ ... they-still

It trains itself and offers training to allies. It doesn’t appear to be big on facilities… unless you count the wide open northern part of the country as nature’s ultimate facility. This is the Jaeger’s playground. School is in session as part of their day to day operations.

https://maavoimat.fi/en/-/arktinen-koul ... rikaatissa


There is also the Swedish Army Ranger (Jagare) Battalion that is part of the Norbotten Regiment.

The Norrbotten Regiment fulfills a training role for the Swedish Army and the Jagares conduct a lot of contact training with a variety of foreign military at their Subarctic Warfare Center in Arvidsjaur, Sweden. Having some difficulty finding out details about this beyond what’s printed in this article:

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your ... nstructor/

This seems ad hoc but it isn’t. There is no doubt that the Swedes and Finns are capable of delivering expert instruction on winter warfare and skiing. Many Special Forces around the world train themselves. Their operators are experts in their field. They might have a training ground or exercise area, but school houses are really just reception centres for candidates. This doesn’t make them less capable. It’s just another way of doing business… sort of the the British Army but with an entire culture’s experience behind them.

3. Other nations, facilities missing. Lots of reasons, some good some not. Ran out of space, schools are very limited in scope, difficult to find info, etc. an example might be Eielson Air Force Base, AK. Lots of skiing done there… because this sprawling base has a substantial exercise area. All manner of troops use it… Marines, USAF, US Army, even the US Coast Guard. No evidence of formal ski training. Doesn’t make sense with the Northern Warfare Training Center located two hours down the road (15 minutes if you take the Osprey or Blackhawk ha ha).

People whose societies don’t live in sub arctic regions either have militaries that operate schools or not. Those who don’t operate schools pick up training through osmosis… winter exercises with ski crazy nations’ militaries… or by leveraging civilian training for basic ski instruction.

[Manney]

So what’s next? Stumbled across clothing and equipment lists, rucksack load outs, unit crests, lots of photos of military stuff done on skis…

Will give this a ponder over the next week… see what pops.

One thing that’s out for me is “historical” stuff. Way too much thinking these days is rooted in the past. Need to break the paradigm of what “was”.

[Manney]

Tripped across an interesting stat the other day about the kind of fitness levels that specialist ski troops have…

According to the Finnish Defence Force, the average candidate applying to serve in the Jaeger Battaltion is able to complete a 3400m run in the 12 minutes afforded under the Cooper’s test. That’s a 5:45 pace for 2.1 miles.

They also enter being able to bench 210# on average. Not super high but it shows these lads are not flyweight runners with no upper body strength. They start the Jaeger course with a pretty high level of fitness.

These soldiers likely build capacity and strength during the course of their training which, for combat infantry, is usually around 1/3 study (tactics etc), 1/3 equipment handling (weapons, communications, vehicles), and 1/3 physical training (running, hiking, climbing, skiing).

Running across lots of facts like these by accident. Worth sharing because it puts military skiing into perspective.

[Lhartley]

I have a friend in the Canadian Military that actively uses splitboard gear in military training (not sure about actual ops). I'm stoked for him because I know how much he loves it. Kind of strange that the military would allow something with such an obvious handicap. Actually, nvm it's Canada, perfectly understandable

[Manney]

Probably depends on snow, as most things involving skis and boards often do. Could see some advantages in chest high softer snow… of in a scenario that favors some form of skiing over snowshoeing… while carrying large personal loads over long distances.

Strangely, haven’t seen any Canucks in uniform on such boards… and it took a lot of searching to find good photos of the Canadian gear appearing in the military ski thread. So the chances of encountering a piece of regularly used gear would be there…

Would appreciate it if you could post a photo and details from your friend… and details on whether the use was a recreational day or a real military training day. Also the location (military exercise area or civilian facility would help.

[Lhartley]

Official training activities in the revelstoke area. I honestly wouldn't want to give much info on it because it could be bad publicity and cause for his allowance to be removed

[Manney]

Fair point. Idk what Canadian military exercise areas exist around Revelstoke (hundreds in the US that are beyond my knowledge too), but you’ve given me a place to start the search. Many thanks for that.

MTF…