Military Ski Training Facilties (w/ Photos)
Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2023 10:53 am
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
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