The competitions of Winter Survival 2010, the Army of the Czech Republic international championships began on Monday 1 February. The extreme sport event arranged by the University of Defence Physical Training and Sport Centre makes the representatives for four countries go to their capacity of both mental and physical strength.

Athletes' downhill skiing skills that were crucial during the first stage showed out in the vicinity of Petrovy Kameny Rock near Ovcarna pod Pradedem and right on the slopes of Praded Mountain. At first, skicross took place on "C" track, followed by burden downhill transport on "B" track, team downhill race on "A" and "injured" teammate evacuation on Velky Vaclavak downhill track. Team rankings in each of the four events were then totalled to make the overall ranking and determine how many points each team would be given.

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 "Involving in such a challenging competition you first need to prepare yourself generally. Then, you can do it," said corporal Ladislav Sas who is a member of Joint Forces' mix team after his arrival at finish.

The best teams in the morning race were University of Defence I followed by Ammunition Base and the teams for Military Department at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport of Charles University.

In the afternoon all teams moved on skis from Karlova Studanka spa to the ten kilometres away survival area in the forests three kilometres West of Vrbno pod Pradedem carrying all their equipment. Then they competed in survival skills events and a night orienteering race in and around the emergency overnight area with the view of a freezing night in the open air ahead.

The movement and the night orienteering race eliminated as many as three teams, all of them coming from abroad. For health troubles the Belgian, Slovak and a Polish teams withdrew.

The winter outdoor championships programme for Tuesday and Wednesday plans activities similar to fight activities of individual or team operation in snow covered mountain terrain. The two days endurance stage is the most difficult part of the entire competition and may eliminate more teams. 

text: Pavel Pazdera, WS 2010 press officer, photo: Jiří Pařízek and Svatopluk Kouřil