True, the Military Winter Survival competition has become a synonym for an extremely tough event; however, its main stage, the second one, is indeed a matter of survival. During two days, the teams, completely equipped for survival, had to cover more than fifty kilometres through mountainous terrain and accomplish various survival tasks prepared by the instructors of the UD Physical Training and Sports Department.
The second day of the extreme competition was in the spirit of demanding marching across the ridges of the Hruby Jesenik Mountains. Plenty of snow even in the low altitude areas allowed the teams using their alpine skis. On their way they met checkpoints with tasks to accomplish, such as special mountaineering disciplines, water stream crossing, knife throwing, pistol and submachine gun shooting. And another overnight sleeping in the open air shall close the day.
Fifteen teams set off for the Tuesday stage from a point near Bily Potok settlement, approximately four kilometres West of Vrbno pod Pradedem at 7AM. Three teams already withdrew from the competition due to health problems
Having picked the first checkpoint, the teams went for the “circuit” track on and across the hills and slopes of the Hruby Jesenik Mountains. Carrying heavy backpacks on their shoulders containing for example sleeping bags, burners, snowshoes, mountaineering equipment, spare clothing and food, the athletes faced special “survival” tasks that were either rated or not rated.
This year will be typical of increased physical demand and mental stress to cope with. The latter will be important particularly in climbing across rocks and artificial obstacles using mountaineering techniques. The most adventurous Event of the Day was named "Sherwood".
It consisted of crossing a rope way system. Two team members used the belayed path to climb to tree tops where, high above the ground, they moved from a tree to another on two ropes fixed one next to the other and two ropes fixed one above the other or on horizontally fixed rope ladders. The third team members were to climb the impromptu rope ladder to the top of a rock. There, they hauled a trapeze and holding it they swung and dropped at the proper moment to land in a slanting net. Only a half of the "jumpers" succeeded in this event.
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"The competition is definitely harder than last year. I think the most difficult is moving on mountaineering ski. The boots are heavy and make the events even trickier," noted University of Defence Team I's WO Jan Tancibudek. In his opinion, the athletes suffer from damp clothing too.
The first day of stage II eliminated five Czech teams from the championships for health reasons, such as general exhaustion, a wounded knee or grazed heels. The three foreign teams eliminated the day before were joined by the team for 101 signal battalion, the students of Military Department at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport of Charles University, team II for 43 airborne mechanised battalion, Joint Forces mix team and Military Police Team.
It was completely dark when the teams arrived in the emergency overnight area. The first of them was the University of Defence Team I confirming thus its role of favourites in the entire competition.
text: Pavel Pazdera, WS 2010 press officer, photo: Jiří Pařízek and Svatopluk Kouřil