Another Winter Survival Championship

The Czech Army General Staff and the University of Defence are preparing Winter Survival 2010 – the 16th international winter outdoors polyathlon championship of the Army of the Czech Republic. The extremely demanding event will take place from 31 January to 5 February 2010 in the Hruby Jesenik Mountains.

Hruby Jesenik, harsh but picturesque, has been for several years the venue of the international championship in winter outdoors polyathlon arranged for and by the Army of the Czech Republic. Most of the informed know it is the familiar military winter survival event. It is a championship but first of all it is a test – a test of survival ability. Twenty Czech and foreign military teams will compete in the skills of surviving in the mountains in winter at the turn of January and February.

The patrols will spend four days covering many kilometres moving, climbing rock tops, crossing stream gulches, rescuing an injured person, ski relay races, will precision throw dummy grenades and shoot military weapons, will overnight sleeping in the open air and will have to complete practical tasks testing their mental strength.

Invitations for military teams to participate in the challenging event were sent to a dozen countries. For the Czech Army, teams representing the Joint Forces, Support Forces, military schools and military police will have to qualify first.

Text: Pavel Pazdera