Rochdale soldier battles in army skiing exercise

Photo: S/Sgt Mark Nesbit RLC

Private Summander Hussain has just competed in the Nordic (cross country) section of the Army skiing contest Exercise Pipedown

A Rochdale soldier has been honing his military skills in the freezing environment of the snow capped French Alps.

Private Summander Hussain, 23, of Three Medical Regiment based in Catterick has just competed in the Nordic (Cross Country) section of the Army skiing contest Exercise Pipedown, organised by 1 (UK) Armoured Division.

Exercise Pipedown is the ski championships for British soldiers based in Germany, but also open to some soldiers in the UK, and is held in the French ski resort of Les Contamines de Montjoie near Mont Blanc, with this year seeing almost 400 soldiers participating - the largest ever number of entries.

During the championships soldiers’ physical and mental strength is tested to the limit in a variety of other individual and team events including a 10km Biathlon sprint, a four x 4.5km relay, slaloms, downhill skiing and a 1km floodlit challenge. 

The exercise provides an important opportunity to hone important adventurous training skills enhancing an individual’s ability to withstand the rigors of operations and rapid deployments. It also offers the opportunity for novices and experts alike to ski under international competition rules.

Former Hopwood Hall College student Sam, as he likes to be called, and whose parents still live in Rochdale, only started skiing after having the chance to take part in an Army skiing course in Norway just before the championships started. However, he was not daunted by this saying: “Nordic skiing sounded really interesting and something different. The training was very tiring to begin with as you have to learn how to balance and different co-ordination skills, but I persevered and actually enjoyed it. It was fantastic to take part in the championships.

Nordic skiing, often coupled with shooting as a Biathlon event is one of the most popular disciplines for military people, and is widely regarded as one of the most arduous and physically demanding sports.

Sam, who is a Combat Medical Technician, said: “Nordic skiing is a tough sport physically very good for you helping with your fitness, strength and endurance. Most people don’t get to do these kinds of sports normally and I feel very fortunate to have had this experience and if the opportunity presents itself again in the future I would enter again.”

Major General James Chiswell CBE MC, General Officer Commanding One (UK) Armoured Division, who visited the championships and met with many of the competitors said: “Training opportunities such as Exercise Pipedown are incredibly important and a fundamental part of the development of our soldiers.

"Adventurous training is designed to test our people to the limits by putting them in unfamiliar but controlled, challenging situations to develop all the skills needed – moral and physical courage, leadership and teamwork – to be the best. It enhances their performance both in times of operational deployments and peace time.

"Pipedown will give many of these soldiers a chance to develop new skills and try sports that may potentially lead to them progressing to representing their Units and the Army at a higher level.

"And importantly exercises such as these give our personnel the chance to relax in a fun and competitive setting particularly when focus remains heavily on operational commitments.”

Exercise Pipedown took place between Saturday 11 and Tuesday 21 January 2014.