JERICHO, Vt. (Feb. 25, 2016) -- Three 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) Soldiers completed the two-week Basic Mountain Course at the Army Mountain Warfare School, Feb. 18, with the culminating climb at Smugglers' Notch.
This final climb, known as the "Mountain Walk," puts all of the skills that students have learned throughout the course into practice.
"It's a chance to get into a true alpine environment, to see rock and ice they haven't seen anywhere else," said Sgt. 1st Class Nick Ash, an instructor at the Army Mountain Warfare School, located at the Camp Ethan Allen Training Site. "It is a full-on mountaineering, alpine experience, which they should leave here with as military mountaineers."
First Lt. Torrey Crossman, from 41st Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, was among the Soldiers from Fort Drum to complete this climb.
"We slept at the base of the notch, at approximately 2,200-foot elevation," he said. "We set up 12-man arctic tents to sleep in, and packed in an arctic stove to combat the minus-20-degree weather, which didn't do too much with the high winds at night."
The next morning, Crossman said the instructors led the squads through ice climbing practice at the "workout wall," which tested their ability to top-rope climb using ice axes and crampons -- the spikes attached to their climbing boots.
"This was a feat that not only taught us how natural ice reacts to climbing tools, but an act that ultimately just kept us warm during the day," he said.
As they began preparing for the actual Mountain Walk, the squads ascended 1,000 feet up a slope that led around a sharp mountain ridge and through a cave toward the summit. Then, the Soldiers conducted an 85-foot rappel off an icy rock face.
"Communication within our squad played a huge role as we were climbing, as we had to talk to the person behind us to tell them when we were 'hooked onto' the next portion of a fixed rope, therefore allowing the man behind us to clip into that portion of the rope," Crossman said. "Several times, we would plant our crampons into sheer ice as we were climbing and would knock off a large bit of ice off, so there were constant shouts of 'ice!' as we were ascending to warn those below."
Crossman, who grew up in Vermont, said the view from the top of the Talus slope still amazed him. He said his squad was well-versed in the ascent and had no problem reaching the summit over the course of four hours.
"Everybody felt comfortable with their equipment … so it was a methodical and successful venture," he said. "Had it been an untrained squad operating for the first time in mountainous terrain, it could have been disastrous. Overall, the ascent was tough but very conquerable for a reasonably fit Soldier."
When they first began the course, Crossman said it took some time getting used to the mountaineering equipment.
"We were issued mountaineering boots, which are hard plastic -- looks similar to ski boots, and were required to ruck to our training sites each day in them, usually with crampons on as well," he said. "They prevented us from rolling ankles on the varied terrain, but the lack of snow and the presence of ice-covered rock made movements difficult for us."
The more they trained with the equipment, the easier it became to increase mobility, he added. The course also taught Soldiers land navigation skills, using a self-declination compass and an altimeter, and high-angle marksmanship, where they shot from modified positions on a cliff edge.
"We fired the M4 with an ACOG (advanced combat optical gun sight), and our spotter walked us in on targets up to 500 to 600 meters away," Crossman said. "Because of the elevation difference, the bullet has a slightly abnormal trajectory and lands higher than usual, so we trained to aim slightly lower and calculate for the distance."
They also learned how temperature affects bullet trajectory and how to adjust shooting calculations accordingly.
"It gave us much more confidence in our ability to hit targets over the typical 300-meter distance, and it was a very realistic scenario that one could encounter overseas," Crossman said. He recommended this course to any Soldier interested in learning more about operating in mountainous terrain.
"Although the notion of operating and moving in a mountainous environment seems very simple at first glance, I realized that many of the instructors were instilling a sense of sagacious perfection in all tasks," he said. "When you have Soldiers' lives hooked into a rope system that you built, there is no such thing as 'this should hold.'"
It also reinforced the notion that Soldiers should train as they fight. Crossman said that Soldiers who proved adept at tying knots in the barracks would struggle once they had to do so on the mountain with a full load of equipment and clothing affecting their performance.
Additionally, Crossman said the course gives Soldiers an opportunity to climb and hike just as their 10th Mountain predecessors had done before them.
"For the 10th Mountain veterans who started ski industries or climbing associations after (World War II), the mountain training wasn't just a mandatory requirement, it was a lifestyle choice and outdoor fitness that they enjoyed and provided them peace while preparing for war," he said.
Crossman credits the Army Mountain Warfare School instructors for having a wealth of knowledge they are able to impart on students, and the training they received at Fort Drum that set them up for success.
"The 10th Mountain Light Fighters School did a great job at preparing us for this course," he said. "They covered most of what we did in Vermont and prepared us physically as well. The instructors were professional and patient, something that all of the Mountain Warfare instructors have in common."
Spc. Avery Cunningham, 172nd Public Affairs Detachment,
contributed to this article
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