JEFFERSONVILLE, Vt. - Soldiers from the basic and advanced courses at the Army Mountain Warfare School climbed Smugglers' Notch as the culminating event of two weeks of training in Jeffersonville, Vermont, Feb. 18, 2016.
The course event, referred to as the "Mountain Walk," winds it way through steep terrain and ice up the mountain and then back down, with a rappel at the end.
"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. It is a full-on mountaineering, alpine experience.
For 30 years the event has been the culmination of all the students have learned.
The Mountain Warfare School has been coming to Smugglers' Notch since the 80s, said Ash. They put all the skills they've learned in the past two weeks into practice. They set up their tents to spend the night, perform team tasks, and then they moved through the mountain with techniques they've practiced.
The adjutant general of Vermont, along with other Vermont National Guard leadership, joins the students annually during the Mountain Walk to refresh what the course teaches and the importance of mountain skills training.
"We need to experience it, so we can say, 'yes, it's a good program.' We support the program," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Kim Siner, the command chief warrant officer of Vermont. "I think its good for morale to see the command do the same thing."
It's an opportunity for the school to display the skills and work involved in mountain warfare.
"The benefit of VIPs coming out on the Mountain Walk is that they get a view of what it is that we do and howinvolved and technical it is," said Ash.
The Mountain Walk challenges Soldiers, both physically and mentally.
"The rappel was a little frightening to me, but I did it," said Siner. "It's a challenge and the best thing you can do with your fear is overcome it."
For any Soldier going through the course it's important to have confidence and the right frame of mind.
"Don't ever think you can't, just take the word can't right out of your vocabulary. You can do it. You just have to muster up a little extra courage. You might have to dig deep and find some strength when you think you're just a little too tired, but you can succeed," said Siner.