BLUE VIXEN 2005

By Flight Lieutenant Ken Phillips and Flying Officer Jane Lowrie

Foreword by Sqn Ldr Spike Clark

I had the cunning idea to get someone else to write the article for Active this year. I thought that it would be good to get some other perspectives on Exercise Blue Vixen, rather than my perspective as OIC. Ken and Jane volunteered to write the article, so I hope you will catch the flavour of Blue Vixen. More importantly, you can see that Nordic skiing is a sport for all and if you are interested then look out for the publicity that is sent to every RAF unit.

For the uninitiated, Blue Vixen is the annual RAF-wide Nordic ski expedition to Zwiesel in Bavaria, Germany. You may have seen Nordic skiing on the TV and have dismissed it as only achievable by ultra fit athletes in the prime of their youth. Well, Blue Vixen takes a different approach to Nordic skiing. This article is aimed at explaining what Blue Vixen is about (including a rough outline of the weeks activities), providing impressions of the event from an experienced skier as well as from a novice, and the details of how to get involved in next year’s event. The aims of Blue Vixen are to: give novices the chance to try Nordic skiing irrespective of previous skiing experience, provide expert ski training within a framework of graduated international qualifications, which help novices and experienced skiers to develop their Nordic skiing skills and highlight the winter biathlon ski racing opportunities available via the RAF Biathlon Union.

Each year novices and experienced skiers from across the RAF, with the full range of ages and fitness levels, assemble in Zwiesel to enjoy this really great sport. The RAF has been putting on an event of this kind in one form or another for the past 26 years and as such there are quite a few devoted followers of the sport. The exercise runs from a Saturday to Saturday and is structured along the following lines: Saturday teams arrive, receive a welcome brief, are allocated kit and move in to the accommodation. On the Sunday everyone is on the slopes and graded based upon existing skiing ability. For the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday each groups has 4 hours of ski lessons per day in graded ability groups working toward ski qualifications or ski touring on local trails. On the Thursday each group undertakes a Ski tour to the summit of the Große Arber (a local mountain). This trip takes you along a variety of terrain with (weather permitting) great views of the Bavarian countryside. Skills training is also undertaken along the way. On the final ski day of the week ski tests are undertaken, an individual ski time trial over a 4km course and Team ski time trial (4 x 1km). The exercise is then completed with a post expedition dinner, awards ceremony and party.

IMPRESSIONS FROM AN EXPERIENCED SKIER – KEN PHILLIPS

I have been Nordic skiing now for about 13 years and I have been to Blue Vixen four times. So, what are my impressions of Blue Vixen and why do I keep coming back? To me, Blue Vixen is an almost unique expedition, which combines a friendly atmosphere with quality training and the chance to get out onto snow covered hills with friends old and new. Looking around the hillside during Blue Vixen you will see that almost everyone is enjoying themselves, smiling and having fun. Perhaps it’s because we are servicemen and servicewomen that we are able to take a light hearted view of our sillier moments and laugh at ourselves and at each other as we lose control and end up flat out on the snow. The camaraderie and enjoyment are as self-evident as the progress people see themselves make during the week.

Blue Vixen is run under the auspices of RAF Adventure Training and personnel are expected to put in their ‘best effort’ each day. It is not a holiday and the fitter you are when you arrive the easier you will find the daily activities - especially if you are getting old like me! From a skiing perspective Blue Vixen is an excellent opportunity for experienced skiers to improve their skills. The instructors critique any existing bad habits constructively and seemingly elusive skills are explained and demonstrated with great skill. As long as you arrive with a will to learn Blue Vixen is a place where even experienced skiers can gain a great deal. Every time I return from Blue Vixen I feel that I have improved my basic skills and at the very least tried to learn a new skill to practice and use later.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS FROM A NOVICE – JANE LOWRIE

I have to confess that when I volunteered for Blue Vixen I really didn’t know quite what I was getting into. I wanted to learn downhill skiing and had already done a couple of hard days of cross-country skiing in Scotland and hadn’t really enjoyed it at all. Having volunteered I stuck with it and in the lead up to the expedition, personnel on my station expressed their admiration at my attempt to even try this sport. At the welcome brief on the first evening I was surprised to find that almost 150 personnel had arrived with representatives from a great many RAF Stations. Many were novices like myself but others were Blue Vixen veterans meeting up with old friends again.

The first day on snow was a gentle introduction to the skis themselves and the techniques required to undertake this kind of skiing safely. I was relieved to find that there were many novices who had never skied at all before arriving in Zwiesel and who found staying upright on skis quite a challenge. Being placed in a fairly challenging novice group for the rest of the week rewarded my perseverance. The next few days concentrated upon learning the skills required to move around more effectively and to pass the skiing test at the end of the week. The days were hard at times but were also fun and enjoyable. Nordic skiing is not easy but it does provide an immense sense of achievement and its own rewards. There are a lot of elements that are similar to downhill skiing but the majority of individuals who have tried both types of skiing will say that the 2 disciplines are quite different. The uphill sections of the Nordic ski trails can be difficult and tiring, but the thrill of the corresponding descent more than makes up for the effort of the climb. Each day we skied for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon, all the while under expert tuition and at a pace to suit the whole group. The ski lessons were a blend of technique training and local touring which allowed everyone to have fun whilst they learned. Blue Vixen is not all about hard work. With skiing finished in mid to late afternoon, the rest of the day was a great opportunity to socialise with friends either in the chalets or in the local town.

As a Blue Vixen novice and someone who was only ever going to consider downhill skiing I can say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my Blue Vixen experience. It has challenged my determination and physical fitness and the sheer enjoyment and sense of achievement that I took away from Zwiesel will make me look out for details of next year’s Blue Vixen.

How to get involved with Blue Vixen 2006

Blue Vixen 2006 will take place in Zwiesel from 7 - 14 Jan 2006. To get involved either contact your OIC Winter Sports or the Exped OIC (Sqn Ldr Spike Clark) on 95351-7453. If your station doesn’t already have a team for Blue Vixen 2006 why not organise one yourself? Alternatively you may be able to pick up a spare place with another station.

It should be emphasised that prior experience in not important. Provided you put in a little effort and show commitment to try everything you are taught, then by the end of the week you will be confidently moving around the hillside under control and having great fun. You will be very welcome irrespective of your experience level. It does not matter whether you are a complete novice or an aspiring racer; Blue Vixen has something to offer you! See you in Zwiesel in Jan 2006.