The Winter Mountain Survival Course Comes to an End
Intense Cold
On January 11-12, 2025, the Dolomite town of Dobbiaco, in the province of Bolzano, hosted the first winter survival course. Organized by TSN Dobbiaco and the Alpha 22 Training Center of Albettone (VI), the course was led by retired Army Special Forces Sergeant Luca Munaretto. The objective was to provide participants with hands-on experience and essential knowledge for surviving in a winter mountain environment, characterized by freezing temperatures and snowy landscapes. Throughout the course, students developed skills in various areas, including preventing cold-related injuries, recognizing mountain hazards, nutrition, adapting equipment to extreme conditions, and much more. Particularly engaging were the modules on building improvised shelters (foxhole, snow cave, and igloo), avalanche victim search techniques, and camouflage strategies for moving undetected in snowy terrain.
The Experience
The course began on the morning of Saturday, January 11, with a temperature of -17°C (1.4°F). The surreal silence of the mountains was interrupted by the roar of a Nissan Navara engine. Awaiting the instructor, Luca Munaretto, were the survival trainees, carrying heavy backpacks filled with essential gear for the two-day course. After a short briefing on the planned activities, the lessons began. The course was divided into theoretical and practical modules, held inside a wooden shelter where the temperature remained just above freezing. The mountain has always been a challenging environment for humans. Surviving, working, or even traveling in winter conditions presents numerous difficulties. Not everyone can adapt to such conditions, but the course demonstrated that with the right preparation and knowledge, one can endure and thrive in this environment. After the morning’s theory lessons, the group set out on a snowshoe trek, practicing track concealment techniques using a shovel, probe, and ARTVA (avalanche beacon). The day continued with the construction of improvised shelters, where participants would spend the night. The lighting of the fire and the shared meal using individual rations fostered a strong sense of camaraderie and motivation. However, the day was far from over. At 3:00 AM, a surprise avalanche search-and-rescue drill was initiated. Woken from their sleep, the students rushed into action, engaging in a demanding search operation lasting over an hour. With temperatures dropping to -14°C (6.8°F), only proper equipment and the knowledge acquired during the course allowed everyone to complete the exercise safely.
On the morning of January 12, the final session focused on the impact of cold temperatures on firearms and optics. While modern technology provides sophisticated solutions, as participants learned, cold weather and the mountain environment remain the great equalizers—knowledge and preparation make all the difference.
Acknowledgments
Mountain communities have historically developed smart and innovative strategies to endure the harsh Alpine climate.
A sincere thank you goes out to everyone who contributed to the success of this experience: instructors, organizers, and sponsors. Passion for the subject and real-life experience made a significant impact. Special thanks to the trainees, who faced every challenge with determination.
Finally, a well-deserved acknowledgment goes to the sponsors, particularly MAX Case, which believed in this project from the start and provided essential materials for the course. The mountain is a natural training ground, pushing individuals to their limits and making them stronger.
As the Alpine motto says:
"If you can do it in the mountains, you can do it anywhere."
TSN Dobbiaco
Social:
📷 IG Profile
