Georgian, NATO soldiers undergoing mountain training in Georgia

Soldiers from NATO and partner countries are improving their military skills in the Georgian mountains.

A Basic Mountain Training Summer Course has launched at the Sachkhere Mountain Training School in the western part of Georgia in the framework of NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) Program.

Military personnel from NATO member and partner countries – Greece, Lithuania, Latvia, the United States, Turkey, Belorussia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Sweden and Ukraine -- are undergoing the course along with Georgian soldiers.

Photo source: The Defence Ministry of Georgia.

During the three-week training, 33 military servicemen will acquire mountaineering skills like using climbing equipment and its technical data, orientation, planning routes on the map, movement on the mountain terrain with the help of a compass and map, rendering first aid to the injured, collective survival and organisation of evacuation. They will also learn climbing on natural rocks and artificial walls.

The students of the course will also have to climb the fixed rope, cross the river and other obstacles and acquire rappelling techniques. The training course also includes a march at a 2,400 meter height and stay in tents overnight.

Photo source: The Defence Ministry of Georgia.

At the end of the course the participants will pass combined and physical tests – climbing up the fixed rope, making knots, rock-climbing, rappelling and movement on 12km distance at the 1,200m height.

After successful accomplishment of the course the students will receive certificates and badges, after which they will be able to move to the next level of training.

The Basic Mountain Training Summer Course will finish on July 15.