The Unofficial World-Championships for Mountain Troops, the “Edelweiss Raid 2013″ was an international competition with teams from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Poland and the Czech Republic.  Montenegro also sent three soldiers as observers under the context of the Partnership for Peace (PfP).

Besides being a competition, “Edelweiss Raid” is also a training exercise for military operations in the high mountains and combines athletic performance with military operational tasks. It particularly challenges those skills that are different from normal infantry. Mountaineer groups with a strength of eight men tackle two days of operations in high alpine terrain that includes a marching distance of 40 kilometers with climbing at 4,200 meters altitude.

The sixth edition of “Edelweiss Raid” took place from 11th to 15 March in the Tyrolean Tux Alps and was organized by the 6. Jägerbrigade (Hochgebirge) – “6th Light Infantry Brigade (High Alpine)”.

As well as some excellent training and international camaraderie, this year’s participants also received a commemorative leather-bound hip flask (whether it was filled with Schnapps or not, I do not know).

This year’s winners – GebirgsJägerBrigade 23 / I (Germany).  Congratulations!

The French team receiving congratulations during the awards ceremony – note their distinctively large blue berets, and their unique camouflage uniform designed by Arktis Ltd.  They finished 8th out of 20 teams.

For more photographs, visit the Edelweiss RAID 2013 Facebook page.