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I can't help with numbers and scales and degrees and other things which seem to be important today. Like others have mentioned most mountain training was OJT. I did most of my climbing (whilst kicking and screaming) in Germany. Howsever the 7th also ran schools in the summer in Pisgah.
In Germany Bob Daniels (RIP) our team sergeant had graduated from the Italian Alpini School. The Alpini were considered the top mountain troops in the world. The Group decided to conduct formal training and asked Bib to pick a committee. Being a total team member as we all were he said that he would train his team and we would be the committee. That is how it went down. I hated climbing. Someone asked me how I could jump out of planes and be afraid of heights. I replied that you only hit the ground once when you jump but the mountain will beat you to death all of the way down. We conducted most of the basic training at a quarry not far from Lenggries. Some of the most technical and difficult training was conducted at a height of thirty feet or less at the quarry.
We also attended the German school near O'gau. The base camp was reached by helicopter.
Some memorable moments:
Bob was belaying a student as he was traversing a rock. The soldier was half or more goat and never slipped or fell. Bib yanked him off of the face. I asked him why and he said the troop was too cocky and if he didn't ever fall here, under control, he may panic later if he falls and never had to recover.
If you fall the proper call is to say "Falling". SFC Frigo slipped and hollered "Help". Delbert Hayes who was belaying from the top looked over the edge and asked: "What!" No one was hurt so we had a good laugh over that for some time.
Daniels used to say that climbing was 95% confidence and 5% skill. One day I fell and two carribiners came loose and the third held. So much for confidence and clean drawers and pants!!
Here is a picture of the Brauneck which was mentioned above. It was within walking didtance of Prinz Heinrich Kaserne and we, as a team, went there once a week. OOPS I can't get it, if you wish it on my web-site on the 10th SFGA page.
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