When Midshipman Stephanie Hudson fell during her first rock-climbing trip, she didn't think much of it - she just got back on the rock and kept climbing.
Assuming it was all part of the experience, it wasn't until later she realised her reaction was anything but ordinary.
"I took a fall on anchors I placed myself and got straight back on and kept going. Everyone was really happy for me. I didn't get why because usually you want to stay on the rock," she said.
It was only during conversations that evening she learned how rare her experience was; only three other first-time climbers who had taken a fall had resumed climbing.
"Suddenly then I started to realise, 'oh, more experienced climbers try to avoid falling on trad gear'," she said.
Midshipman Hudson was awarded 'Best on Rock' during Rock and Ice 25, the Army Alpine Association's annual skills carnival, held from August 23 to September 7.
The two-week event was split into an ice phase in the Snowy Mountains and a rock phase at Mount Arapiles in Victoria.
The ice phase featured 44 participants snowshoeing from Guthega or skiing from Perisher into the mountains to establish remote alpine camps.
'I like to say 80 per cent of mountaineering success is preparation. The [other] 20 per cent is actually being there on the mountain.'
Some groups learned the fundamentals of alpine survival, mountaineering and ice climbing, while others conducted a cross-country ski expedition.
Flight Lieutenant Hayden Watts, an air traffic controller at RAAF East Sale and group leader for the ice phase, said the experience was about more than just climbing.
"I like to say 80 per cent of mountaineering success is preparation. The [other] 20 per cent is actually being there on the mountain," he said.
Once at Blue Lake they practised using crampons, ice axes and ropes to navigate steep, icy terrain.
"The biggest difference between rock and ice climbing is being able to pick out a good route up the wide ice faces, compared to rocks where you follow the cracks," Flight Lieutenant Watts explained.
"Assessing ice condition is tough. When it gets warmer, in Australia especially, it can delaminate off the rocks - the rock will heat up faster than the ice and melt a void behind."
Poor weather cut the ice phase short, but the groups switched to covering crevasse rescue and roping skills back at the Australian Defence Force Academy, and finished the week with a rock-climbing day in Mittagong.
"We still achieved everything we intended to. Being an ADF sport activity, the primary focus wasn't to build resilience, it was to build technical mountaineering skills, and we really capitalised on that," Flight Lieutenant Watts said.
'I went from never having rock climbed before to being 100 metres off the ground in one week, which was pretty hectic.'
For the Rock phase, 41 participants at Mount Arapiles learned to build anchors, place protection and lead multi-pitch climbs.
Corporal William Thackway, a 1st/19th Battalion, the Royal NSW Regiment, infantry section commander, said the activity gave participants an opportunity to engage in adventurous training.
"People join Defence because they see sports and things like adventurous training, but very rarely do people in Defence actually get to do it," he said.
Corporal Thackway, who worked as an outdoor education guide before joining police, used his experience to show new climbers the ropes.
"I thought adventurous training was no longer done within Defence, but it's really good to see that they're bringing it back through Defence sport and clubs like the Army Alpine Association," he said
Midshipman Hudson said the experience was transformative and challenging.
"Two of my mates came down with me, who are a lot more experienced. We ended up climbing a 100-metre face," she said.
"I went from never having rock climbed before to being 100 metres off the ground in one week, which was pretty hectic."
She said the experience taught her how to function under pressure - a skill she sees as essential for her future in the ADF.
"There were times where I thought, 'I don't think I'm going to be able to do this'," she said.
"But pushing through that and functioning regardless is such a key skill, which I can apply to all areas of my life."
With plans already underway for Rock and Ice 2026, Corporal Thackway said the future of the program looked bright.
"With more funding coming for Defence sports, next year will only be bigger and better," he said.
