Chris Forrest Guides the Joint Services into the next decade
Chris Forrest JSMTC Chief Instructor
“Indefatigable” celebrates its tenth anniversary, as the Joint services appoint a British Mountain Guide to take them into the next decade.
“Indefatigable” is the Joint Services Mountain Training Centre on Anglesey, North Wales, and the focal point for Adventurous Training throughout the Joint Services.
Officer in Charge, Lt Col Simon Hall recently threw a full regimental dinner to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the centre. The evening was well attended by several members of the British Mountain Guides:
Roger Payne represented our association, as the President of the BMG, with his wife Julie-Ann Clyma who is also a British Mountain Guide.
Martin Chester (BMG Publicity Officer) attended the evening as the Chief Instructor of Plas y Brenin – National Mountain Centre; and Malcolm Creasey (the previous publicity officer) represented Mountain Leader Training England.
But for the British Mountain Guides, there was more to celebrate than ten years of the JSMTC at “Indie”. BMG member Chris Forrest has recently been appointed as the new Chief Instructor for the whole Joint Services operation.
Chris has an impressive CV as a truly talented “all rounder”. He is one of only a handful of people to hold the Guide’s Carnet as well as a Level 5 coach qualification in paddlesports (in several disciplines). Chris has 25 years experience in coaching and guiding to the highest levels, including work for two of the UK’s National Centres - Glenmore Lodge and Plas y Brenin.
Chris’ depth and breadth of professional experience, and unrivalled qualifications, make him the perfect choice to take the Joint Services Adventurous Training into the next era. The work is tremendously varied, exciting, and undeniably important – as Simon Hall points out:
“It is important that soldiers don’t have their first experience of risk on the battlefield”
The Joint Services centre have an increasingly impressive set of instructors within their staff – and an increasing motivation to deliver ‘equivalence’ with civilian qualifications. In fact – several JSMTC instructors are currently going through the BMG training and assessment scheme, and we wish them, and Chris, the very best of luck in this continuing partnership.
