Watch The Big Picture - Mountaineers in Khaki

Experience the American Journey through our country's visual heritage in this historical recording provided by the National Archives of the United States. From the U.S. Army's "The Big Picture" television series, 1950-1975. "MOUNTAINEERS IN KHAKI" -- This week's THE BIG PICTURE program will describe training activities of the U.S. Army's Mountain and Cold Weather School.

Some 10,000 feet high in the Rocky Mountains is Camp Hale Colorado, home of the Army's Mountain and Cold Weather Training Command. Motto of this unique school for Army mountain men is "No Step Backward," an important motto when you may be hanging by a rope thousands of feet in the air! Rope hanging, rock climbing, skiing, hand holds, foot holds, are all common subjects for trainees at this picturesque and vital Army installation. Mountaineering is a century-old art, perfected through the years by countless hundreds of daring woodsmen. The Army has adopted all of their techniques and added a few of its own, to train soldiers in the art of fighting in mountainous terrain. Any terrain may become the site of a future battleground for the American soldier, and in this event, the Army wants troops who can battle the elements as well as the enemy. "Mountaineers in Khaki" demonstrates that with athletic ability, common sense, and intelligence, a soldier can become as sure footed as a Swiss Alpsman.

Ski enthusiasts and sportsmen everywhere, looking forward to another big season on American slopes and trails, will find great interest in the unusual scenes of Army Ski-Troop training, filmed from a moving railroad flat car, on location in the Rockies. "Mountaineers in Khaki" demonstrates once again that the trained American soldier of today is the best the nation has ever seen.

This historical recording from the National Archives may contain variations in audio and video quality based on the limitations of the original source mate