When winter temperatures in the Alps plunge to minus 20 degrees Celsius at night, soldiers from France's mountain units practice an unusual survival technique: building shelters inside the snow, designed to protect fighters from severe cold and allow them to survive in harsh field conditions.
The Chasseurs Alpins, France's specialized mountain infantry units, train in movement, combat and survival in Alpine environments. As part of their training, they learn to dig snow caves and turn them into temporary shelters, even when weather conditions make field operations difficult.
The shelters are built to accommodate up to three soldiers. To reduce heat loss to the ground, an insulation sheet is placed inside, serving as a barrier between the soldiers' bodies and the frozen snow.
