Training individuals is certainly no proper way to make a true mountain brigade, as especially on high altitudes and very difficult terrain and weather every untrained or unfit person becomes a liability to your squad/platoon. To pull off combined arms under such circumstances training needs, well, to train that.
Ciaspole/Snowshoes with ski poles and akhios are an excellent way to help non-skiier to move through high snow, and are superior in very steep slopes or difficult terrain but are of course inferior in not so dense vegetation, roads, and generally open terrain. Sadly with the abolition of the "leva" the Alpini have no longer a very large pool of good skiiers among the rank, as the volunteers are no longer from the local valleys and regions but mostly, roughly 70% from southern Italy (Puglia, Campania, ...). You also no longer find nowhere as easily recruits with already considerable technical or Alpine climbing or mountaineering experience which could be prime material for guides. It is a bit sad to hear instead of furlan, piemontèis, lumbard, now the napoletano or other southern dialects, but the forces are not attractive enough for men and women from the wealthy regions.
Of course the regional character has thus been greatly weakened and the connection between the brigades and the locals can no longer be as strong as they used to be. Also you no longer have a fair rappresentation of all the population, and the low pay and not so good education does very little to attract certain members of our society.
Anyway I still believe that proper leadership, discipline and training are more important and the increased time of service should in theory compensate the weaknesses of the new ways. New times, new ways. Let us just hope that this concept won't get tested too severly.
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