A Dartford soldier is taking time off the battlefield to compete on the slopes after earning top rank to represent his battalion in an army skiing contest - despite dislocating his shoulder on a previous slalom.

Private Aaron Whitelock, of the 1st Battalion Prince of Wales Regiment, will line up with 150 other competitors on the French Alps in Exercise Pipedown after he was chosen to compete.

And despite dislocating his shoulder and breaking his hand in another skiing competition last month - Aaron is raring to race.

He learnt to ski soon after joining his battalion, based in Paderborn, Germany, three years ago.

Aaron said: “Alpine skiing is brilliant, as a solider it defiantly brings on courage, its not everyday your being told to ski down a mountain at speeds of 90 100 kilometres per hour, you just clear the mind and go for it”.

The infantry soldier drives a Warrior armoured fighting vehicle, equipped with a 30 milimetre cannon with space to hold eight soldiers.

Major General James Chiswell CBE MC, General Officer Commanding 1 (UK) Armoured Division, said chosen skiiers must have demonstrated high fitness levels to tackle the alpine disciplines.

He said: “Adventurous training opportunities like these are very important.

“It places us well outside our comfort zone, tests our physical and mental strength and develops us as people.”

Exercise Pipedown is taking place at Les Contamines in France and is in the 21st year of competition.