English: If dismounted troops deploy into column (wedge) formation outside the file formation, the unit will move more slowly. With no one breaking the trail, all personnel must now move through undisturbed snow. In temperate regions, column formation is ideal since it maximizes fields of fire and supports the exercise of mission command. However, when operating in a snow-covered environment, the ideal formation is the file formation. Leaders only deploy into column formation if enemy contact is imminent because the rate of movement is so constrained. Table 4-1 shows dismounted movement rates of march in the mountains. This is just a rough guide. As slope angle increases, the amount of time is likely to exponentially increase as well.