“Embrace Tiger Return to Mountain”
Over the end of the university summer holidays 30 Officer Cadets from Exeter UOTC, 9 instructors, 2 chefs and 1 admin driver were lucky enough to find themselves on EX DELAGO TIGER. The Exercise was a level 3 Alpine Mountaineering Adventure Leadership Resilience Training expedition to the Dolomites Mountains Italy over the period 24 Aug-11 Sep 2022. The activities consisted of Multi Pitch Rock Climbing, Via Ferrata and Trekking.
This is some of the most demanding leadership and resilience training that EUOTC provides for its officer cadets, taking them far beyond their individual comfort zones. The group camped between two main campsites, International Camping Olympia next to the town of Cortina and Camping Marmolada in Canazei.
Via Ferrata in Italian means ‘Iron Path’, and there are hundreds of these protected paths among the Italian mountains. A metal cable stretches from the base of the mountain to the peak, and a group of four Officer Cadets and one instructor navigate themselves up. Ensuring that they are always clipped into this wire using your Via Ferrata set.
Via Ferrata is graded from A-E with A being the easiest, the climbs are split into sections of varying difficulty based on exposure, climbing difficulty and gradient. Climbs would often range from flat mountain trails where the wire acted as not much more than a handrail, to vertical cliff face climbs. Here nerves quickly escalated as you precariously moved your carabiners to the next stanchion before looking back at the drop below.
In our groups, over the course of the week we summited the surrounding peaks, whilst simultaneously exploring the tunnels and trenches carved out of the mountains during the conflict between the Austrians and Italians in the First World War.
During our second week of the trip, we had the opportunity to plan and execute our own mini expedition, spending a night in a mountain hut. Spending two whole days up in the mountains allowed us to see the most incredible sunsets and sunrises from our respective huts and experience the unique alpine glow of the dolomites. Some groups were also lucky enough to spot other unusual flora and fauna including edelweiss, marmots, and ibex.
The views seen by the groups who scaled the Via Ferrata on the Marmolada Mountain may well have been a once in a lifetime sighting as the glacier recedes each year with the rise in average temperatures. We were all very aware of the people who had lost their lives on the mountain only weeks before when a chunk of ice had broken off the glacier causing a rock fall on a path. Spending time on the mountain gave us a further level of appreciation for just how versatile and fragile our environment is.
During our time in the Exeter OTC, we are always hearing how Adventurous Leadership and Resilience Training gives OCdts the opportunity to step outside of their comfort zone, challenge themselves both physically and mentally, develop friendships and lead from the front. This expedition really embodied those Adventurous Leadership and Resilience aims more than any other I’ve been on, and we will benefit massively from the personal development that this expedition facilitates. The continuation of the Exeter UOTC visits to the Dolomites will allow many more OCdts to experience the immense power of the mountains and bounds of personal growth brought on by time spent among them. Those lucky enough to return will be able to continue to develop their mountaineering skills and possibly try out other activities such as multi pitch climbing.
OCdt Zoe Henderson
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The OCdts in the trekking group spent a magical two weeks covering the Summer Mountain Foundation course on summits around Canazei and Cortina. As a group with limited and mountaineering experience we all leapt at the chance to navigate difficult terrain, route plan, and push ourselves to our physical limit. From trekking 20km to spending the night in mountain refuge huts to summiting Tofana di Rozes (3,225 m) no day was the same. While the wildness of the Dolomites was perfect to highlight the more technical parts of the summer mountaineering course like pacing and back-bearings.
The highlight was successfully organising our own three-day expedition around the Marmolada Massif. We faced obstacles like trying to book Refugio’s in broken Italian, water management in the burning Italian sun and some impressive blisters. However, all of us agreed it was the highlight of the trip and that the satisfaction of completing routes that we had designed as a group was well worth the effort.
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When I first heard about the expedition, I signed up straight away then thinking about what I’d just committed myself to, I became a little apprehensive given I had a small fear of heights, luckily this was well and truly conquered by the end.
On day one I was paired with my instructor and climbing partner for the 2 weeks. We started off refreshing our memories of the basics on an outdoor sport climbing wall; tying in and climbing techniques. Throughout the two weeks we progressed much faster than I had anticipated and before I knew it, we were halfway up a multi pitch route Torre Quarta Alta in Cinque Torri.
After, moving campsites, refining our technique on the indoor wall, and working on some sport lead climbing, we found ourselves setting off on a two-day expedition to the world famous Vajolet Towers. A chunky multi pitch and a pretty steep walk later we were resting in Rifugio Re Alberto ready to hit the towers the next day. This was the highlight of the trip as the views were stunning and the climb was challenging enough that I could use the new skills I had gained during the two weeks.
JUO Charlie Kearney
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We completed 11 different via ferrata routes over the 8 days and spent one day at the climbing wall practising our technique as the weather was too poor to venture out. One of my highlights of the trip was the two-day expedition. We set off early from our second camp site which was based in the beautiful town of Canazei. The sign at the start of the route was ominous and when I read that it was ‘only for experts’, I took a gulp. Nervously, I asked my instructor if he really felt that we could do this after only 6 days of via ferrata. He turned to us all and with real belief in his voice he reassured us that we could. This gave everyone the encouragement that we needed for the challenge ahead. We faced a difficult 6 hour climb to the top, but ‘WOW!’ it was worth it when we got there. The 360 degrees views across the Alps were stunning. That night we slept in a mountain Refugio at an altitude of 3,200m and I have such happy memories of an evening filled with laughter and stories from the day. With that in mind I would take a look around at the stunning scenery and be grateful for the opportunity that I had been given. It was a real privilege to go on Exercise Delago Tiger, the skills that we developed which included finding courage, building mental resilience and working as part of a team will be invaluable going forward whatever career path we chose.
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“This trip was only able to go ahead thanks to the Ulysses Trust expedition grant and on behalf of everyone we couldn’t be more grateful for the incredible experiences it endowed.”
OCdt Zoe Henderson
“It was an unforgettable first day on the wire, learning to put all your faith in your carabiners and the metal stanchions, it can be a mental barrier, but in trusting the equipment and that your boots will stick you can really start to appreciate the unreal beauty of the place. On my first day I remember our instructor Jamie exclaiming how via ferrata really did give humans the ability to go where no human had the right to be. That has really stuck with me, and I feel so lucky to have experienced such a special perspective of the earth from the mountain cliff faces and summits.”
OCdt Sam Feltham-White
“From scaling scree-ridden summits to dodging over-curious ibex the 7 Ocdts of the trekking group had a truly once in a lifetime experience. We cannot thank the Ulysses Trust enough for the generous grant enabling us to explore such a wild landscape and begin our mountaineering journey.”
OCdt Daisy Daniel
Before going on Ex Delago Tiger my climbing experience could best be described as basic, with small indoor walls and the occasional outdoor climb on Dartmoor being the most I’d done. After this incredible trip, it’s safe to say I can’t wait for the next opportunity to get back on rock..
“I think that I can speak for all on this trip in passing our thanks to the amazing instructors, staff, chefs and the Ulysses Trust for making it possibly some of the best two weeks of our lives. Two weeks we’d definitely all do again in a heartbeat.”
JUO Charlie Kearney
“During the two weeks there were certainly times that I felt out of my comfort zone and personally challenged, especially when it was wet and slippery. But as someone once said”, “if you don’t climb the mountain, then how will you enjoy the view?”
OCdt Tilly Dollar
