Officer Cadets from Cambridge University Officer Training Corps left Cambridge Army Reserve Centre at 11 pm on Monday 4th July and departed for France. We arrived at Dover in the early hours of Tuesday morning and arrived in Calais at 6 am. We then drove for a further 12 hours and arrived at the Campsite Mer De Glace in Chamonix at 6 pm.
Once at the campsite, we were tired, but the work was not over, we unloaded all the kit, pitched all the tents, established an admin and cooking area, and then tucked into some delicious pizza. The next day allowed Officer Cadets to explore the area of Chamonix and complete their military swim test.
Like previous adventurous training expeditions each day we woke up at 7:30 am and ate breakfast. However, this AT was slightly different as we woke up to freshly baked bread and pastries. After devouring the delicious pastries and making our lunches we were then briefed on the day’s activities and then each group departed at 9:30 am.
This Adventurous Training package allowed for Officer Cadets to participate in 3 activities which included Rock Climbing, Mountain Biking and Via Ferrata. 6 Officer Cadets completed the RSF (Rock Climbing Single Pitch Foundation) course, and most of these Officer Cadets had never climbed before. 2 Officer Cadets who had previously completed the RSF (Rock Climbing Single Pitch Foundation) course were able to complete the competent second course, which will allow them to safely take part in multiple pitch climbs so they can develop their climbing further taking them to the next level. 6 Officer Cadets completed the Mountain Biking Foundation course with some of the cadets being complete novices to the sport while others had more experience. The rest of the Officer Cadets not completing qualifications were still able to participate in all the activities and develop their skills further. This meant they could add to their logbooks allowing them to attend leader/supervisor courses in the future. The Via Ferrata did not include a qualification however it did not disappoint, the views were incredible, the exposure was awesome, and the skills and disciplines learnt are transferable to all different outdoor pursuits, especially climbing.
Via Ferrata:
All Officer Cadets were given the chance to experience Via Ferrata. Via Ferrata is the Italian for “Iron Path” and they are protected climbing routes usually located in the Alps. Via Ferrata routes were used in the First World War in the Austrian / Italian Alps, allowing soldiers to move about at high altitudes in difficult conditions. To know the activity, we were participating in had a very strong military connection and serious historical purpose made it an incredibly special and worthwhile experience. Via Ferrata includes clipping into steel cables and walking up ladders, across rock faces and wire and wooden bridges. It teaches you to trust your equipment as the only things keeping you safe are your actions and the equipment. The exposure and heights experienced on the Via Ferrata were jaw-dropping and for those scared of heights, it was a challenging opportunity but incredibly important.
Via Ferrata Routes
On the 7th July, Officer Cadets completed the Via Ferrata route called Via Ferrata De Curalla which was located on a limestone cliff in Passy and was about a 30-minute drive from Chamonix-Mont Blanc. The route took 1hr30minutes and was an intermediate route which was a 500m path filled with short escalations to footbridges of cable and wood beams.
For 3 days different groups of Officer cadets each day were able to complete the Via Ferrata route “La Via des Evettes” in Chamonix. We used the cable car and walked for 20 minutes from the Flègère chairlift to access the start of the route. The route consisted of 3 vertical cliffs which take you to the halfway point, the second half consisted of the bridge Pont des Chamois and more vertical hiking sections. The route then concluded with a 50m Himalayan bridge.
For 1 day a group had the chance to complete a Via Ferrata route called Le Mont Sixt-Fer-a-Cheval. The route included the passage of the barme aux Corbes and an overhang called the lazy slab. It then continued with a crossing called La Becque and then lead to a footbridge called Ou Izès about 15m long. There was then an 8m ladder called the short scale which led to a crossing called the crossing of the ally. There was then a small overhang and the route ended with one last vertical jump
Rock Climbing
We started at Le Fayet, a small beginner’s crag. It didn’t take long for us to learn the figure of eight rethread and stopper knots as well as belaying. Although the morning began cold, it didn’t take long for the French sun to arrive and start heating the rock and blinding the belayers, which put our teamwork to the test early on. The grade 4s on the right-hand section of the crag allowed us to gain confidence with the granular gneiss and gave everyone the mental and physical courage needed to start our week of climbing.
We all managed to find challenge in a tricky overhanging section of a 5c – it was great to see so much resilience and determination. Most of us agreed that we found climbing enjoyable due to the problem-solving and mental flexibility required when under the stress of being very far off the ground. It was lovely to see the unity and teamwork during this climb as everyone shared the tips and tricks they used to get to the top. Our failures became an opportunity for communication and personal growth – One thing doesn’t always work for everyone, especially with our height differences. It turned out that this climb was a great icebreaker, helping us get to know all the Officer Cadets on a much deeper level.
Along with our height differences, it was interesting to consider the issue of weight ratios between the Officer Cadets. Having a heavier person belay a lighter person is an easy decision. With those roles reversed, it gets a bit more complex. Luckily, it was amusing to watch the instructors tie the smaller belayers to rocks with clove hitches and Dyneema slings and led nicely into teaching us about the dangers of shock-loading systems.
As a break from climbing, we got to experience two days of Via Ferrata. As well as being fun and challenging, there were some beautiful views, even if we were very high and exposed. I thought this was especially useful for us climbers as it felt like the clipping and unclipping was a bit of practice for the mechanics of lead climbing. We visited Les Chavants with some of the Officer Cadets not doing the foundation course, which allowed us to demonstrate our leadership and a bit of teaching with those who hadn’t completed the course. And a new set of climbs to conquer, of course.
To round off a fulfilling week, we ended the foundation course with a trip to an indoor climbing wall for an introduction to lead climbing and seconding. Because it is necessary to know when to give slack or take in the climber, this needed more communication and teamwork than top roping. This risk exposure allowed us to see the importance of practising lead climbing inside rather than outside and how the dangers are much more pronounced compared to top roping.
Mountain Biking:
The first day of mountain biking was spent refreshing and developing our safety knowledge, carrying out M-checks to make sure the bikes were safe to ride, and learning how to adjust the different parts of the bike, such as the brakes, gears, and seat, to best suit each individual. We then practised our mountain biking skills on a skills circuit which was close to the campsite.
On the second day of mountain biking, we planned our route as a group and followed a combination of blue, green, and red graded trails which led us along the L’Arveyron river, and along the Petit Balcon Nord into Argentière. We then biked back along the Petit Balcon Sud and through Chamonix back to the campsite.
On the third day of mountain biking, we stayed in and around Chamonix, choosing to explore the unmarked routes that we had previously biked past on the second day. This allowed us to practice our decision-making as we would walk the tracks before we decided if it was suitable for us to go down. It also allowed us to practice different skills such as going down drop in’s allowing us to develop our confidence.
The final day of mountain biking allowed us to consolidate all the skills learnt on the previous days as we took on the route Petit Balcon Nord. It was a rewarding and variable route which had unavoidable obstacles putting our mental resilience and skills to the test.
The goal of this trip was to complete an overseas adventure training package that provided opportunities for officer cadets to acquire their foundation awards in mountain biking and climbing as well as developing their leadership, teamwork, mental resilience and personal growth.
The impact of this trip
Mental and physical courage and resilience and exposure to risk
This trip allowed officer cadets to develop their mental and physical resilience through being exposed to risk in mountain biking. All officer cadets were exposed to some form of risk. For some, it was their first-time mountain biking on day 1, and for all of us, there was an element of risk with every new route and obstacle we rode. Some of these risks appeared more visually scary and challenging and therefore relied on our mental and physical courage to have a go at it.
Confidence
All officer cadets improved their mountain biking throughout the trip, as we became more confident in our abilities and knowledge of the bikes we were using. This allowed us to safely take bigger risks and transition into decisive, supportive, mountain bikers who were ready for the challenge. On the final day, officer cadets put their confidence and self-trust to the test when they ended up attempting to ride down parts of a black route.
Teamwork
We had to work as a team when planning our routes and making sure we stayed as a group when out on the trails, making sure no one was left behind. We all demonstrated our ability to work together making sure everybody stayed safe, whilst at the same time challenging ourselves to step outside of our comfort zones. When things got tough, we had to be there for each other encouraging each other to keep going and celebrating all our different achievements as a group. When one person had a flat tyre, we worked as a group to solve the problem so that we could all ride back to the campsite.
Personal Development
Officer cadets all successfully achieved the mountain biking foundation qualification. This allows them to progress by gaining more qualifications such as mountain biking leader through doing more mountain biking routes and starting a logbook. Furthermore, all officer cadets were briefed on how to get on other courses so that they can further develop their skills.
Development, personal growth and teamwork
This trip allowed Officer Cadets to develop in many ways. Through gaining the qualifications the Officer Cadets were all able to improve their current skills and learn new ways of tackling problems. The qualifications also provided each officer cadet with a solid platform to go on to different courses as well as go out into the world with their new skills and confidence.
Camping allowed Officer Cadets to learn and improve their camp craft, as well as shopping and cooking for 24 people and keeping the camp clean and ensuring their admin was excellent. Cooking and shopping for a large number of people improved their organisational skills and their teamwork as they had to make sure they had enough food, it tasted good and they had dinner ready for 7 pm every night.
Exposure to risk, mental and physical courage, and resilience
All Officer Cadets were exposed to different risks these included height, speed, exposure as well as trusting kit, trusting others and overcoming any personal fears they may have. This adventurous training package was progressive allowing Officer Cadets to build up their confidence throughout the trip, allowing them to overcome their fears and excel.
Cultural
Being in a foreign country allowed Officer Cadets to experience a different culture if it was through trying to communicate in a foreign language or exploring the different types of food. Officer cadets were given the opportunity to explore a new place and experience a different environment.
Inspiration
This adventurous training package helped to show Officer Cadets the different pathways they can take with adventurous training. The Officer Cadets got the opportunity to watch the Climbing World Cup live, this was truly inspiring and showed climbing at one of the highest levels. Talking with instructors and hearing about their adventurous training journeys and experiences helped to encourage Officer Cadets to continue with adventurous training and develop their skills further. Having the opportunity to talk with Senior Officer Cadets who had been on many adventurous training packages allowed Junior Officer Cadets to ask questions and helped them to visualise and know the next steps in their journey. This also allowed Senior Officer Cadets to develop their leadership by helping the Juniors and less experienced Officer Cadets.
Quotes from Officer Cadets
Great experience with great people. I feel like I’ve learnt so much about myself and what I’m capable of. Already looking forward to future expeditions and very grateful for the opportunity to explore what Chamonix has to offer.
Officer Cadet
I’ve only done climbing indoors occasionally in the past and in the space of a week I’ve been rock climbing outdoors in the most beautiful locations surrounded by mountains and gained so much knowledge through the qualification. Thank you for this amazing adventure.
Officer Cadet
Chamonix was a fantastic opportunity to develop our skills in mountain biking and rock climbing. The trip provided us with terrain and climbs that not only challenged us but inspired us to take our training further and build on our leadership skills so we ourselves can go out and experience what the world of adventure training has to offer! It has given me the confidence to take that next step in my development in mountain biking, an opportunity I would not have been given if it wasn’t for the CUOTC!
Officer Cadet
This trip has made me more comfortable with the outdoors and increased my resilience to outdoor pursuits and activities. Being able to explore the town of Chamonix and get away after a hard year of studying was of real benefit. I feel more confident with exploring the outdoors and participating in adventurous pursuits.
Officer Cadet
