From the 23rd of August to the 3rd of September 2022, Officer Cadets from Birmingham UOTC deployed to the French Pyrenees to undergo a road cycling training camp. The team completed seven days of riding, cycling through the mountainous terrain and hot summer conditions of Southern France. They successfully completed five of the top ten hardest climbs in the Pyrenees, passes frequently included in the Tour de France.
The aim of this training camp was to utilise the harsh landscape of the French Pyrenees, develop teamwork skills and increase the Officer Cadets’ mental and physical resilience and with that their endurance. Though the climbs and rides were physically and mentally taxing, the team were rewarded by the spectacular landscape and the great sense of achievement after completing each climb.
The trip consisted of over 50 percent novice riders, thus Birmingham UOTC provided issued bikes for those without their own. Initially the experienced riders took the novices out to familiarise them with the Highway Code and safe practices. Then to get the team up to a similar standard, a training program was set in place months prior to the trip in which individuals had to complete certain distances and elevations.
The first stage of EX SLIM HIGH RIDER began in Birmingham, where the team came together and headed off on their long drive to the Pyrenees. Due to a last minute drop out, an experienced cyclist from Oxford UOTC joined for the trip so this provided a great opportunity to get to know him.
After a day of driving, the team reached their first destination in Pau, a large city in the foothills of the mountains, where they were based for 4 days. This was located perfectly for the first part of the trip, enabling the cyclists to acclimatise to the heat and steeper hills than the UK. Furthermore, this enabled them to practise drills as a team to prepare for the more arduous days to come. Over the first training days, a few of the novice riders had a few tumbles, but the with a lack of major injuries and their mental determination, all were back on their bikes and persevered on.
On day 4, the Col d’Aspin was completed, the first mountain pass of the trip, climbing a total of 1523m in elevation. This was a tough climb for all involved, being the hottest day of the expedition. Furthermore, until that day, no one in the team had ever climbed to such elevation at once, really putting everyone’s mental and physical resilience to the test.
After 4 successful riding days in the north of the Pyrenees mountain range, the team relocated to the heart of the Pyrenees, staying in accommodation on the Col du Tourmalet. From here the team were given a well earned rest day, where most individuals explored the city of Lourdes, and a few others took this opportunity to climb the top 4km of the Col du Tourmalet from the accommodation.
This took them to the second phase of the trip, where each day would see another Col completed. On day 5, the Col du Soulor and the Col d’Aubisque were conquered, a total of 1584m for the day. Individuals commented on how picturesque and varied the landscape was, seeing the route wind through forests and tunnels carved into the rock faces.
Day 6 was the penultimate day of the trip, where individuals climbed the Hautacam, a total of 1150m, on already tired legs. This day was not as expected, with thunder and lighting experienced from the beginning, and for many, as training started in summer, this was their first encounter with these conditions. The Hautacam climb had steeper gradients than the previous days, and proved to be the hardest climb for many.
On the 7th and final day of the trip, the team completed the Col du Tourmalet, the highest mountain pass in the French Pyrenees, covering 2045m elevation, which was the day everyone had been preparing for. Although they had completed very similar passes, knowing it was the highest pass made the day much more mentally challenging than physically. However, as this was the final day, individuals persevered and with great teamwork and encouragement they made it to the top. All were ecstatic and in very high spirits given what they had achieved in the past few days, especially those individuals who were novice riders up until a few months ago.
After an evening of celebration the team headed back to the UK early the next day. On arrival back in Birmingham, the team were debriefed and grouped together to clean the bikes and vehicles. Having been such a successful and rewarding trip, where individuals became very close, it was a hard goodbye, but everyone looked forward to some much needed sleep!
Report written by trip IC’s OCdt Owen and OCdt Brown
Reflections
‘Having cycled Land’s End to John O’Groats last year as novices, we both found a massive sense of achievement and love for cycling, which we wouldn’t have gained if it wasn’t for Birmingham UOTC. Because of this, we wanted others to have a similar opportunity and also give back to the unit what we received. After pitching our idea to the CO and getting the green light, we put in hours and hours of hard work to make the trip the success it was.
We hadn’t truly appreciated what we would gain from the experience as being trip IC’s for this expedition with 18 individuals. We gained confidence through multiple presentations prior and ride briefs during the trip, alongside communicating with all ranks. Having organised a trip like nothing else the unit had conducted, we were faced by many challenges along the way, but the enhancement of our communication and organisation enabled us to overcome these barriers. Alongside these skills, we have learnt a huge amount about the planning processes within the army, which is invaluable experience which we can take into our future careers.
On this note, we would like to say a huge thank you to the Ulysses Trust for making this possible. Without your funding, we wouldn’t have had this experience, nor would others. We will all remember this trip for the rest of our lives and we hope that this will inspire others to organise similar trips within the unit which will further improve skills within the army.’ – Ocdt Owen and Brown
‘Being a part of the BUOTC Pyrenees cycling team was one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences I have participated in at OTC. The whole trip stretched my comfort zone and challenged my mental and physical resilience. I feel so lucky to have been offered the opportunity to cycle in the Pyrenees with such a supportive and inclusive team. This trip has definitely inspired me to carry on cycling and it will hopefully be a hobby that lasts a lifetime.’ – Ocdt Atwell
