Held from the 21st to the 28th October 2022 in Cyprus
INTRODUCTION
Ex Venturer Aphrodite’s Odyssey was a pilot overseas adventure training (AT) exercise organised by Shropshire Army Cadet Force (SACF). The exercise took place in Cyprus as a multi activity package conducted over 21 – 28 Oct 22.
AIM
The aim of this exercise was to provide challenging outdoor training for 24 cadets in specified adventurous activities that incorporates controlled exposure to risk, in order to develop leadership, teamwork, physical fitness, moral and physical courage, as well as other personal attributes and skills. After living with the pandemic over the last 2 years it was believed that this exercise would also help the young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
DAILY ACTIVITY
Wed 19 October An advance partymade up of five adult volunteers departed for Cyprus from Birmingham airport. Their tasks were to take over the accommodation and to confirm the mountain bike routes on Troodos that the cadets would use later in the exercise.
Fri 21 October The main party met at County Headquarters for 0830hrs. The final checks of passports and personal luggage was made before departing for Stansted Airport by coach at 0900hrs. The main party arrived at the airport at 1220hrs and the flight to Paphos departed at 1545hrs and landed in Paphos at 2155hrs (local time).
The advance party in the morning recced a second route, which was shorter than the previous day but with more technical sections. In the afternoon they travelled back to Episkopi to make final preparations ready for the main party arriving. Early evening, they travelled to Paphos to take over the remaining 3 hire vehicles and collect the main party from the airport. Everyone arrived at Episkopi at 2330hrs. All cadets and CFAVs were moved into their rooms and bedded down by 0015hrs.
Sat 22 October The first day of the exercise was an acclimatization day to help reduce the risk of heat injury whilst conducting AT activities. After breakfast the cadets were given a security brief and tour of camp, with the key facilities and locations being pointed out to both cadets and CFAVs. Late morning the cadets were taken to Paphos for the first cultural visit, which was the Tombs of the Kings a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sun 23 October This was our first day of AT, which was an early start. The 24 cadets were split into 3 groups of 8, with one group doing a try dive and the remaining 2 groups practicing the mountain bike skills that would be needed when on Troodos. Each group had a 2 ½ hour try dive. During this time the cadets were given a safety brief and shown how the SCUBA kit worked. They were then kitted out with wetsuits, face masks, fins and SCUBA vests before completing a 30min dive in a fish reserve located on the Akrotiri Peninsular on RAF Akrotiri. None of the cadets had dived before and was an instant hit with all of the cadets. All 24 considered this the highlight of the exercise.
The mountain bike skills were delivered 5 min away from the dive site on a disused motor cross track. This terrain provided the cadets the opportunity to practice bike control and how to handle the bike over technical sections.
By mid-afternoon both activities were completed, and the cadets went to the Akrotiri Kart track located next to the mountain bike location, where the cadets tried to get their own fastest lap time. Due to the try dive taking longer than planned we missed evening meal in the Junior Ranks Dinning room (JDR) , so everyone had pizza and chips in the Pool bar.
Mon 24 October We travelled to Troodos Station early in the morning to get there for breakfast. This meant leaving Episkopi at 0530hrs, so it was an early start. The cadets were able to go to sleep in the transport. We arrived at Troodos for 0630hrs and went straight to the JRD for breakfast. Afterward all cadets and CFAVs moved into their accommodation and given another 2 hours down time to rest or sleep. At 0900hrs the mountain bike instructors took over the mountain bikes from the hire centre, where they carried out their serviceability checks on each bike. At 1000hrs the cadets moved to the hire centre and were sized off to a bike. Time was then spent setting the bikes up to individual cadets and getting them to do their safety checks, which involved checking the breaks etc. By 1045hrs the first group of 12 cadets left to ride the route, followed shortly afterward by the second group. Both groups had completed the route finishing just outside Platres by 1300hrs. As the bikes had to be transported back to Troodos Station the cadets were taken to a nearby waterfall to eat their lunch, before being transported back. The cadets were then given some down time to shower etc before evening meal.
Tue 25 October This was our second day mountain biking in Troodos. The cadets were again split into 2 groups, this time by their ability demonstrated during the previous day. The cadets identified their bikes from the day before and carried out their safety checks as previously shown. A group of 14 cadets were taken out on a more technical route, which required more control of the bike to negotiate the terrain. The second group did a circular route similar to the terrain covered on the day before. Both groups had returned to camp by 1230hrs, where they packed up their kit into the vehicles and prepared the accommodation for handover. After all accommodation had been handed over the cadets rode the bikes to the hire centre in Troodos Square. Afterwards we returned to Episkopi.
Wed 26 October This was our last day of AT. At 0800hrs the cadets were taken to the MTW Water Sports Centre on Tunnel Beach. Once there they received a safety brief and told how the day would work. Due to wind conditions the water sport centre only operate from 0800hrs to 1300hrs. The cadets did paddle boarding, sit on kayaking and a cultural boat tour to spot green turtles. All cadets were able to do the paddle boarding, with the last groups session being cut short due to the sea conditions being affected by the wind. All the cadets did the boat trip, but again due to the sea conditions it was too late to spot any turtles as they would have moved on to other parts of the island. The cadets then had a BBQ on the beach, which was enjoyed by all. For the rest of the afternoon the cadets remained on the beach playing volleyball.
Thurs 27 October The cadets were taken to the capital city, Nicosia, where they were given a tour of the UN Buffer Zone known as the Green Line. The history of Cyprus and the reason for the UN presence was explained and then the cadets were taken to parts of the city where they could see the boundary dividing the city into the Republic of Cyprus (ROC) and the Turkish side. The cadets had lunch in a park near to Ledra Palace. Mid-afternoon the cadets were taken back to Episkopi so that they could shower and change ready to travel into Paphos for a cultural meal in a Cypriot restaurant. The cadets had a meat Meze, which consisted of 20 dishes. All cadets seemed to enjoy the food, after which the entertainment started in the form of traditional dancing and music.
Fri 28 October This was our last day in Cyprus. In the morning after breakfast all accommodation was cleaned and handed back. We then completed our last cultural visit to the Kourion. Which was an important ancient Greek city-state. On the site is an amphitheatre where an exercise photo was taken. After lunch we all travelled to the outskirts of Paphos where the cadets played mini golf before we needed to go to the airport and return the hire vehicles. We had to check in by 1930hrs and our flight departed at 2245hrs for Stansted. The 5 CFAVs in the advance party departed at 2230hrs for Birmingham.
CADET & PARENT FEEDBACK
“Wow what an experience Cadet Knight has had in Cyprus! Thank you to everyone involved in making this possible, he has had the most amazing time…memories were made that will last a lifetime! Thank you” – Mrs S Knight, parent of Cdt Knight Pontesbury Detachment.
“I just wanted to say a huge thank you to all those involved in the Cyprus trip as I have a very greatful son who hasn’t stopped talking about the most amazing trip…until I suggested a sleep might really be needed! Thank you for the experience you have given them all and the amazing opportunities. They were all very lucky to be given the chance to do so many adventurous and courageous activities.” – Mrs S Daniels, parent of Cdt Daniels Pontesbury Detachment.
“It was a fantastic week, I really enjoyed doing the SCUBA diving, as it’s something I’ve never done before” – Cdt L/Cpl Giles Church Stretton Detachment.
“It was a brilliant week, I’ve enjoyed everything we’ve done. I’m very thankful for being given the opportunity to do it” – Cdt Cpl Warrillow Donnington Detachment
CONCLUSION
Ex Venture Aphrodite’s Odyssey provided an excellent opportunity for cadets to participate in various adventurous training activities in an overseas country that most cadets would not have the opportunity to visit due to financial constraints. Being a pilot, one of the objectives of the exercise was to gauge if it could become a regular annual or bi-annual activity. Based on feedback from the adult instructors, cadets, and their parents, this can and should be repeated.
All-in-all, the exercise was a success. It promoted an interest in adventure training especially scuba diving. It allowed individuals to challenge themselves and develop personal attributes and skills. Moving forward this exercise can be developed to provide cadets the opportunity to gain a basic diving qualification and mountain biking.
It would not have been possible for many cadets to participate in this exercise without the support of The Ulysses Trust and we are very thankfully to them for their financial support.
