Lancashire ACF aimed to run an annual overseas walking expedition to Bavaria during October half term. Having had to cancel last year’s planned expedition, some cadets waited two years for this expedition to come around again. Many cadets had never been abroad before and even one of the CFAVs had only just got his very first passport.
The aim of the trip was to allow cadets to participate in challenging adventurous training, enhance the cadet experience, enable CFAVs and cadets to participate in overseas activities, to develop teamwork and leadership skills and to give CFAVs and cadets new cultural and environmental experiences.
The expedition was attended by 9 CFAVs and 18 cadets and spirts were high as the cadets assembled at Lancashire HQ late afternoon on Saturday 19th October 2024. After documents and kit were checked, participants were excited to get their expedition T-Shirts and softshells and the 3D printed keychains a cadet had made for all team members. Then began the long journey to Bavaria by road, stopping on Sunday morning for some comfort food at McDonalds! After the long journey we arrived at our home base for the next couple of days and were welcomed by the lodge owner and the advanced party. Participants moved into rooms and were served a home cooked hearty meal.
Monday was an acclimatisation walk, and we went to Brietach Klamm Oberstdorf, one of the deepest gorges in the Bavarian Alps. Views at the gorge were stunning and everyone was in awe of the sights. We came across a beach area with stacks and stacks of stones (like cairns). Cadets were split into teams and challenged to build the highest stack. Some groups had more success than others and they soon found there was skill needed to balance each rock.
In the evening, we took a trip to Kempten to try a local dish; Curry Wurst mit Pommes. After this we had some games of bowling. Some interesting techniques were on display, with the staff being the most competitive!
Tuesday’s walk was in Fussen and, as we approached the start of the walk, the Neuschwanstein Castle came into sight, although it was mainly only the adults that recognised it from the famous film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Cadets got to experience a gondola up the mountains, and for the majority, this was a first. They enjoyed the views as we climbed up the mountain but weren’t so prepared/ balanced as we approached the top! The heights continued later in the walk as cadets got a chance to stand on Marienbruke (Mary’s bridge) at around 114m high to get a clear view of the castle and the surrounding area, truly stunning views.
The next couple of evenings were spent taking part in AT lectures aimed at developing their knowledge and understanding and progression towards achieving NGB qualifications and the AT ACS syllabus. Other evening activities included a quiz night, games night and trip to the local town.
On Wednesday, due to weather, we rearranged the week’s activities and went to the local water park. Cadets undertook a swim test before going off and enjoying the slides, lazy river, wave machine and outdoor adventure pool.
On Thursday, after admiring the sight of Grunten since arriving at the lodge, it was time to take on the challenge. We weren’t sure on the views to expect as it was a cloudy day and visibility wasn’t great. The team split into groups and set off with one team having an extra peak in their sights. Standing at 1783m the walk challenged the cadets and because of the weather they even got to experience going above the cloud line. The extra peak wasn’t viable for the first group due to the terrain but they did finish their walk by walking back to the lodge.
The final walking day was Isler ridge. The groups were again split and this allowed the route to be differentiated to suit all abilities. One group set off anti clockwise up zig-zag tracks to hit the peak of Isler Ridge (1876m) before following the ridge to bag peaks at Kuhgundkopf (1907m) and Kuhgundspitze (1855m) and back down the smugglers trail, seemingly making it look easy.
Two other groups set off in the opposite direction via the Smugglers trail learning about the history on route via the use of a translator app! Cadets got to stand on an old border crossing between German and Austria before making the steep ascent up to Kuhgundspitze (1855m). After stopping for lunch with a view, the cadets continued and met up with the second group as we continued across the ridge to hit the next two peaks. Participants were pushed out of their comfort zones with many thinking they would not be able to make it. The comradeship and teamwork was great to see with the team all supporting each other both physically and mentally along the way. We then headed down the final bit of the mountain on a ski lift. A challenging day but well worth the achievement.
Throughout the week, cadets got to practice their language skills, experience a different culture and develop their knowledge and understanding of mountain walking and AT. Participants were involved in leading legs of the route and the expedition was about promoting independence and an interest in progression to NGB awards.
This trip was made possible with the support of Ulysses Trust which meant the trip was affordable to all cadets selected and that money wasn’t a barrier. As a county we run this expedition annually to allow more cadets to access the opportunity for overseas travel and challenging AT.
“From all the cadets on the trip we can’t thank the staff enough. Driving to Germany once is not for the faint of hearted and you guys did it twice so we could have a great time there. We all really enjoyed the trip and would recommend it to everyone. Massive thanks again” – Cadet participant.
“Thanks so much to all the Staff and Cadets that made this trip what it was. An incredible experience…pass on our thanks to those that make these trips happen and to the hard work that goes into planning and preparing them. Amazing” – Parent
“Thank you to all involved, she had an amazing time” – Parent
“A massive thank you to all staff and cadets for making the Bavaria Expedition a rememberable one. He has thoroughly enjoyed it. Made memories to last a lifetime” -Parent
“Thank you for the amazing opportunity. He truly enjoyed this experience; thank you for all your hard work and all the people who organised thank you from the bottom of our hearts” – Parent
“Can I just say a massive thank you to all staff involved that have made this trip possible for all the cadets. He has had the best experience”- Parent
