In February half term ten cadet NCOs and two staff made the long journey north to the Cairngorms, with the aim of experiencing the joys and challenges of the Scottish mountains in winter. The underlying philosophy was to run things as an expedition in order to further develop the NCOs, with the cadets having their own responsibilities that were central to the expedition – such as food, transport, media, kit and of course, Ministers of Fun!
Under the watchful eye of our expert instructors Cat and Simon, we did a happy mix of learning winter mountain skills with some interesting and challenging routes around the Cairngorm plateau, all the while developing our ability to look after ourselves, our kit and each other in the pristine but harsh environment. Highlights included learning fall arrest using walking axes, and summiting Ben MacDui, Scotland’s second highest Munro at 1309m.
“It has introduced me to a completely new, unfamiliar landscape with the most incredible scenery and new skills to learn and techniques to practice… It has also allowed me to deepen friendships amongst people on the trip and created great lasting memories “
“The team aspect of the trip with roles and organisation was really good because it was unlike any school trip we’d done before and it gets you to make friendships and bonds you wouldn’t normally make and find stuff out about people you wouldn’t in normal Canford life.”
“there were definitely moments where I had to dig deep to make sure I was over the threshold of thriving rather than surviving.”
The group stayed in Aviemore Youth Hostel, catering for themselves other than the notable exception of a large supply of school flapjacks and brownies…
… Staying in the hostel also helped me realise the sheer number of likeminded ‘outdoorsy’ people there are”
Scottish Winter conditions can be as challenging for navigation and keeping oneself warm and dry as anywhere in the world, showing the value of good clothing and equipment and the need to wear and look after it properly:
“I’ll manage my kit a whole lot better and it taught me a lot in that respect.”
While the ‘hard skills’ learned on the mountain (and in the Youth Hostel kitchen!) will come in handy as this group of young people take on their own adventures in the future, the wider benefit to their ‘soft skills’ of teamwork, communication, understanding and sense of responsibility will pay off in all aspect of their futures:
“I now understand how important it is to work as a team, and the impact of helping others will help you again. It also proved to me that I can do more than i think i can”
“The catchphrase ‘Be bothered’ has stayed with me and know the importance of dealing with the smaller things before they could turn into much bigger problems”
”I have realised how much more willing/ confident i will now be to include myself and put myself forward for more challenging opportunities in the future”
The expedition is particularly grateful to the Ulysses Trust, HQ Royal Navy and Royal Marines, and Regional Command Cadets for their support, both practical and financial. We hope that this final quote shows the value of such expeditions:
“It was a great example of an expedition that we had to take responsibility for, with food and planning especially. It gave me much more confidence that I’d be able to organise my own trips, and I really hope to do lots independently in the future. I love the sense of excitement that you get when you’re around like-minded, passionate people who are keen on supporting others and making the most out of the trip. I also felt that it gave me a new respect for mountaineering and its complexities and nuances. It’s an amazing world to get into and this trip helped introduce me to it really well.”
