Another fantastic weekend with London Area Sea Cadets, proving that there really are no limits to what they can do. It started with a late-night tent pitching with great teamwork already showing amongst the cadets as they helped each other out. The weather was kind, which gave the cadets, some who had never camped before, a warm dry night under canvas.
The cadets awoke in high spirits and with breakfast complete and their lunches made it was time for the professionals to take over and equip staff and cadets with the correct safety equipment and clothing, including a full explanation of how to put it on correctly. The cadets showed good companionship towards each other as they helped one another fit into harnesses, overalls and helmets, (it’s not as easy as it sounds!) complete with wellies for the water we would encounter later on in the caves. Then with a reassuring check from the professionals that all staff and cadets were correctly wearing their kit, it was time to head off.
After a short drive we arrived at Giants Hole, the cave we would be entering. The cadets were put into groups and then allocated a cave guide. Each cave guide re-checked everyone’s kit and gave a safety briefing.
On entering the cave, the cadets immediately started their education in geology as our engaging and experienced guide explained how the cave was formed and how young they were at a mere few MILLION Years Old! I for one was fascinated to see how the layers of different rock had formed on top of one another and compressed together but eroded at different times, which is how all the holes and gaps are made. There was even volcanic rock!!
The cadets spent several hours in the caves learning about cave structures, geology and, I think, everyone’s favourite, how some rocks absorb UV light. One cadet in my group said:
“It was quite peaceful in the dark, sitting on the rocks. I could hear the water trickling down through the rocks and the waterfall we saw earlier in the cave. But to see the rock glow purple when the man’s UV torch touched it was Magic!!”
Quite a few didn’t find the small caving ladder and abseil magic however and it was, even for me, a little scary! The support and encouragement that the cadets gave each other and possibly a few members of staff was incredible and it also meant everyone completed these challenges and did so with a huge grin, and rightly so.
Caving is certainly a good way to support and teach the importance of leadership and teamwork, as well as encouraging new skills and building self-confidence and self-esteem. The cadets had to trust equipment that they had never used before, crawl into tight spaces, climb very small ladders (remembering they were wearing wellies too!) and trust each other to move around safely. At one point the cadets had to complete a challenge which consisted of crawling mostly on a circular route of the cave. The cadets had to follow each other and rely on one other to make it round. It also consisted of many a welly boot getting wet, inside and out as at this point the cave had some water in it, just a puddle worth minding.
The cadets certainly enjoyed the experience and were pushed out of their comfort zone slightly but left feeling very accomplished and having a sense of achievement. One cadet said as we left the cave:
“I didn’t think I could do the ladder I was going to give up but everyone said I could and I did, I did it!!”
Another said:
“I was so scared I would get stuck in some of those small spaces but i got through them it was so much fun.”
Once caving finished and all equipment returned and many a ‘Thank You’ said to the professionals, and of course the all-important part -Lunch was complete, the cadets ended the day on a massive high.
Mam Tor: The cadets had the opportunity to learn and practice their great navigation skills as we trekked around and up Mam Tor. Some cadets even compared the map of the caves to our OS maps and one even said:
“The caving map looked easy compared to this one. I think I would be more likely to get lost in the cave though”.
The cadets did amazingly well and so it was only fair we stopped off to buy some of the best ice cream in the Peak District before heading back for supper.
Not all sea cadet activities involve the sea and caving is certainly one of those. Caving enhances the sea cadet experience bringing a new dimension in engaging young people to learn new skills and be willing to take on exciting challenges throughout life.
