Ex CADET HIGHLAND EMU 25 was a Winter Mountaineering exercise conducted from Kinlochleven Training Centre in the Scottish Highlands at the beginning of January 2025. The exercise delivered the five-day Winter Mountaineering Foundation (WMF) course to 14 Officer Cadets and offered continuation training for the six participating instructors. The exercise was initially aimed at East Midlands Universities’ Officer Training Corps (EMUOTC) but subsequently extended to include Officer Cadets from Exeter University Officer Training Corps (EUOTC.)
Ex CADET HIGHLAND EMU was a repeat exercise that has become firmly established in the EMUOTC training calendar and as such offers a shared link between successive cohorts of Officer Cadets. Whilst always catering for new Officer Cadets, there was a focus during the planning stage to reinvigorate the exercise and to extend its value to supporting instructors by changing the format and visiting new areas. The first two days of the exercise delivered new skills to the Officer Cadets, including how to prevent slips on snowy surfaces by wearing crampons (sharp points which attach to boots) and how to arrest them with an ice axe. For most of the Officer Cadets, this was their first taste of the unique Scottish winter environment, enduring sub-zero temperatures and challenging terrain. Climbing the mountains in the Western Highlands mostly involves an ascent from sea-level to summits over 1000m, which necessitates a long day out and becomes a test of physical endurance and resilience to repeat for several days in a row.
Whilst being delivered predominantly in the Glencoe area, the exercise included an overnight expedition to the remote Loch Ossian Youth Hostel. The feeling of watching the train lights disappear into the distance and being left alone to cope for yourself in a winter wilderness at Corrour Station was a unique moment, lost on nobody. It was satisfying to hear the Officer Cadets, whose sights are frequently set on worldwide travel, recognising the value of the UK as a destination for authentic adventure which is both accessible and sustainable.
Ex CADET HIGHLAND EMU was blessed with exceptional winter weather conditions. A sustained period of sub-zero temperatures had brought snow to valley level and had even frozen the pipes at Loch Ossian Youth Hostel, meaning that water had to be taken directly from the loch! Whilst negating some of the requirement to navigate, the conditions lent themselves to long days, soaking in the spectacular views. Day 3 of WMF was recognised as ‘the new benchmark of physical exertion’ for one of the Officer Cadets, as we covered a demanding circuit taking in two Munros (Scottish Mountains over 3000ft, as classified by Sir Hugh Munro), returning to the hostel well after darkness had fallen. Seemingly any feat of endurance will be possible now after that day!
Ex CADET HIGHLAND EMU 2025 has fuelled another year’s worth of stories that have shaped both the Officer Cadets and the character of the unit, with plenty of enthusiasm for a repeat exercise in 2026!
