Thursday 20th February 2025 to Sunday 23rd February 2025 marked the inaugural 1159 (Edmonton) Squadron Adventure Training Camp in the Peak District. The event involved 18 air cadets and 6 staff from Edmonton and the surrounding Squadrons partaking in a wide range of activities including hill walking, outdoor & indoor climbing, and mountain biking. As part of this weekend, a group of 6 cadets participated in a Mountain Training UK (MTUK) Hill Skills Course. MTUK are the National Governing Body (NGB) for Outdoor Hill Walking qualifications, with the Hill Skills Course being their entry level skills qualification for those looking to learn how best to enjoy the great outdoors with a map & compass!
Cadets spent the extended weekend at Pindale Farm Outdoor Activity Centre, with the Ulysses Trust grant providing indoor accommodation in bunk rooms – an essential requirement for delivering a camp at this time of year.
The first day of activity saw participants split into two groups with those for the Hill Skills Course in one group and those participating in a day of hill walking in the other. High winds dictated a low altitude walk for the hill walking group, but this didn’t prevent cadets from enjoying the scenery! For those on the Hill Skills Course, the morning involved a day of navigation theory which included: bearings, pacing, orientating a map, and navigational challenges including attack points, aiming off, catching features, relocation strategies, and more!
Saturday was a day with fantastic weather where the two groups took part in a mixed day of activity with a half-day of mountain biking around Derwent Reservoir and a half-day of outdoor climbing at Stanage Edge. For all participants this was their first experience of mountain biking with the air cadets and, for many, their first ever experience of climbing outdoors.
On Sunday, the Hill Skills Course continued its lessons, with the focus of the day being on consolidating the skills taught during Friday’s theory session and short practical walk. Those in the remaining group visited The Foundry indoor climbing wall. The session at the wall was split into two halves. The first of these was a bouldering session with drills focus on the key skills of climbing: foot placement, body positioning, and balance. With these skills cemented, participants moved onto the roped-wall – these in themselves being far larger than anything the cadets would have accessible in North London.
The generosity of the Ulysses Trust in supporting this activity cannot be overstated. As aforementioned, for many this was their first experience of a UK National Park. “It’s beautiful” being the quote of the weekend by one of the cadets participating in mountain biking when looking out over Derwent Reservoir and the mountainous backdrop in front of them!
There is often a misconception that the Ulysses Trust only sponsor overseas expeditions and that those based in the UK are not adventurous enough. Remember that adventure for one person is different than for others, and for many young people in the Cadet Forces a life changing experience can be somewhere as accessible as a UK National Park. If a grant is the best way of achieving this adventure, then make sure to apply for one with the Ulysses Trust.
Thank you on behalf of the cadets, parents & guardians, staff, and civilian committee of 1159 (Edmonton) Squadron!
The Ulysses Trust also wish to thank the generosity of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust for supporting this expedition. www.rafct.com
