Exercise Cadet Viking Paddle was an Officer Cadet-led 12-day adventurous training exercise from the 14 to the 25th of June 2026 that provided an opportunity for 11 Officer Cadets from East Midlands University Officer Training Corps (EMUOTC) to canoe down the Hårkan River system in Sweden, to gain the Open Canoe Foundation course (O2F), and gain logbook experience to enable participants to progress to higher level canoeing qualifications.
The Expedition Phase – Days 2 – 5 (15 – 19 June):
The principal focus of the exercise was a 50-kilometre, 5-day unsupported expedition from Näsforsen dam to the town of Lit, during which Officer Cadets learned and developed confidence in the boat, safe capsizing and recovery drills, as well as the fundamental canoeing paddle strokes, skills and drills. In addition, the canoeing participants were also taught a wide range of bushcraft and survival skills suitable for wild camping in the Swedish Wilderness. The bushcraft lessons included knife safety, fishing, fire-lighting from scratch, knife-based log splitting for firewood, cooking over an open flame and wood whittling. Wood whittling and fishing soon became a favourite activity as Officer Cadets competed to craft the best wood spoon. A few participants continued the wood-whittling activity into the second phase of the exercise at the campsite. Some went on to create, under our instructors’ guidance, model wood canoes and, after many iterations, wooden animals. The best being a wooden horse that would reflect the Dala Horse, or Dalahäst, a traditional Swedish wooden horse typically painted red, symbolising Strength and love. Every evening, if people were not whittling wood by the fire, they would be fishing, creating a fantastic social atmosphere as they looked out over beautiful lakes and rivers. We also carried on the fishing tent whilst canoeing. Sadly, in the end, no fish was caught; however, there were a few instances of the fish biting and a last-second escape as a fish was about to be taken into a canoe on the move, which turned what had been a highlight of the trip into a lowlight very quickly.
The bushcraft lessons were a key highlight of the expedition, as the group was split into 3 teams each day to help set up and take down camp. The three teams were Fire Team, responsible for starting the fire (this included the earliest wake-up slot) and collecting firewood, then the Cooking Team would take over and produce ‘Michelin star’ meals for breakfast and dinner, with favourites such as fresh bread and porridge in the mornings to Carbonara with garlic bread or Special fried rice with salmon at nighttime (we even managed to have the fabled Swedish meatballs). Finally, the Pots-and-Tarps Team were responsible for washing up after meals and taking down the tarps that protected us from the rain, but most importantly, provided an area to escape the constant mosquitoes (Note: any expedition to Sweden should bring mosquito nets and lots of spray as the mosquitoes were no joke!). The three teams were crucial and brought the expedition together not only logistically, by allowing everyone to be involved and to work together as teams and meet new people from across the years of the University Officers’ Training Corps (UOTC) but also from different Universities in the Midlands. Additionally, the teams helped to building a routine to follow that kept the expedition on track and allowed the participants to realise they were truly in the Swedish wilderness. The thing that surprised the participants the most was not the difficulty of canoeing or the constant battling with mosquitoes; it was the absurd challenge of getting used to the Swedish Midnight Sun, where you could not tell if it was 7 am, 5 pm or Midnight! With the darkest it ever got being the equivalent of a cloudy day in the UK! This led to some embarrassing realisations that, after sitting around the campfire talking and wood whittling, it was 2 am in the morning, and you were up in 6 hours.
The Training and Cultural Phase – Days 6 – 11(20 – 24 June):
After the completion of the river expedition, we moved onto local lakes and rivers to enable each person to enhance their individual solo canoeing skills and techniques, as the River expedition had been completed in tandem canoeing. It was clear that after the intensive 5 days of tandem canoeing in the exercise phase, the solo training phase was much harder. This was especially the case when you had to battle against the wind and move by yourself, paddling on one side and not being able to rely on your partner. On our last day Canoeing on the 23rd of June the group of 11 Participants played may team based games to show our newfound canoeing ability (and an excuse to bring out our competitive sides) as we played Canoe Polo, Jousted in canoes to see an ultimate balance champion (well done Charlotte), and working as a team to stack 10 Canoes on top of each other in 5 levels breaking our instructors record of 8 boats in 4 rows (I challenge anyone to beat us!).
This phase also included a local cultural experience day on the 24th of June. Here we visited the local town of Östersund, where we were able to sample Swedish culture and become more aware of the Sámi People’s Culture, which was informative and interesting, as the Sámi people are the only indigenous people within the European Union. We even managed to watch Sweden play a World Cup match at our campsite, despite the rain lashing down. Additionally, participants showed their bravery and resilience by first experiencing a Swedish sauna, then plunging into cold lake water. During this period, and by pure coincidence, we bumped into the East Midlands Universities Air Squadron (EMUAS), who were also doing an expedition down the Härkan River, and were also being sponsored by the Ulysses Trust, so we got a massive group photo as we said hello to a few familiar faces who share our Unit Mess. On the final night, we had a massive group barbecue to celebrate passing the canoe course and getting a qualification, and we could look back on the experience and see how each of us had developed leadership, resilience, both physical and emotional, throughout and how we became a team after not having known each other at the beginning. These are the crucial things about Adventurous training that everyone has the opportunity to experience and develop themselves, and meet others in difficult and stretching environments.
The following quotes provide an insight into how much participants learned and enjoyed the experience in terms of improving canoeing expertise, learning and using bushcraft skills for real, and how much their confidence and skills improved across the exercise.
“Having joined the University Officers’ Training Corps (UOTC) this year, the expedition was my first opportunity to experience Adventurous training with the Unit and what the Army has to offer. I valued the opportunity to learn how to canoe whilst in such an amazing environment. Witnessing Sweden’s midnight sun for the first time was a bucket list item I never knew I had until the trip. This could not have been done without the support of the Ulysses Trust.”
OCdt TB
“The instructors were great as they were keen to teach but also were patient to allow others to fully understand techniques. The wilderness of Sweden drew me to the trip, and it was an incredible experience. In the future, I am keen to develop my canoeing skills further. If a river has rapids, I would be there immediately, as that’s where I feel most alive, and get to test my resilience!”
OCdt H S
“As the exercise second-in-command, the expedition has been an incredible experience and a real challenge. This opportunity has allowed me to develop not only my canoeing experience and skills but also given me the confidence to take the next step in my canoe journey: the Open Canoe Intermediate (O3N) course. This experience has pushed me to join a canoeing society at my university to maintain my skills and allow me to canoe more regularly after falling in love with the activity. Furthermore, this exercise has also developed me as a planner and organiser as I assisted with the planning of the exercise, and it will be invaluable as I hope to lead my own Canoeing expedition next year, so that others can have the same opportunities to do Adventurous training activities.”
OCdt W B (Exercise second-in-command)
“This exercise has been the most challenging but rewarding experience I have undertaken at the University Officers’ Training Corps (UOTC). It was not only the physical challenge of being on the exercise and expedition, but also the opportunity that the planning for the exercise gave me and helped me develop as a leader and organiser. I learned that if I set a goal of organising an international expedition to carry out a task, I could do it, and it pushed me out of my comfort zone. The experience of taking 14 people to Sweden for 2 weeks would not have been possible without the Ulysses Trust’s help, so I thank The Trust for an unforgettable experience and for giving me the greatest possible opportunity any young person and potential leader can have to develop personally.”
OCdt C R, Exercise Leader
Finally, we wish to acknowledge that this amazing experience would not have been possible without the very generous support of the Ulysses Trust. All of the expedition participants are very grateful to the Ulysses Trust and our other donors for their support, which helped to make this expedition possible, as without you, adventurous training opportunities like this would not be possible.
