Ex CADET WINTER EMU was a Winter Mountaineering exercise conducted predominantly from the Dundonnell AT Hut in the Scottish Highlands in December 2025. The exercise delivered the five-day Winter Mountaineering Foundation (WMF) course to 22 Officer Cadets as well as some additional days of continuation training. The exercise was initially aimed at East Midlands Universities’ Officer Training Corps (EMUOTC), but subsequently extended to include Officer Cadets from the Sandhurst Regular Commissioning Course and South-West University Officer Training Regiment (SWOTR).
Ex CADET WINTER 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. This year changed slightly as the usual venue of Kinlochleven Training Centre was closed for maintenance, the fallback option of Balmacara House was withdrawn with three weeks’ notice due to heating failure and hence the exercise moved progressively further north to Dundonnell. This series of changes certainly kept the exercise leader on his toes!
The exercise staged through Garelochhead Training Centre, allowing the long journey north to be broken-up and for initial admin to take place. The exercise then travelled to Dundonnell via the Cairngorms where an introductory training day was conducted using the best of the winter conditions. The Officer Cadets learnt new skills including how to prevent slips on snowy surfaces by wearing crampons (sharp points which attach to boots) and how to arrest themselves 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.
Once in Dundonnell, the four mountaineering groups subsequently broke into separate itineraries to explore the remote northerly reaches of Scotland. The training split between day activities and an overnight expedition involving a bothy (open mountain shelter). One of the groups took in the two most-northerly Munros (Scottish Mountains over 3000ft, as classified by Sir Hugh Munro) as part of their expedition phase, others explored the iconic area around Suilven and one team ventured back to the Cairngorms. No trip to Dundonnell would be complete without the spectacular traverse of An Teallach and two groups successfully scrambled over its jagged ridgeline. The stunning Torridon area was also visited, with groups traversing Beinn Damph and the ‘horns’ of Beinn Alligin.
Climbing the mountains in the North-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.
Ex CADET WINTER EMU faced exceptionally challenging weather conditions, ranging from gale-force winds to heavy rain and whilst there was limited lying snow, the summits were often frozen. This mix of conditions forced the Officer Cadets (and instructors!) to dig deep, stay on top of their admin and stay focussed on navigation and the threats posed by the hostile environment. On completion of a hard day, the exercise participants then had to organise their domestic arrangements; provisioning and cooking for themselves which further enhanced the sense of camaraderie.
Ex CADET WINTER EMU 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 next year! 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, varied and sustainable. This exercise was helped significantly by funds provided by the Ulysses Trust.
‘I can’t believe that we’ve been out in conditions like that… it just shows what we’re capable of!’ OCdt D
