It was a cold dark morning when we boarded the coach. For all there was excitement and for most some trepidation about an unknown future. Time away from home with other cadets and adult staff with whom, until now, our interactions had been limited to a couple of hours a week on a Wednesday afternoon. As the journey wore on, the emotions built as brick and concrete gave way to mountains and trees. Until finally we arrived at the big house by the lake and the Outward Bound Trust Centre, Ullswater. Within half an hour of throwing bags hurriedly into rooms and getting changed into waterproofs the cadets were navigating tunnel systems in total darkness and walking into the ice-cold waters of Ullswater. There were some tears, some screaming and a lot of smiles and no small amount of disbelief that they had just conquered fears without thinking. This was day one!
When I organised this trip back in in July, one of the first questions Gary from the Outward Bound Trust asked me is what I wanted from the trip. My answer, as always, was that I wanted to instil the army’s core values into the cadets. Courage, commitment, loyalty, teamwork, discipline and, above all, resilience. The ability to get up after a knock or to keep going when things are not comfortable and, of course, we should have some fun along the way.
On reflection I say with some satisfaction I believe we achieved all of that for the cadets and the new CFAV’s involved. I saw leaders emerge and others battle personal challenges to grow in confidence and spirit. All whilst gaining experience and stories that I know have been the main talking point at home over the Christmas holidays. For the old veteran in charge, I had the satisfaction of seeing my cadets shouting the Sikh battle prayer into the wind on the top of a mountain – a moment in time I will not forget for a long time and I felt privileged to be part of it.
My final take away from this particular trip is that we offer it maybe once in a cadet’s career and it needs to be more to develop the traits I mentioned above. Resilience cannot be taught in a classroom or during a CCF instruction period. It has to be lived again and again and again until it becomes as natural as breathing, otherwise the strength formed outside the comfort zone fades.
“The Outward Bound trip pushed me beyond my comfort zone and helped me develop my leadership and resilience. Leading my team through long hikes, cold-water challenges, and demanding activities required me to remain calm under pressure and place the team’s needs above my own. Taking part in these challenges alongside my team taught me the importance of shared effort, trust, and teamwork, and showed me that strong leadership is built on being fully involved with the team and tackling challenges together. Overall, the experience strengthened my confidence as a leader and reinforced the value of hard work, cooperation, and resilience in challenging environments.”
