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3 ROYAL WELSH deployed on LION STAR 7 to Cyprus in August 2012 and to accompany the tactical training, an extensive AT package was planned which included rock climbing, mountain biking, sea kayaking and dingy sailing. The jewel in the AT crown though was to be 5 days of offshore sailing on a charterted 40-foot

This expedition had all the ingredients of a fantastic Adventure Training experience from day one. The SADS (Sub-Aqua Diving Supervisor)/instructor team arrived with a combined experience of 15+ previous Ascension Islands (ASI) expeditions and over 4000 dives to draw on. Much of the experience was down to the SADS team alone: Tim Butt and Sophie

Introduction. Odyssey 2012 was a Tri-Service Cadet Adventure Training (AT) expedition conducted in the Brecon Beacons from 11 to 17 Aug 12. Sponsored by the Ulysses Trust, but fully funded by The Worshipful Company of Weavers, it was organised and run by Sqn Ldr White, OC 2620 Sqn Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment. The aim

During the summer holidays this year I spent three weeks in Arctic Norway as part of an expedition run by the British Schools Exploring Society (BSES). This was kindly supported by the Ulysses Trust. BSES run expeditions for 16 – 20 year olds to a number of extreme environments, focusing on personal development, adventure and

EX GOZO SPLASH saw 19 students of Cambridge University Air Sqn deploy from RAF Wyton to the Island of Gozo, Malta. The aim of the expedition was to deliver British Sub-Aqua club training and qualifications to all students from novice to Advanced Diver. The event was held over 2 weeks with 10 students attending each

A Crafty’s Perspective On the evening of Thursday 05 July 2012, a number of Territorial Army soldiers from 103 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) met at Hilsea, Portsmouth, with the summary from the Administration Instructions still echoing in the back of their mind: “This expedition will prove to be a challenging but hugely

The Youth Development Charity and expedition organisation British Exploring Society runs yearly expeditions to a range of wilderness environments, from jungle to extreme arctic, which are open to 16-25 year olds. The expeditions have a strong scientific element, as young explorers take a proactive role in research of the wilderness by gathering data and taking

With over a year’s worth of waiting, fundraising and general preparation the 20th July finally arrived. I, along with the rest of my fire left Heathrow airport and travelled via Madrid to Iquitos, Peru. Even though we knew the climate and conditions would be extreme, nothing could have prepared us for the tropical warmth, mosquitoes

The Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Yorkshire and The Humber organises a bi-annual expedition to the Himalayas for the cadet forces of all three Services. The expeditions are sponsored and supported by the Yorkshire Cadet Trust, in particular for fund raising. In 2012, the expedition was a repeat of the expedition of 2008, a

On 10th July, 22 cadets and 10 staff set off from Liverpool John Lennon Airport for Barcelona. On arrival they collected four 9-seat mini vans and headed north to the small town of Albayna in the foothills of the Pyrenees. We arrived at the base camp, Bassegoda Park, greeted by 3 staff who had left

For many months we had been anticipating this moment, and now the wait was finally over, we had arrived in the Dolomites! On the 7th July 2012 2Lt Bush, Officer Cadets: Phipps, Wylie, Rutter, Lewis, Pettitt, Matthews, Walsh, Nellis, Miceli, Haines and Reid from the Liverpool University OTC arrived in Calalzo di Cadora ready for

Wednesday 11th July 2012 saw a group of Sea Cadets, both young people and adults, depart the UK for a two week adventure to Western Australia. The aim was to complete the expedition section of their Duke of Edinburgh award – “Gold” (4 days & 3 nights) or “Silver” (3 days & 2 nights). Both

Kandertal Valley, The Bernese Alps, Switzerland For our 3rd annual visit to the Alps with the 1034 (Surbiton) Squadron Air Training Corps, we chose to go to Kandersteg in the Bernese Alps. This was a little different to the last two years, being a German speaking part of Switzerland, camping only at 1200 metres, being

In July 2012 after many months of fundraising, kit preparation and excitement, I met with around 50 other explorers to take part in a British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) expedition to Northern Norway. During the first few days of the expedition we learnt how to live in an expedition environment, learning many new skills which

In July 2012, six members of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY) took part in the second ever international sailing exercise organised by the Corps. The exercise, which received support funding from the Ulysses Trust, was led by an experienced Yachtmaster from the London Scottish Regiment. The crew made the most of their six days

With only 8 weeks planning, the day had arrived for a small detachment of divers from 591 Independent Field Squadron RE to deploy to Gibraltar on Ex Finn SapperSoaker 12. The opportunity to deploy arose because 2 Rifles had to cancel their Exped as Op commitments, including support to the Olympics, meant they unable to

Viking Challenge proved to be a fantastic training opportunity for all cadets attending. Despite the long 43-hour journey, we threw ourselves straight into the water on the day we arrived. The first four days were spent advancing white-water kayak techniques based out of Troll Aktiv Centre in the Setesdal valley. We can now all competently

This Adventurous Training (AT) exercise was conceived, organised and run by Reservists within 212 (Yorkshire) Field Hospital (V), a Territorial Army Unit based in Sheffield and recruiting largely within Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire. The aim was to allow two members of the unit to gain the Rock Climbing Foundation (RCF) qualification, and up to six members

A group from 105 Regiment RA (V) took part in Ex KANANASKIS FINN – a ten day exercise in the Canadian Rockies. The aim was to deliver a basic mountaineering package and a foundation level open canoeing course to individuals who had never taken part in these before. The training was designed to be physically

Exercise Bolivian Venture was a Defence Medical Services Expedition with combined AT and research goals held in June 2012. Two Tri Service teams of 25 ranging from experienced mountaineer to complete novice were selected from trial weekends throughout 2011-2012. Training in essential mountaineering skills took place in Scotland, Snowdonia and Chilwell prior to departure. The

Exercise Brittany Wyvern 2012 was a Royal Wessex Yeomanry off-shore sailing expedition that took place on HM Sail Training Craft Sabre, a Nicholson 55 yawl. It started in Brest, France on 10 June 2012, finishing in Gosport on 24 June 2012. The Skipper and Mate stayed aboard for both weeks but crew members changed on

Following on from a successful leadership challenge in 2011, Lordswood CCF was once again invited to participate in the JROTC’s Junior Cadet Leadership Challenge (JCLC) held at Fort Devens, an active US military base, over the period of 18 – 22 June 2012. These dates coincided with the annual Bunker Hill parade in Charlestown –

Exercise Northern Emulous llI was a multi activity expedition conducted in the Ardeche, an area of outstanding beauty in Southern France, for eleven Officer Cadets, three instructors and four administrative staff (One of whom took part in all the activities). The aim of the exercise was to increase the skills and qualifications of those undertaking

On the 1st of July 2012 eight intrepid Air Cadets from Kent Wing, supported by two members of Adult Staff boarded the aircraft to take them on an experience of a lifetime – Exercise Venture Alaska 2012 had begun. The expedition was the latest in a series of ventures worldwide aimed at providing senior air

In June this year 48 soldiers from 72 Engineer Regiment (V) headed off to the Lake District to conduct our annual adventure training exercise. Coniston was chosen as the base as it provided easy access to some of the best areas for the activities we had planned which included Walking, Canoeing, Mountain Biking and a

This year’s two-week annual training camp took place in June 2012 and was the first year in which Liverpool UOTC and Manchester and Salford UOTC joined forces. They sent almost 200 officer cadets from the North West to RAF St Mawgan, near Newquay, Cornwall, where they spent the first week ‘in greens’, carrying out pre-deployment

A Sqn RWxY spent 3 days in Gibraltar in June 2012, with the aim of conducting adventurous training activities as well as competing in the Gibraltar Rock Run, a grueling 4 mile run from sea level to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. Flying from Luton Airport, we arrived to find our accommodation at

Day 1 Calenzana (275m) to Refuge d’Ortu di Piobbu (1520m) and Refuge Bonifatu The first day of the GR20 can be a shock to the system; leaving Calenzana, with your world on back, in weather that you should really enjoy whilst sitting with a cocktail at the side the pool, with the added question mark

The Hautes-Alpes region of the Southern French Alps is a paradise and perfect playground for canoeing and kayaking enthusiasts of all levels of ability. Influenced by the warmer Mediterranean climate, an incredible backdrop of mountain scenery and a huge variety of white-water rivers that can be run from May-September it is no wonder that it

The last two weeks of June must have seemed like the perfect time of year for WO2 Andy Anderson of 155 Transport Regiment when he booked the sailing trip for his unit. The weather should be perfect – warm, sunny, just windy. Little did he know that June would be the wettest month on record

From 4th to 20th May 2012 eleven members of D (Rifles) Company, 5RRF and OCdt Tim Bird from Yorkshire OTR went on an expedition to Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. The first night the group stayed with the Light Horse Regiment, about half an hour from OR Tambo airport. Early the next day we headed off

SHERWOOD SAILORS DO THE HIGHLAND FLING The twelve Reservists from HMS Sherwood planned and organised Exercise Highland Fling themselves, with funding from the Ulysses Trust, to develop their leadership and team-working skills and resilience. “We took part in a variety of challenging outdoor activities and everyone learnt new skills,” said Lieutenant Kathryn Jacques from Long

Capt Mervyn Jones, of Rossett Platoon, Clwyd and Gwynedd Army Cadet Force, for the last seven years, has taken cadets to the Somme, France for the 1st July commemorations marking the start of the famous WW1 battle. Glorious patriotic, altruistic endeavour or the futile waste of a generation? The truth, as ever, lies somewhere in

After 2 years of study, the culmination of the Extended Diploma in Public Services course is a 12 day trip to the Pyrenees in the south of France. For all of the students, who are also either cadets or PIs with Gloucestershire ACF, this is an opportunity for them to complete their final assessments in

Poseidon Dragon was a was a 5 Div authorised, Level 3 Adventurous Training (AT) Sea Kayaking Expedition organised by LCpl Wrigley 3RW. There were five main objectives of the exercise: To deliver Distributed Training (DT), for Kayak Proficiency K2F to those without the award and to develop the skills at all levels of those who

Exercise Medsail is a Sailing Exercise run annually by the Joint Services Adventurous Sailing Training Centre (JSASTC) sailing around the Mediterranean Sea. Personnel from 151 Transport Regiment boarded on Leg 2 of the Exercise, sailing over 2 weeks from Alicante to Barcelona. Day 1 – We travelled to Gatwick where we met our 1st Mate

Exercise Toulouse Tiger was a 9-day adventurous training expedition to the Pyrenees Mountains in Spain, undertaken by 6 members of Bristol University Officers Training Corps (BUOTC) 12 Apr – 20 Apr 12. The expedition was focused on introducing and teaching ski touring skills to BUOTC officer cadets, with the aim of pushing BUOTC Officer Cadets

Aims and objectives for the expedition: The aim of the expedition was to undertake a coast-to-coast self-sufficient journey by Open Canoe from Neptune’s Steps at Fort William to Inverness, 97km later. Our objectives were to learn a range of wilderness livings skills and to manage an expedition team afloat; providing Sea Cadet adult volunteers with

This March a team consisting of Officer Cadets Charles Woods-Stride, Chris Hancock, Oliver Greenburgh, Hattie Holliday, Ella Thurston and Charles Clack set out from Oxford on Exercise Blue Bivio. The expedition was an introduction to ski touring combined with a six day hut to hut traverse of the Albula Alps north of the Engadine valley

High winds, high plateaus, high water and high adventure are the nature of Ex Northern Jacobite Venturer. Our now annual Scottish exploit is in it’s 5th year and is now delivering all five phases of the five year development plan. This is a multi activity week designed to give cadets from Giggleswick School the opportunity

Aim The aim of the expedition was to introduce a number of our senior cadets to Nordic ski-touring with the view to completing a challenging 65 km 5 day, fully equipped ski-borne expedition, using DNT mountain huts and snow holes. Location The Hardangervidda is a vast mountain plateau (“vidda”) which is located in South West

After journeying from the depths of Dorset and a good night’s sleep, a filling Norwegian breakfast restores the Canford cadets from their travels. Boots, skis and poles are issued and rapidly the equipment is put to the test in tracks surrounding Hovden. Walking forwards, backwards, standing up (after falling!!), star turns and kick turns soon

The Norway ski expedition is a biennial event for Bradfield College CCF and is one of the highlights of our adventure training programme. The expedition is designed to quickly equip cadets with the pre-requisite skills before embarking on an expedition that utilises huts, tents and snow holes. In addition to having great fun, the cadets

On 3 – 4th March 2012, 6 adult volunteer members of the Marine Society Sea Cadets (MSSC) from Southern Area attended a Climbing Wall Award (CWA) training course in London area. The Marine Society and Sea Cadet Corps (MSSC) have introduced a new revolutionary adventure training manual which includes a rock climbing scheme. In order

An ice climbing course in Norway was added to the CCAT programme in March 2012 as an initiative to expand the range of winter courses available to ACF & CCF CFAVs and Senior Cadets. It was designed to offer an opportunity to further develop the skills and experience of CFAVs and Senior Cadets in the

Following a long deployment to Afghanistan, eleven members of 24 Commando Engineer Regiment, along with one member of Sheffield University OTC (instructor), were lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel to Nepal for a three week adventure in the Nepalese Himalayas. The group left London Heathrow late on the 4 March 2012 arriving in

On 25th March this year, a group of twenty seven students and staff from the Bristol and Oxford University Royal Naval Units set off for Scotland for the first phase of an adventurous training expedition unlike anything we had done before, Exercise Dark Blue. The purpose of the University Units is to educate students about

During the last week of March this year, 15 students and two officers from Bristol University Royal Naval Unit (one of fourteen such organisations or ‘URNU’s that the Royal Navy maintains across the UK) travelled the length of the country to Rothiemuchus Lodge, just outside Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands, for a week of (in

A team of twenty cadets and staff embarked on two week expedition to Tanzania during February 2012 with the intention of delivering a worthwhile community support project and an enjoyable trek through the Ngorongoro region to the west of Kilimanjaro in the North of the country. All made possible with the grants provided by Ulysses

‘Rise above the Rest’ say the Royal Air Force. Well that’s what the team aspired to do. Before starting the 6 day ascent up the mountain, the team needed to get used to the local heat and so three days were spent exploring the local culture. A day on Safari in Arusha National Park revealed

As Bavaria plunged into a deep freeze with daytime temperatures plummeting as low as -28 degrees Celsius and snow all-around, this was going to be a testing expedition for both man and machine. The aim of the expeditions was to introduce Alpine Ski Touring and pisted skiing to Cadets and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAV’s)

At the beginning of February, 13 members of the RGS Guildford CCF landed in a snowy and cold Munich to begin a winter skills training programme based in the Allgau region of Germany. Having had a team photo with both Ussein Bolt and Mel C, who were both on the plane, the team headed out

A week full of hard work, fun and snow started and ended with an epic 30 hour journey across central Europe, before reaching the small town of Mittersill, Austria. The members of the expedition were split into several groups according to their ability and level of experience: the beginners (non skiers) group spent most of

The time had come once again for our Battalion, 101 Force Support Battalion, The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, to travel to the French Alps for our annual skiing trip: 81 soldiers, keen as mustard, raring to go. 20 hours later, a wet and blustery day in the UK transformed into a very snowy and

As an alternative to Christmas, as an Officer Cadet from London UOTC I flew off to the Caribbean to take part in Exercise Caribbean Wings, spending two weeks sailing around the Windward and Leeward Islands on board a JSASTC CH67 Yacht. The crew of 14 was made up from various parts of the three services.

A group from 100 Regt RA(V) consisting of reservists took part in “Ex White Centurion” a Novice Skiing Expedition to the Zillertal area of Austria. The Exped was based in Zell am Ziller which enabled us to make full use of 668KM of Piste. This was purely a novice based expedition with the aim of

Introduction 1. A party of cadets from Middlesex Wing (ATC) joined members of 90 Signals Unit, RAF Leeming for expedition training over the period 22-28 Jan 12. The exercise was designated Exercise LONG MARCH 2012 and combined a physically challenging march across Poland with ethos and values training. The latter was primarily based on lessons

After 18 months in the planning, 15 members of Gloucestershire ACF, and 3 members from Bristol ACF finally embarked on TIGER VENTURER ZENITH, a high altitude trekking expedition in the Annapurna Himalayas and community project in Langdi village, Nepal. The expedition had 2 aims, firstly to trek to Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) at 4,130m above

16 Cadets and 6 Cadet Force Adult Volunteers of the Norfolk Army Cadet Force have just returned from the organisation’s fifth trip to South Africa. The main purpose of the trip was to give a new experience and a clear insight into the lifestyles and history of a very different and diverse culture. The expedition

Fourteen members of Kent Wing ATC have just returned from a two week expedition to Kenya thanks to the generous financial support of the Ulysses Trust, RAF Charitable Trust and the Singleton Trust. The first week was spent climbing the 4985m peak of Mt Kenya via the Sirimon Route. Starting at 2700m the first day

Expedition Overview This expedition undertook a number of community, Environmental and Adventure projects. 61 Venturers took part in the expedition, supported by a Volunteer Manager team of 26. Each project was supported by a specialist team, based at Raleigh’s expedition operations centre called Fieldbase. In the field, each project was led by volunteer project managers

The CCAT Spanish rock climbing course (CADET ROCK) was based in Albir, Spain during the period 15-22 Oct 11. The Costa Blanca is a well known destination for Autumn/Winter sun rock climbing devotees. The temperate Mediterranean climate at this time of year, a modest 20°-26° C, is perfect whilst during the peak holiday season is

Intsail 2011 took place around the Ionian Islands off the South coast of Greece in Oct 2011. The annual Intelligence Corps adventurous sail training event is open to all serving Regular and TA personnel. It is a perfect opportunity to improve team building and provides a welcome break from the high tempo of operations. Additionally,

160 Tpt Regt RLC(v) organised a Scuba Diving Expedition for Sept 2011 after bidding successfully on a Joint Services Adventure Training slot to Cyprus. The CO recognised that Adventure Training (AT) is a vital part of TA training, because in particular it promotes retention, boosts moral and rewards those members who have undertaken extra commitments

Situated at the meeting point between the waters of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and the landmasses of Europe and Africa, Gibraltar is a diving location unlike any other on earth. A last bastion of the British Empire nestled in the shadow of the Rock, it is both bustling port-city and ancient mountain-fortress; a monument to

Nepal is best known for its towering mountains and peaks that have challenged humans to their very limits but Exercise Annapurna Tiger focussed on a slightly different trail in the Himalayan kingdom. The Officer Cadets of Exeter University Officer Training Corps (EUOTC) may have dreams of one day conquering Everest but the aim of this

After a two-hour flight delay and an eight and a half hour flight we arrived at Calgary airport and were greeted by our Canadian hosts. We commenced the seven-hour drive from Calgary airport and arrived at Lac La Biche Cadet Centre just after midnight, twenty-four hours after we had left Southampton. After a good night’s

It was with some trepidation that the seven members of HMS HIBERNIA’s Bavarian Surprise Team embarked on the unit’s first expedition to Naval Outdoor Centre Germany (NOC(G)). Unfortunately, due to unforseen Operational Commitments, a number of the personnel who had originally planned to take part in this expedition were unable to attend. This meant that

On the 8th of September 2011, the departure lounge of Luton airport played host to a medley of excited officer cadets, competent crew sailors and a selection of weathered and rather tolerant day skippers; their Officer Training Corps affiliations betrayed by the abundance of black grip bags and that peculiar but unmistakable manner that is

“Bring on the sunshine” the troops shouted as they exited the plane in Malaga after getting out of their beds at 0300hrs on a Saturday morning. The excitement was curved as they moved by cars through the resorts of the Costa del Sol and into the mountains to a small town called Alora. A quick

Cadets from South East Scotland Wing and West Scotland Wing travelled to Norway, as part of the 70th Anniversary of the Air Training Corps. The goal of the expedition was for cadets to complete their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award Expedition. On Tuesday 2 April cadets met at 870 (Dreghorn) Sqn before departing on Wednesday

After a brief introduction to snow chains we departed Bury St Edmonds TAC ahead of schedule (A TA thing). We made good time on our travels despite the constant downpour of rain and arrived safely at the Euro Tunnel crossing 3 hours later. We had a few rest stops whilst travelling through Europe mainly to

Expedition Ventura Dragon Izzard II took place in August 2011 with 25 participants. An Advance Party of four travelled out to Spain overland by minibus with equipment, and set up a base camp in the small town of Espot in north Catalonia. This is just outside the Aigues Tortes National Park, (Aigues Tortes meaning twisted

Pyrenees – An Easy Week, by Emma Reynolds and Megan Calcutt The first day was spent travelling. We reached our campsite late that night, and quickly learnt that we would have to get used to sleeping on slopes and rocks! The Pyrenees greeted us that night with our first storm, and we started the next

Introduction In late 2010 the Ulysses Trust (UT) decided to sponsor and completely fund a challenging, overseas expedition; the aim being to develop enthusiasm for such activities in the participants, with the aspiration that they might undertake to run similar events, themselves, in the future. Given that the participants, chosen from all the UK Reserve

AN ADRIATIC ADVENTURE The Michaelmas term at Shrewsbury School in Shropshire started with a sea odyssey for twelve intrepid travellers from the CCF. Their trip was a culmination of many months of training and preparation, and long sessions in the school pool upside down in a kayak! Expedition Adriatic Adventurer was a Gold Assessment and

Alpine Endeavour was a three week Alpine mountaineering expedition, tackling peaks in Switzerland and Italy. On the first two days we travelled to Saas Grund in Switzerland. From our vantage point in the campsite we could see what laid ahead. The fourth and fifth days were spent on the Hohsaas glacier; for some of the

This summer Oxford University OTC, together with financial assistance from The Ulysses Trust mounted a rock climbing and trekking expedition to the Dolomites in Northern Italy. It was the first major expedition that Junior Under Officer (JUO) James Coates had organised, and he did this during his final year at Oxford University. The expedition consisted

The 8th of August 2011 saw 8 Cadets and 5 Staff from 228 (Bromley) and 2511 (Longfield) Squadrons head off to Helsinki in Finland to undertake Exercise Samiaa Challenge. The Samiaa lakes area in Eastern Finland are a massive complex of lakes and islands which run for hundreds of square miles and contain over 14,000

The CCAT IAM Course was based from a campsite in Saas Grund, Switzerland during the period 21-28 Aug 11. The high mountain range that lies between the Rhone and Aosta valleys, known as the Pennine Alps (Valais or Wallis), contains the greatest concentration of 4000metre peaks. The range includes some of the most famous peaks

Sailing ‘Alba Venturer’ into Victoria Harbour in Greenock at the end of their voyage, using nothing more than canvas and wind, highlighted the skill and confidence of the trainee crew who only a week earlier had set out as novices on this year’s annual HQAC / Ocean Youth Trust Scotland – Offshore Sail Training Expedition.

14 Army Cadets from Greater Manchester and Lancashire Army Cadet Forces took part in RATTLESNAKE VENTURER in the South West USA between 31 August and 19 September 2011. It was supported by Adult instructors from GMACF, the Regular Army and the Territorial Army. Flying from the UK to Las Vegas via Gatwick, the exercise had

Northern Emulous was a multi activity expedition, conducted in the Ardeche region of Southern France, for thirty six Officer Cadets, six instructors and six administrative staff. The aim of the exercise was to increase the skills of those undertaking the exercise, in order to build self confidence, team work, develop physical robustness in an area

Ex Dragon Taffy Eagle was a weekend’s Adventure Training in Capel Curig, where the soldiers and students of the Territorial Army Unit C Company (The 4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment) got the choice to partake in activities such as Mountain Biking, Kayaking or Rock Climbing. Members also took part in White Water Rafting as a

Our summer camp did not get off to a very good start with regards to the weather: as we crossed the border to Scotland the rain started. This continued for the rest of the day with severe weather warnings on the roads. Monday morning the weather was fine and the cadets went off in their

After months of planning a group of twenty two Air Cadets from the Gwendraeth Valley in South Wales have recently returned from an extremely successful two week overseas adventurous training camp in the British colony of Gibraltar. The key activity during the camp was the open water Professional Association of Diving Instructors Course (PADI). The