Lt Col N Leonard

Members of Yorkshire Officers Training Corps embarked on a thrilling kayaking and canoeing trip through the heart of the Ardèche, an experience that left everyone in awe of the region’s breath-taking beauty. Our journey began in the quiet village of La Gare, where we were equipped with paddles, life jackets and an eager spirit. However,

Ex Frosted piste was took place in Les Arcs, a Resort located in Savoie France within the Tarentaise Valley. Officer cadets took part in Ski Foundation (SF) courses of varying ability with many having not skied before and were based in the UCPA centre situated just outside of Arcs 1600. The SF2 course is an

On the 11th February 2023, the ‘advance party’ of officer cadets and staff from Cambridge University Officer Training Corps headed off on their long drive towards Calpe, arriving at our cabin the following afternoon. They carried all of the group’s personal and climbing kit ensuring that we weren’t restricted by weight through flight luggage allowances.

DAY 1:We had an early start travelling from Edinburgh to Oban. Once we got to the boats, we got kitted up and learnt about the boat and sailing fundamentals. After we set off, we went through some rough sailing. We practiced knot tying and attempted our first mooring at Lochaline. We finished the day with

Expedition Dragon Trident, organised by Kyle Munt and Logan Roots, was a 12-day adventurous training exercise where 10 Officer Cadets from East Midlands University Officer Training Corps – completed a sailing trip. The main aim of the expedition was to provide OCdts with sailing experience, that they could take forward in their logbooks for future

From the 14th to the 28th of August 2022, 10 students and 4 staff from Cambridge University Officer Training Corps took part in a hiking expedition, aiming to complete the famous Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB). Although in the end an outbreak of D & V among the team forced us to restructure our plans,

20 members of ULOTC recently took part in Ex Cockney Cragsman 22; OCdts achieved the Summer Mountaineering Foundation qualification by completing training on the Karwendel High Trail in Austria. These Officer Cadets, some of which were new to mountaineering, developed transferrable skills vital to both the Army and wider life such as leadership, problem solving,

Expedition Dragon Nessie’s Triad, organised by OCdts Madeleine Messenger and Ellen Bayne, consisted of a two-week Adventurous training exercise for 20 Officer Cadets at East Midlands University Officer Training Corps – a 5 day Mountain Bike Foundation (MBF) course and a 5-day Kayak Foundation course (K2F). The expedition had the main challenge of pushing Officer

Cambridge UOTC We arrived at our campsite in Corsica after a long thirty hour journey. Everyone was tired and already struggling with the intense heat, but we got cracking with the work quickly. Kit needed unloading from the vans and all the tents had to be unpacked before anyone could even think about relaxing or

26 members of Wales UOTC assembled on a pleasant Friday afternoon excited at the prospect of mountain biking in the French Alps and all looking forward to the 20 hour road trip to the Le Biot, our base for the trip. On arrival at Chalet Hugo the following day we had a few hours to

Exercise Dragon Ascent 22 – Tyrol, Austria – 1st to 14th August 2022 Officer Cadet Oliver Goldsack – Exercise ICExercise Dragon Ascent 22 was a 14 day adventurous training exercise which took place this summer in the Austrian Alps. On Monday 1st August, 12 Officer Cadets from East Midlands Universities Officer Training Corps left the

From the 23rd of August to the 3rd of September 2022, Officer Cadets from Birmingham UOTC deployed to the French Pyrenees to undergo a road cycling training camp. The team completed seven days of riding, cycling through the mountainous terrain and hot summer conditions of Southern France. They successfully completed five of the top ten

WALES OFFICER CADETS TAKE IN THE BEAUTY OF THE HEBRIDES IN A NAUTICAL ADVENTURE Wales Universities Officer’s Training Corps were able to join the Joint Services offshore sailing expedition HIGHLAND EXPRESS, on Scotland’s stunning west coast.  The expedition aim was to give a new and challenging experience to some of the Officer Cadets and enhance

Short report on EMUOTC’s expedition along the West Highland Way – Summer 2022 One of our core missions at the East Midland Universities OTC is to foster resiliency and confidence in our officer cadets through adventurous training. For us, this involves putting on multiple trips a year, organised by our third year Officer Cadets, for

On the 11th August 2022, 12 OCdts from London UOTC set out on the Ex-Arctic Express; a passage which would be split into 3 phases. The first leg, sailing from Reykjavik to Vestmannaeyjabaer (a small island off the South coast of Iceland, was helpful for developing confidence with managing the boat). Next, the longest and

Having been 5 years since the last overseas adventurous training expeditions ran at EMUOTC, there were many Officer Cadets (OCdts) keen to travel to Iceland and complete the Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails. Exercise Dragon EMU Ice saw 16 OCdts and 2 instructors trek an 8-day expedition, walking the Laugavegur Trail, (55km long trail between Landmannalauger

Officer Cadets from Cambridge University Officer Training Corps left Cambridge Army Reserve Centre at 11 pm on Monday 4th July and departed for France. We arrived at Dover in the early hours of Tuesday morning and arrived in Calais at 6 am. We then drove for a further 12 hours and arrived at the Campsite

On the 22nd of July, 13 Officer Cadets, two Mountain Leaders and one further member of staff, met at the Birmingham Army Reserve Centre (ARC) to begin the expedition with the aim of circumnavigating the Mont Blanc Massif following the Tour du Mont Blanc route. The original goals were to complete the 170km route in

East Scotland Universities Air Squadron Exercise Apennine Stag Post Exercise Report Introduction Adventurous Training (AT) as well as being fun and exciting, expands personal limits and improves operational capability because so many of the skills and characteristics it develops are directly transferable to frontline duties.  However, AT comes at a price, especially if it is

From 9th to 19th July 2022, 8 participants and a Mountain leader from Birmingham University Officers Training Corps took part in Ex DRAGON SLIM SHADY an adventure training expedition that aimed to complete the GR20 Nord route in Corsica; a route known as one of the toughest in Europe. The route climbs up 2500 meters

In late June 2022, 12 members of the University of Birmingham Air Squadron travelled to Croatia, in pursuit of learning how to sail. We arrived in Split on the 25th of June, and the students along with four instructors then travelled to Sibenik, where our expedition began. In Sibenik, we picked up two yachts, the

Between 13-19 June, 7 students from Northumbrian Universities Air Squadron hiked the northern segment of the infamous GR20 in Corsica, which is often described as one of Europe’s toughest treks. This expedition aimed to challenge our mental and physical resilience, placing us outside our comfort zone in a testing environment. The students carried all their