Expedition Reports

Following the success of ALPINE VENTURE 2024 and 2025, during which the RAF Mountaineering Association (RAFMA) successfully supported four personnel through the Alpine Mountaineering Foundation (AMF) course (two each year), I was keen to return in 2026 to further develop my alpine experience and continue working towards the coveted Alpine Mountain Leader (AML) qualification. As

Service Personal from Joint Military Command South West based in Tidworth, Wilshire took part in EX TIGER DOLOMITI during the period 23-30 July 2026. This was a military Adventurous Training expedition for 8 persons and took place in the Dolomites Region of Northern Italy.  The activities were Rock Climbing and Via Ferrata.  The aim of

2024 saw our unit (6 RIFLES Army Reserve), conduct its first large scale Adventure Training (AT) Exped to the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco, the year after the Battalion planned and executed another Exped to Corsica to take on the infamous GR20. Both of these Exped’s were kindly supported by the excellent work of the

From Rainforest to Roof of Africa: Our Kilimanjaro Expedition Our eight-day expedition up Mount Kilimanjaro via the Lemosho Route took ten reservists and four regulars from 158 & 162 Regiment RLC through five dramatic climate zones, testing our mental resilience, teamwork and determination at every stage. We began at Lemosho Gate, trekking seven kilometres through

Participants: Five members of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY).Course: Two-week Static Line Paratrooper Course at Centre École des Troupes Aéroportées (ETAP), Pau, France. Introduction: The aim of this exercise was to complete the demanding military static-line parachute course at the École des Troupes Aéroportées (ETAP) and earn our ‘French Wings’. Over two weeks, the

Team Per Ardua 21, comprising three members of the RAF Reserve and one regular officer, successfully competed in the Atlantic Campaigns World’s Toughest Race rowing across the Atlantic Ocean from Dec 25 to Feb 26. Team aims and objectives will be covered in more detail later, but the team aimed to arrive in Antigua in

Between 18 April and 2 May 2026, a crew of nine embarked on a challenging two-week sailing expedition aboard the yacht St Barbara V, journeying from Vigo, Spain, through the Atlantic coast of Portugal, transiting the Straits of Gibraltar, and concluding in Málaga, Spain. This expedition combined seamanship training with cultural and historical exploration, offering participants

Ex DRAGON SAMURAI 2026 was an AMA Ski Touring Expedition. It brought together a group 14 Service Personnel: both Regular and Reserve, from across a large variety of regiments. All with one thing in common… a passion for skiing! The Exercise was designed to facilitate progression through the JSAT ski scheme. Individuals holding their SF2

3 Royal Welsh being the only reserve infantry regiment which recruits in Wales, our ranks are made up of Valley’s boys, hill farmers, national park rangers and emergency services workers, to name a few vocations. And for those of us not fortunate enough to be born here, the mountains and valleys are one of the

In February 2026 the Army Mountaineering Association headed to Scotland for their annual Winter Meet. Scotland is an ideal location for adventurous, leadership, and resilience training as it naturally lends itself to adventure, being remote in the sense that it is easy to find areas where you are unlikely to see another person, without the

An ambitious mountaineering expedition has taken British soldiers deep into the mountains of Sikkim, India – marking the first official British Army exercise in the region in thirty years. The venture, known as Ex EAGLE INDIA, formed part of the Regiment’s ongoing commitment to developing soldiers through adventurous training. For many, the expedition served as

On 2 February 2026, seven members of 22 Multi role Medical Regiment (MMR) embarked on an expedition that would test their endurance, teamwork, and resilience. Their goal: to summit Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa, standing at 4,167 metres in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains. From the moment the team landed in Marrakesh, they were

100 (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery Ski Expedition 2026 ‘We cannot fail for another year!’Major Jonathan Gray For the last three years 100 (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery has tried but failed to deliver a skiing expedition. This year was different. Even the plan from our transport department to give us electric vehicles, with a range of

From the 14–21 December 2025, 53 Army Reservists and instructors deployed with 3 MI Bn to the Trois Vallées ski area in the French Alps for an overseas winter adventurous training exercise – Ex Cockney Skadi X. Flying from Gatwick to Lyon, the team transferred to Les Allues in the Méribel Valley, ready to tackle

Overview: 9 – 16 Nov 2025 – Ex DRAGON TREPAR. This was a type 3 rock climbing expedition to the Calpe region of southern Spain. The lead organising unit was 3 R Welsh. The Ex OiC (and instructor) was 3 R Welsh UATO, with addition instructors provided by SW OTR, 100RA and PRU Wales and

Between 17–19 October 2025, six members of 100RA took to the water for Exercise SOLENT UBIQUE – a three-day sailing expedition on board Bombardier III, the Royal Artillery Yacht Club’s 34-foot yacht. Supported by The Ulysses Trust, regimental, and public funds, the exercise aimed to develop teamwork, leadership, and seamanship through practical adventurous training on

On 30th August, 21 members of HQ Centre arrived at Chetwynd Barracks, Chilwell. The day consisted of a full schedule of briefings—some mandatory Health & Safety sessions, alongside instructional lectures for those participating in the Distributed Training to gain their Summer Mountain Foundation qualification. After lunch, the group was issued any required loan pool equipment

Organising Body: RAF Mountaineering Association (RAFMA)Location: Bohuslän, Sweden – renowned for its granite crack climbingDates: 1st – 11th September 2025Participants: 12 RAFMA members, regular and reservist, including instructors and climbers of varying experience levels Objectives: Ex Trad Venture 25 was designed to develop the trad climbing skills of RAFMA members and help them understand the

12 British Army reservists have returned from an exhilarating adventure training parachuting expedition in Cyprus, supported by the Ulysses trust. The aim was ambitious yet attainable, to qualify all novice participants on the UK Accelerated Freefall (AFF) course, taking them from ground school to freefall competency, and to provide continuation training for the more experienced.

Ex GOLDEN LION is the Adjutant General’s Corps led, summer multi activity Adventurous Training expedition which included Mountain Biking, Summer Mountaineering and Rock Climbing/Klettersteig. The exercise consisted of 60 participants and 15 staff, taking place in and around Neustift im Stubaital, Austria. This year’s exercise took place over the period 04 – 13 Sep 25. 

Reservists from 159 Regiment RLC deployed to southern Bavaria for Ex DRAGON BARBARIAN ALPEN (Adventurous Training) in September 2025, completing one of two Foundation courses, Mountain Biking or Summer Mountaineering, and undertaking a two day intro to the other discipline. With Bavaria in the distance the first glimpse of the Alps was seen from the

A Maltese Adventure Beneath the Waves Introduction This September, members of 75 Engineer Regiment traded their army boots for fins on a two-week scuba diving expedition in Malta. From wrecks and reefs to tunnels and swim throughs, the team pushed their limits underwater while achieving new BSAC qualifications and strengthening bonds above the surface. The

Exercise WAGONERS ADVENTURE 2 was a 150 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps Level 3 Mountain Biking (MTB) Adventure Training expedition in the vicinity of Morzine, France. Thirteen service personnel from across the Regiment deployed on a 10-day package for novice riders, to challenge individual goals. Implementing and adopting the Army Leadership and Resilience Training (ALeRT) system

British Army Team Conquers Europe’s Wildest Gravel Challenge in Spain Four British Army personnel have successfully completed one of Europe’s most gruelling cycling challenges, conquering the legendary Badlands gravel race through the harsh landscapes of southern Spain. The expedition, supported by a media team from British Army Extra, saw two male and two female soldiers

Summiting the roof of Africa  – Two Reflections. THE FIRST VIEW Fourteen adventurers recently completed what many described as the most transformative experience of their lives, successfully reaching the 19,341-foot summit of Mount Kilimanjaro via the challenging seven-day Lemosho Route. Led by two mountain leaders and supported by six experienced local guides, the entire group

Introduction Across two long weekends (22-24 August and 29-31 August) 13 members of the Royal Yeomanry took part in sailing training in the Solent. Of these one was a qualified sailing instructor and three (having been able to attend both weekends) achieved the necessary requirements to gain the Royal Yacht Association (RYA) Competent Crew (CC)

Introduction 2024 saw our unit (6 RIFLES Army Reserve), conduct its first large scale Adventure Training (AT) Exped to the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco, this was kindly supported by the excellent work of the Ulysses trust. The idea was always to do more and keep progressing in order to provide the best opportunity for