Expedition Reports

EXERCISE COCKNEY STRANDLOPER – SOUTH AFRICA – FEBRUARY – MARCH 2020 – A report by Maj L.E.S. Webb RE “I wish I was still there” (Quote by Major Lizzie Stileman who is now ( as at 01 Apr 20) fully committed to operations in support of COVID19) This report will share the story of Exercise

In November 2019, soldiers from 106 Regt RA deployed to Malta on Exercise Cockney Abyss 3 in order to gain BSAC scuba diving qualifications through the MOD Approved Centre Dive Deep Blue and follow on our programme of introducing soldiers to the sport of scuba diving. Some of the team had absolutely no diving experience

Military personnel require mental and physical robustness to withstand the rigours of military life and specifically, operational tours such as Afghanistan or Iraq. Adventurous Training (AT) is the only way in which the fundamental risk of the unknown can be used to introduce the necessary level of fear to develop adequate fortitude, initiative, and leadership.

On the 19th October 2019 the Third Battalion, the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, alongside members of the First Battalion the Anglian Regiment mounted a unified Queen’s Division Rock Climbing Expedition in Croatia. The aim of this expedition was to build bonds between the division and also deliver a Rock Climbing Single Pitch Award as

In October 2019, we supported 6 Reservists to take part in a parachuting exercise. The aim of the exercise was to provide a mentally challenging and physically demanding two week parachuting course where moral courage and leadership would be tested. One of the participants describes the experience: A big thank you to The Ulysses Trust

2019 was a significant year for several reasons.  One of the biggest in the SCUBA Diving Calendar was the Centenary of the scuttling of the German High Seas Fleet in Scapa Flow after the end of the First World War.  This was marked with events throughout the year including the BSAC SCAPA 100 project that

EXPEDITION AIMS AND THE DIVING TEAM: Lt Cdr Jez Spring RNR, a Leadership Instructor based at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, has just returned from leading a sub-aqua diving expedition on the island of Borneo.  EX ASIAN ADVENTURE II (28 September – 13 October 2019) was the most ambitious Adventurous Training Diving Expedition undertaken by

Exercise COCKNEY ENDURO 2 (CE2) was a Unit Mountain Biking Expedition conducted in the high-altitude splendour of the Haute Alpes in Southern France, on routes following the final section of the Grand Route Chemins du Soleil (‘Path of the Sun’) descending from the mountainous and remote Verdon National Park through to the Mediterranean Sea. National

The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) unit, HMS WILDFIRE, has been conducting sailing expeditions for the past 10 years during which 30 members of the Ship’s Company have benefitted from essential navigational, boat handling, seamanship, team building and leadership training. This training has become particularly pertinent given the confirmation that RNR members will play a greater

On Sunday the 12th of August 14 Riflemen from across 6 Rifles plus two external instructors flew from Heathrow Airport to deploy on Ex Kazbegi-Bugle, a summer mountaineering T3 AT Expedition to the Georgian Caucus. The aim of the expedition was to deliver the Summer Mountaineering Foundation qualification to the 11 novice personnel on the

The Concept: In October 2018, the Regimental Administration Officer (RAO) for Northern Ireland Garrison Support Unit, Major J Swanson MBE, aspired to organise an Adventurous Training (AT) package to the Rocky Mountains, Alberta, Canada. His aim was to promote cohesion and develop the soldiers within the unit through level 3 AT training. For an expedition

Genghis (or Chinggis) Khan was a strong leader, powerful diplomat and seasoned traveller according to most Mongolians, who revere him. In the west and the Islamic world the view tends to focus on some of his more negative attributes. Focusing on the positives you soon realise that Genghis Khan had many of the skills required

In August 2019, eleven Army Reservists from 156 Regiment RLC, a Reserve supply regiment based in Liverpool, conducted an arduous adventure training expedition through the Sierra Nevada mountains in California.  Classified as a high risk and remote expedition by the Army’s Adventurous Training Group, this represented a real physical, mental and, in some-cases emotional challenge

On Wednesday 18th September 2019, the advanced party for Exercise Barbarian Odyssey 3, a 159 Regt RLC diving expedition, arrived in Gibraltar during early afternoon following a 2½ Hour flight from London Heathrow. The advanced party were there to complete an initial recce and other key activities in preparation for the arrival of the main

Exercise FINN GLACIER 19 was a 152 (North Irish) Regiment Type 3 mountaineering expedition to Chamonix, France, which was undertaken during the period 14 – 23 Jun 19. The proposed 9 Day training programme was delivered mainly as forecast within the JSATFA. Activities included a two day Alpine Mountaineering expedition up into the Glacier Du

Exercise Magma Fox ; 15,786ft descended, 15,626ft climbed, 170km ridden, 7 riders, 6 days, 1 Iceland. Iceland’s Volcanoes, synonymous with destruction, danger and death  – all three narrowly avoided thanks to sound instruction, a great guide and a smidge of good luck! (oh, and a strategically located man catching tree). Team Fox pushed themselves to

On 7 Jun 19, 8 members of the AGC(ETS) deployed on a 9-day expedition to climb Mt Blanc in France. The aim of the expedition was to summit Mt Blanc, develop the next generation of AGC(ETS) mountaineers to participate in large-scale Army/Joint mountaineering expeditions in the future, and to highlight the opportunities available in the

HMS WILDFIRE wanted to offer an Adventurous Training (AT) opportunity to members of its ships company where they could be introduced to mountaineering whilst being in a safe environment, and at the same time resulting in a sense of achievement. The Three Peaks is a widely known challenge on well navigated paths, but with a

As a part of the annual adventure training programme, 9 soldiers from 6 RIFLES and 1 outside instructor deployed on Ex TIGER ADRIATIC RIFLES to participate in a Sub-Aqua Diving expedition. This was conducted as an overseas deployment on the island of Vis (Croatia), spanning a 10 day period. The aims of the deployment were

Exercise Northern Purple Endeavor was a ten-day skiing expedition undertaken in March by members from across 7 SCOTS. It retraced the route Norwegian Saboteurs took during Operation Gunnerside, a daring operation by a small team of Norwegians who sabotaged an important Nazi heavy water plant – which was vital to the German atomic weapon program.

Exercise Northern Aconcagua saw nine Army personnel deploy to Argentina in a bid to climb to summit Aconcagua, the highest peak outside the Himalayas at an altitude of 6,962m. This was a challenging and exciting opportunity for all members to attempt such a testing but non-technical trek. The challenge associated with attempting such an endeavour

Ex VIKING CHALLENGE was a Nordic skiing exercise which took place in the Telemark region of Norway between 15-24 March 2019. The aim of the exercise was threefold: First, to research and understand the historic FANY connection with Op Grouse and Op Gunnerside during World War II. Second, for the 15 participants to learn to

A NEPALESE ODYSSEY As the new year dawned 14 members of 2 Medical Brigade prepared for an expedition to the world renowned Langtang Valley in Nepal. This was the first time 2 Medical Brigade had run an expedition to Nepal and the first time many of the group had been to Nepal. During the expedition

Ex DRAGON KANCHENJUNGA  provided members of 37 Sig Regt with the chance to complete one of the most difficult and long trek in Nepal.  It allowed them to test their determination, team work, leadership skills and mental and physical robustness while trekking in the high mountains of Eastern Nepal to Kanchenjunga Base Camp, the 3rd

This year’s expedition was in Egypt, travelling to various sites across the Red Sea. I have done this expedition previously so was excited to do it again. The flight in felt like it took longer than it should have done, with screaming kids commenting every minute on what the plane was doing and with very