South East Scotland Wing cadets and staff have returned from a successful expedition in the German / Austrian Alps. The expedition was based in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Southern Germany over nine days. The ultimate goal of the expedition was to fulfil the requirements of their qualifying Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award Expedition which culmination of […]
Exercise Austria 2014 – Various Air Training Corps Units Read More »
You will recall that the Ulysses Trust conducted a survey into cadet Adventurous Training (AT) and the results of that survey are now available for download on our website. In terms of outcomes, there are perhaps no surprises but it is important to understand the full picture. The key themes to emerge were: AT is valued
Cadet Adventurous Training Survey Results Read More »
The Exercise, attended yearly, provides reservists with expedition training and the opportunity to develop and enhance command, leadership and teamwork skills. The 100 km march is physically demanding, with the reservists being required to complete 30 km, 40 km and 30 km marches on each day of the weekend in the Ypres area of Flanders,
Exercise Flanders March 2014 – HMS Calliope Read More »
It’s that time of year again where we publish our Summer Newsletter containing all sorts of news and information about the Ulysses Trust and the outstanding adventurous training activities and expeditions that we have supported over the last few months. In this edition we feature three expeditions namely 4 Para powering their way to victory in
Summer Newsletter 2014 Read More »
Last year, Captain Tania Noakes, The Oxford University Officer Training Corps Adventure Training Officer and IFMGA British Mountain Guide, approached several Officer Cadets with the idea of competing in the Patrouilles des Glaciers. The race is a demanding and challenging ski-mountaineering competition for three-member rope parties run by the Swiss Military. The course, which runs
Exercise Blue Patrouilles des Glaciers 2014 – Oxford UOTC Read More »
Ex NORTHERN BLACK SPOKE (NBS) was an Adventurous Training expedition to Southern Spain that took place in May 2014. The exercise was run by 4 PARA, but benefitted from integrating soldiers from the Regular Parachute Battalions; this really helped generate a mix of experience and provided another good opportunity to forge relationships with those colleagues
Ex Northern Black Spoke – 4 Para Read More »
Exercise Northern Tartan Diver was a ten day sub-aqua diving expedition to Cyprus from 22nd April 2014 to 1st May 2014. Personnel included eight Officer Cadets and one Group A Officer from the City of Edinburgh University Officer Training Corps, along with one civilian, one regular Cpl and one Captain from outside units. The total
Exercise Northern Tartan Dive – City of Edinburgh UOTC Read More »
‘Cockney Arctic Odyssey’ was an adventurous training expedition sponsored and paid for by the Ulysses Trust. It was organised by Sqn Ldr Jonathan White and LSgt. Barnes and involved 7 members of the HAC and a Lieutenant from the RNR. The expedition leader with the requisite adventurous training qualifications was John Howie, a professional expedition
Exercise Cockney Arctic Odyssey – Combined Service Reservists Read More »
Picture the scene. It is the middle of the night, and, just off the southwest coast of Scotland, a lone yacht is struggling through the waves. The wind is a steady Beaufort Force 7; in the United States, that is when the Coastguard issues a small craft warning; in Canada it is merely described as
CCF RM 350 Adventure Sail Training 2014 – Cadet Angus Lapslie’s Account Read More »
It had been two years since CCAT had organised an overseas canoeing expedition. In the preceding years we had dipped our toes in a few areas in Europe, the Pyrenees 2011 and Brianćon 2012 and whilst both were moderately successful neither area had been able to offer a broad range of white water venues that
Exercise Cadet Paddle 2014 – Cadet Centre for Adventurous Training Read More »
Ex NANUK PIONEER saw 5 members of 23 Pioneer Regt RLC and an instructor from the Army Cadet Force deploy to Greenland. Following extensive pre-deployment preparation, the group finally arrived at Constable Point (CNP), Liverpool Land in Greenland. This would be base camp and home for the next 2 weeks. On arrival members of Tangent
Ex Nanuk Pioneer – 23 Pioneer Regiment Royal Logistics Corps Read More »
In the Spring of 2014, twelve soldiers from 101 (City of London) Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), many of whom had recently returned from serving in Afghanistan, and East Midlands Universities’ Officer Training Corps, completed a 30-day expedition to carry out high altitude mountaineering in the Peruvian Andes, culminating in the successful ascent of Coropuna
Exercise Peruvian Cat – 101 (City of London) Engineer Regiment (EOD) Read More »
Exercise Neptune Serpent was a 2nd Medical Brigade diving expedition to the Maldives over the period 29 Mar – 6 Apr 14. It was undertaken by personnel drawn from across 2nd Medical Brigade’s Reserve hospitals with a few outside instructors. It was funded from a mixture of Public Funds and Non-Public funds for which the
Exercise Neptune Serpent 2014 – 2nd Medical Brigade Read More »
Exercise Finn Sappersoaker 14 was a sub aqua diving expedition to Gibraltar from 30th April – 11th May taken up by members of 591 Independent Field Squadron Royal Engineers from Northern Ireland. The expedition started off with a very rough overnight stay in Gatwick terminal due to Easyjet changing their flight times to Gibraltar to
Ex Finn Sappersoaker 14 – 591 Indep Fd Sqn RE Read More »
Exercise Drakensberg Duke set off from Battalion HQ early on a Saturday morning to travel by coach to London Heathrow for a night flight to South Africa. In total there were twenty people ranging from the newest Kingsman all the way to the Commanding Officer, Lt Col Jonny Lighten. Ex Drakensberg Duke was the first
Exercise Northern Drakensberg Duke – 4 Lancs Read More »
2 years ago, when the expedition was first suggested, it all seemed so distant. But at 3:30am (yes!) Friday morning, our adventure starts. A night sleeping on the school gym floor might not have been quite what was originally expected, but it certainly helped us test some of the equipment loaned by the military stores
Exercise Norwegian Troll 2014 – Calday Grange Grammar School CCF Read More »
As everybody celebrated Easter, C Company Essex Army Cadet Force commenced Exercise Dragon Venturer in Gibraltar. For 310 years Gibraltar has faced many challenges as our British Overseas Territory and for one week 40 Army Cadets and 14 instructors faced many of their own. The trip offered the cadets so much in terms of adventurous
Essex Army Cadets take on the Rock Read More »
BIGGIN HILL AIR CADETS GROUNDBREAKING TREK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. On April the 15th 2014 eighteen cadets and 6 staff under the leadership of Flt Lt James Dyer departed from the squadron headquarters at the former RAF station of Biggin Hill for a unique adventure in the deserts of Jordan. This 10
In The Footsteps of Lawrence – Jordan 2014 – 2427 (Biggin Hill) Sqn ATC Read More »
For the second year in a row the Southampton University Officer Training Corps entered a team in the Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race, commonly referred to as ‘the DW’. It is a gruelling 125 miles of non-stop paddling from the villages of Wiltshire to the heart of central London. The first 52 miles are
Ex Doggy Paddle 2014 – Southampton UOTC Read More »
The Ulysses Trust has recently appointed a new Trustee to its Board. Dr Rod Stables has accepted a position as Trustee and this will help to shape the Ulysses Trust for the future. Dr Rod Stables is a leading heart surgeon and was appointed to the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital in 2000. A former Territorial Army
New Trustee Appointed Read More »
Challenging, isolating and inspiring, ski touring offers a unique way of exploring the mountains. Such exploration was one of the main aims of Oxford UOTC’s Exercise Blue Tour, a seven-day ski tour through the Italian Adamello and Ortler Alps. The group of eight Officer Cadets met in Oxford on 27th March 2014 and, having been
Blue Tour 2014 – Oxford UOTC Read More »
The expedition was led by an extremely experienced set of divers who had run previous trips to the island and comprised of members of 4 Yorks, 65 Works Group, EMUAS, and 8 Fld Coy (Para) REME. Over the course of the 14 day expedition the 12 participants gained a total of 11 BSAC (British Sub Aqua
Northern Equator Adventure 2014 Read More »
The unit set off from school with extremely excited cadets and eager parents, as they were potentially getting some respite. The travel to the Channel Tunnel was almost uneventful, barring the inevitable Dartfort Tunnel traffic. During the first fuel stop a pool of pink fluid was under the mini bus engine. Not a good omen;
Dragon Ventura Ardeche – Ratcliffe College CCF Read More »
High winds, high plateaus, high adventure (but low water and creative instruction) maintained the ambitions of Ex Northern Jacobite Venturer (Ex NJV). Our now annual Scottish exploit is in it’s 7th year and is successfully delivering all five phases of a cadet’s five year development plan. Exercise Northern Jacobite Venturer is a multi activity week
Northern Jacobite Venturer 2014 – Giggleswick School CCF Read More »
On 2nd April, the anniversary of the Invasion of the Falkland Islands by the Argentinians, Reed’s School CCF sent a small detachment to go to “Yomp” across East Falkland. After a tiring journey, which included a refuelling stop over in Ascension Islands, the party arrived to hear the ominous news that the weather had been
Falkland Adventurer 2014 – Reed’s School CCF Read More »
This Easter 2014, after endless planning, intense fitness regimes and preparation, Cambridge University Air Squadron (CUAS), joined by students from the East Midlands, East of Scotland and Oxford, completed a 17-day expedition in Norway retracing the route of the Heroes of Telemark. The historic significance of the footsteps we followed and the challenges the saboteurs
Telemark Eagle 1 – Cambridge University Air Squadron Read More »
Thanks to a generous donation from the Ulysses Trust a party of fourteen, (in two groups of seven) Air Cadets from 82 (Wandsworth) Squadron Air Training Corps, many from a disadvantaged background completed a demanding four day expedition to the Elan Valley in Wales. The group covered all sorts of terrain from river valleys to
Welsh Dragon 2014 – 82 (Wandsworth) Squadron Air Training Corps Read More »
Atlantic Endeavour was a SCUBA diving adventurous training expedition to Ascension Island in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean. The goal was to develop individual courage and leadership and to provide BSAC training for six prospective ocean divers, two sports divers, one dive leader and one advanced diver, including boat handling skills for the latter two. This was
Exercise Atlantic Endeavour – Cambridge University Air Squadron Read More »
In the first week of December I was fortunate enough to attend adventure training Exercise DRAGON VALETTA in Malta with personnel from 143 (West Midlands) Brigade. Malta is a beautiful island pushing it’s way up from the Mediterranean, with some great opportunities for both rock climbing and open water diving in amazing scenery. A downside
Ex Dragon Valetta 30 Nov – 10 Dec 2013 Read More »
28 Cadets and 3 Cadet Force Adult Volunteers of West Mercian Wing Air Training Corps have just returned from a three week 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
Ex Zulu Kingdom – West Mercian Wing Air Cadets Read More »
After nearly a year of planning, days of fundraising, wet training weekends on Army Training Estates, 282 Squadron RAF Cadets India expedition team consisting of 20 members departed on a 10,000 mile adventure which would also be the most challenging task the cadets would have done; To refurbish a school in a harsh poverty stricken
Expedition Thar Horizon II – Changing lives forever Read More »
