A team of 30 cadets from our Combined Cadet Force travelled to North Wales for our Adventure Training Camp during half term. We had a great mix of senior and junior cadets, including some of our brand new 3rd Form recruits who have only been in the Cadet Force for two weeks!
We spent some of the time navigating in the hills of Snowdonia, including climbing the impressive north ridge of Tryfan, leading to one of the iconic summits of North Wales. We also had some days on mountain bikes in the forests of Coed y Brenin. The cadets were coached on bike handling and riding techniques and then got to put their new-found skills to practice on the trails around the forest. They demonstrated some very impressive riding; whether they were seasoned experts or brand new to mountain biking, all the cadets put in a good performance and showed great resilience around the course.
We enjoyed much of the weather that North Wales has to offer, and were frequently given a good dousing when the heavens opened on us! We did enjoy a few bursts of sunshine between the downpours though. We thought we had escaped the weather on the final day when we went to explore on old slate mine. As we walked through the forest to the small entrance to the mine, we might have thought that would be the end of the rain and soaked clothing. Once inside however, it became clear that we were surrounded by water. An underground boat ride through the inner caverns, a zip wire over a deep pool and a climb up through a waterfall, all did an excellent job of ensuring we stayed wet!
The cadets showed real character during the week. We saw some great examples of leadership from the senior cadets and perseverance and resilience from the younger cadets, for some of whom these activities were more challenging. It was also very rewarding to see the help and support that the cadets gave each other when they realised that one of their group was struggling. These are the qualities that we know the cadets gain from a week of adventure training, as much as the enjoyment of working in their teams and learning new outdoor skills.
Thank you to my able team; Jamie Lancey, Ian Kerr, Richard Lovell, Georgia Bowers and Aubrey Collins.
