CCF Adventure Training Camp

Ex WELSH MOLE – Adventure Training Camp, S. Wales

16 – 18 February 2019

In a flagrant breach of tradition, clear skies, regular sunshine and mild temperatures accompanied a party of 45 cadets from five year-groups to South Wales for the Corps’ annual adventurous training camp. Donning wetsuits, wellies and helmets cadets scrambled, waded and splashed their way up the beautiful River Mellte, a chilly but much-needed wash for some which culminated in a crawl behind a waterfall and a leap from the top into the plunge pool below. Just down the river at Craig-Y-Dinas, a package of climbing and abseiling on an imposing limestone face featured training in both climbing and belaying, before competitions began to rage fiercely: LCpl Steel’s one-handed ascent proved unbeatable despite his juniors’ attempts, while other cadets made remarkable progress on parts of the face blindfolded. An evening out in the cultural centre of Merthyr Tydfil stood as a warming reward for an exhausting first day, which also gave the Officers’ Mess a chance to soothe pride bruised on the rock face as they schooled the Other Ranks in the manly arts of pool and ten-pin bowling.

But the star attraction of the area was the famous Porth Yr Ogof cave system. An initial session allowed cadets to enter through the majestic entrance and explore some narrow squeezes and geological wonders. This training was building experience and confidence for a more demanding second session underground: an abseil into a vertical entrance through a rift which an Army breakfast nearly precluded; crawls (or rather collapses) headfirst through fissures; and finally a total soaking in a crawl against a torrenting subterranean river before surfacing, chilly but victorious, to the watery Welsh sunshine. All cadets approached the testing training with the dauntless spirit the exercise aimed to engender, and, bested only by the M25, returned at last, exhausted but smiling, to Caterham, with the Corps’ reputation for hardiness and adventure burnished by their laudable spirit and enthusiasm.