I wish to report of the successful and happy adventure had by all those staff and cadets who attended Alpine Adventure this year: it was absolutely fantastic. Lots of forward planning and preparation had gone into making the week as enjoyable as possible.
Organised by the London Area SCC Adventure Training team, Alpine Adventure has been running for a number of years and seems to be growing in popularity, but the first I heard about it was after one of my cadets attended back in 2009. He came back with such enthusiasm and confidence that I thought I had a new cadet! So much so, that he went on to win the Best Cadet in Kingston Sea Cadets in 2009. The week was very busy, action packed and very hard work. As a novice, and never taken part in any winter sports before, I will be the first to admit that there were some points when I felt completely out of my depth. It was designed to be like that to push our abilities.
We were split into 2 groups and followed a six day training programme;
Show Shoeing
For those who have never heard of the term snow shoeing, it is hiking across the mountain terrain in an attachment on your feet that look like a tennis racket. These snowshoes distribute your weight across the snow and ensure you do not sink into the depths of up to 1.5 metres. On the first day the staff carry out exercises to establish your surroundings and teach you the basics of mountain survival. This is all about avalanche awareness, how to avoid them but what action to take should one strike. We also learned about how to build a snow shelter and the skills required to survive extreme conditions.
We then spent the second day walking through the mountainous area around the town of Bad Hindelang, finishing at an alpine hut where we were to stay overnight. Once at the hut, we were very well looked after in cosy surroundings with lots of warm food and drink and a comfy bed. On the 3rd day we traced our steps back to the town, stopping to play a game of snowshoe rugby along the way.
Skiing
Our group was split according to our skiing abilities and taught by 2 ex-military instructors. I was with the novices and for somebody who has never skied, it was difficult to get the hang of at first but with the help of our (very patient) instructor, I managed. They started off by getting us to stop and turn on the skis from one side to the other, I really enjoyed it although I did come away with some bruises. The other group took to the slopes like ducks to water and were up and down the slopes. It seems they just couldn’t get enough of the skiing. By the end of the training we were all able to ski competently on the blue runs.
As a member of staff there are times when we put so much time into the day-to-day running of the unit that we forget why we are there. The trip to Bavaria has now re-established my faith in what the Sea Cadets Corps is about. I can go back to my unit and carry on doing duties with a fresh, new outlook on what I do.
This course helped the cadets to build the life skills of gaining independence and making friendships. The experience also taught them the fundamentals of team building, leadership, self-discipline and determination. After experiencing the Alpine Adventure I really do think this should be one of the flagship courses available to ALL cadets, after all the Sea Cadet motto is ‘serious fun’!
I would like to thank the Ulysses Trust, on behalf of all who attended, who’s kind donation of funding helped all of the cadets, many of whom, without it would simply have not have been able to attend.
Also, thank you to the SCC staff , Oic CPO Perry Symes and 2iC Lt Jacques Moore-Hurley who put a lot of hard work and dedication into making Alpine Adventure a success.
Sgt K Howard, Kingston Sea Cadets, London Area