Exercise Dragon Venturer Baidarka II was organised following the relative success of a similar exercise in 2010. The aim of the expedition was to give the cadets an experience of three outdoor activities in British Columbia. Two of these activities would involve camping in wilderness locations which presents a number of challenges. The expedition consisted of four staff (officers) and sixteen cadets. The Ulysses Trust Grant contributed £2000.00 which was the largest single grant from an external organisation and this combined with a grant from the CCFA for four of the cadets enabled the expedition leader to lower the personal contributions for the cadets. These grants made the trip accessible to cadets who would otherwise not be able to attend.
One of the challenges of an expedition like this is getting a transportation solution that is both flexible and reliable and the Island Link Bus Company was both and they were excellent throughout the expedition. We also used the University of British Columbia for accommodation at the beginning and end of the expedition which was also outstanding.
The first activity was a four day trek in the Garibaldi Provincial Park which is situated on the ‘Sea to Sky’ Highway between Vancouver and Whistler. The cadets were fortunate to see two black bears prior to getting out of the vehicles which meant that they were very attentive during the wildlife safety brief. The trek went well but the route had to be altered due to the snow conditions. The second campsite was not accessible, so alterations to the route and the final pick-up were made. The students had to learn the discipline of putting all of the food and any scented items up into the bear caches every night and also getting used to cooking and camping as a group. The trek finished at the Brandywine Provincial Park which was a beautiful waterfall and a fitting place for the cadets to conclude the trek.
The next phase saw the cadets staying in log cabins for two nights with a day of white water rafting in the middle. The cadets were taken on to the Elaho River which is a Grade IV/V river, so very exhilarating for them. The group were split into three teams and the cadets and the staff had to operate as a team to navigate the raft down the river. At the end of phase the cadets were treated to a BBQ and then returned to the accommodation to prepare for the long move to Vancouver Island.
The final phase of the expedition was a six day sea kayaking expedition which was the highlight of the trip for most. We went from the mainland to Vancouver Island, via the ferry and then North to Campbell River. After a night in a Travelodge we moved further North to Telegraph Cove to start our expedition in the Johnstone Strait and Broughton Archipelago. The challenges here were the organisation required to pack their kayaks efficiently and to prepare and cook food as group. The weather was a challenge and the cadets did struggle on one of the days where it rained all day. Although two staff and two guides were with them throughout this phase, the cadets did all of the navigation and planning of the route. Notwithstanding all of this, by the fourth day the cadets had become extremely efficient and they had been treated to sightings of dolphins, Dall’s porpoises, sea lions, seals, bald eagles, humpbacked whales and killer whales. This was a fantastic challenge for the cadets and an experience that should remain with them forever.
After the kayaking was completed we travelled back to Campbell River for a night where we had an end of expedition meal. The following day we returned to Vancouver for one night. On the final day the cadets were given a few hours in Vancouver before boarding the plane home. We arrived back in Llandovery very tired but enriched by a fantastic experience. Both the cadets and staff are very grateful to the Ulysses Trust for their generous grant which contributed significantly to the overall success of the expedition.
S W Robertson, Expedition Leader