WALES OFFICER CADETS TAKE IN THE BEAUTY OF THE HEBRIDES IN A NAUTICAL ADVENTURE Wales Universities Officer’s Training Corps were able to join the Joint Services offshore sailing expedition HIGHLAND EXPRESS, on Scotland’s stunning west coast. The expedition aim was to give a new and challenging experience to some of the Officer Cadets and enhance …
Dragon Highland Express 2022 Read More »
Short report on EMUOTC’s expedition along the West Highland Way – Summer 2022 One of our core missions at the East Midland Universities OTC is to foster resiliency and confidence in our officer cadets through adventurous training. For us, this involves putting on multiple trips a year, organised by our third year Officer Cadets, for …
Dragon Silver 22 2022 Read More »
On the 11th August 2022, 12 OCdts from London UOTC set out on the Ex-Arctic Express; a passage which would be split into 3 phases. The first leg, sailing from Reykjavik to Vestmannaeyjabaer (a small island off the South coast of Iceland, was helpful for developing confidence with managing the boat). Next, the longest and …
Arctic Express Leg 9 2022 Read More »
Having been 5 years since the last overseas adventurous training expeditions ran at EMUOTC, there were many Officer Cadets (OCdts) keen to travel to Iceland and complete the Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails. Exercise Dragon EMU Ice saw 16 OCdts and 2 instructors trek an 8-day expedition, walking the Laugavegur Trail, (55km long trail between Landmannalauger …
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On the 24th July 2022, 12 OCDTs and 3 staff from Oxford UOTC embarked on a 10-kayak expedition along the Ottawa River, Canada’s 8th largest. The aim was to provide lake and river-based training in a challenging environment, promoting teamwork and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones. Throughout this expedition the OCdts had the …
Blue Maple (Kayaking) 2022 Read More »
Officer Cadets from Cambridge University Officer Training Corps left Cambridge Army Reserve Centre at 11 pm on Monday 4th July and departed for France. We arrived at Dover in the early hours of Tuesday morning and arrived in Calais at 6 am. We then drove for a further 12 hours and arrived at the Campsite …
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On the 22nd of July, 13 Officer Cadets, two Mountain Leaders and one further member of staff, met at the Birmingham Army Reserve Centre (ARC) to begin the expedition with the aim of circumnavigating the Mont Blanc Massif following the Tour du Mont Blanc route. The original goals were to complete the 170km route in …
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East Scotland Universities Air Squadron Exercise Apennine Stag Post Exercise Report Introduction Adventurous Training (AT) as well as being fun and exciting, expands personal limits and improves operational capability because so many of the skills and characteristics it develops are directly transferable to frontline duties. However, AT comes at a price, especially if it is …
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From 9th to 19th July 2022, 8 participants and a Mountain leader from Birmingham University Officers Training Corps took part in Ex DRAGON SLIM SHADY an adventure training expedition that aimed to complete the GR20 Nord route in Corsica; a route known as one of the toughest in Europe. The route climbs up 2500 meters …
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In late June 2022, 12 members of the University of Birmingham Air Squadron travelled to Croatia, in pursuit of learning how to sail. We arrived in Split on the 25th of June, and the students along with four instructors then travelled to Sibenik, where our expedition began. In Sibenik, we picked up two yachts, the …
Croatian Lion 2022 Read More »
Between 13-19 June, 7 students from Northumbrian Universities Air Squadron hiked the northern segment of the infamous GR20 in Corsica, which is often described as one of Europe’s toughest treks. This expedition aimed to challenge our mental and physical resilience, placing us outside our comfort zone in a testing environment. The students carried all their …
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Ex FINN SKI CADET EXIGENT Val Thorens, France 19 – 26 Mar 22 26 OCdts, 4 staff and 5 instructors conducted an overseas ski Exped following easing of COVID restrictions. I was part of the planning over a number of months and with all overseas exercises cancelled over the past few years, it was a …
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DRAGON CALPE BLUE Cambridge UOTC Ulysses Trust Grant Id 02835 On the 13th February 2022, Officer Cadets from Cambridge University Officer Training Corps returned to Cambridge from a field exercise in Thetford. Tired from the weekend’s activity we were now sat in the mess awaiting a brief on the week that was to come. Once …
On the 5th of January 2022, East Midlands University Officer Training Corps and one member from Birmingham Officer Training Corps set off for the Scottish mountains, with 21 Army Officer Cadets, 2 Army Reserve Officers, 4 Instructors and 2 Trainee Instructors. Once we arrived in Kinlochleven, Glencoe, we were allocated to our instructors, issued a …
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On the 3rd of September 2021, 3 2nd Lieutenants, 25 Officer Cadets (OCdts) and one Permanent Staff instructor (PSI) from Sheffield and Leeds UOTC of the Yorkshire Officer Training Regiment travelled up to the Lake District for a week of Adventure Training, delivered by 6 coaches from both inside and outside of the regiment, and supported by …
Northern Lakes 2021 Read More »
The Exercise was oversubscribed from the start and the senior officer cadet had the unenviable task of getting the right mix of experience and enthusiasm within the crew. With three novices, one qualified competent crew and an ex sea cadet plus the skipper we met our Joint Services Adventure Sail Training Vessel ‘Placuna’ and embarked …
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EX DRAGON DEVIL was a 13-day trip involving 13 young OCdt’s in the Scottish Highlands. It not only allowed its participants to develop their outdoor experience, but also allowed them to gain their Summer Mountain Foundation qualification while creating lifelong friendships. Participants were challenged daily by covering distances of up to 30km per day, while …
Dragon Devil 21 2021 Read More »
After so long stuck in lockdown, with hardly any in-person training, and having had most of last year’s Adventure Training expeditions and all Easter training cancelled, the Officer Cadets were very keen to get going. Exercise Dragon Gold 21 took two groups of six Officer Cadets, two instructors and two support crew from Horton-in-Ribblesdale to …
Dragon Gold 21 2021 Read More »
