Adventure
Training
Camp
by
Tom DunhamW
ell, what can I say
about Easter Camp
2008 other than the
fact that it was an
outstanding
success!! Being my
second time on the camp I naïvely thought that
maybe the experience would be dull and less
exciting than my memorable first outing, how
wrong I was! With an enormous range of
adventure training activities on offer including
rock climbing, hill walking and sailing to name
but a few, the week-long camp / holiday was
both tiring and exhilarating with activities that
spanned a wide base of interests, meaning noone
on camp was left disappointed at the
close.
From sailing on Ullswater to traversing the
breathtaking countryside that is the Lake
District, the cadets exploited all of the activities
of the Adventure Training Camp to their full
potential. Time in between activities was not
spend idly though, as admin became a routine
part of everyone's day in readiness for the next
adventure. I must thank Sgt Mason, Lt Belfield
and Lt Col Hart in particular for organising and
preparing all of the kit needed for the
expeditions and activities.
No matter what condition cadets came back in
(often soaking wet and cold), smiles were
always abundant, which was aided by the fact
that we had an excellent chef onboard, which
made all the meals a real highlight of the day.
Tales of brave and daring deeds were
exchanged over dinner tables with the
outstanding attempt by a select few to take on
the North Face Mountain bike trail (on their
less than adequate hire bikes) being a
favourite. Whilst the tale of the only naval
cadet on camp capsizing on Ullswater caused a
certain amount of merriment.
No matter what the exercise, all cadets on
camp performed wonderfully, encompassing the
very bravado that King's expects from its
pupils. It was an excellent final camp for Lt
Col Tim Hart who sadly leaves us at the end of
the Michaelmas term as Officer Commanding
King's College CCF. He will be sadly missed as
he has been a driving force in the CCF for a
long time, and the hole that he leaves will
certainly prove to be a hard act to follow.
For any prospective pupils toying with the idea
of attending the camp, especially those in the
4th form, I definitely recommend that you
attend, as the memories and tales gained from
such an experience will live with you for many
years to come. So without further ado bring on
Easter Camp 2009 …
Aluredian
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Photo: Harry Marshall