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Ulysses Trust Expedition - Ariege Evasion

Trekking, 'Ariege Evasion', French / Andorran Pyrenees, Jul 2011, ID 1136

Essex Wing ATC

Thirty-five cadets and staff from Squadrons throughout Essex Wing ATC have returned from a successful major two-week expedition in the French and Andorran Pyrenees.

The cadets, who had to undertake various training days and weekends in preparation for the demanding expedition, all had the aim of completing their Gold or Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions, with the underlying objective of researching and exploring the possible routes through the Pyrenees mountain range used by Allied servicemen escaping from occupied France into neutral Andorra during the Second World War.

The expedition began with the three groups who were doing their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions, embarking on a 3-day acclimatisation journey, in preparation for their assessed expedition in the high-mountains during the second phase of the expedition. Running concurrently were two teams carrying out their assessed Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions, along the picturesque Ariege valley.

All of the groups encountered some unseasonably torrential rain during this initial stage, but spirits were not dampened, and after returning to base-camp after completion of their respective journeys, the cadets enjoyed some rest days in warm sunshine, either resting or enjoying the thrill of downhill mountain biking and kayaking on the Ariege River (sse picture 3).

In the final stage of the expedition, the cadets doing their Assessed Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions begun with an epic one-and-a-half day climb from l’Hospitalet pres l’Andorre to the high-altitude mountain pass where the Andorran border lies. The teams had to be self-sufficient for the four days of their journey and had to negotiate difficult terrain (see picture 1), steep climbs, boulder-fields – combined with scorching heat (the weather having very much gone from one extreme to another) to make their way up to the border and down into Andorra where the WWII aircrew would have sought sanctuary. Along their route, the cadets reflected on how difficult it would have been for the servicemen to make the crossing in certainly much more challenging conditions, with sometimes little in the way of equipment or warm clothing and having to evade German sentries.

In the meantime the cadets who undertook their Silver expeditions in the first half, enjoyed a high-mountain experience of their own aimed at preparing them to undertake their Gold Awards, and in doing so carried out their own exploration of escape routes possibly used by the servicemen.

After returning to base-camp upon successfully completing their demanding journeys, the cadets spent their last two days in the Pyrenees enjoying another opportunity for rest and recreation, including more kayaking.

Before departing, the party spent some time in the peaceful gardens surrounding Tarascon’s war memorials, including the memorial to the Allied servicemen who escaped through the Pyrenees during the war and the members of the French resistance who assisted them. Cdt Cpl Rachael Broad of 2531 (South Woodham Ferrers) Sqn laid a wreath at the memorial (see picture 4), and a two-minute silence was observed in honour of the servicemen who lost their lives attempting to escape.

The expedition was a great success in delivering Duke of Edinburgh’s Award opportunities, 17 cadets completed their assessed Gold Award expeditions, and 8 cadets their Silver Award expeditions (with many of them completing their practice Gold expeditions as well). In addition, 7 cadets completed their Gold Residential Project, by assisting with catering and administration at the base-camp.

Enormous thanks are owed to the support of the Ulysses Trust and the RAF Charitable Trust, without which, it is unlikely that the expedition would have been viable.

Flt Lt Ellie Chinnery RAFVR(T), Expedition Leader

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Ariege Evasion/Kayaking on the River Ariege Ariege Evasion/Gold Group 2 negotiating difficult terrain Ariege Evasion/Gold group three on their assessed expedition Ariege Evasion/Wreath Laying in Tarascon Ariege Evasion/The team in Tarascon