High winds, high plateaus, high adventure (but low water and creative instruction) maintained the ambitions of Ex Northern Jacobite Venturer (Ex NJV). Our now annual Scottish exploit is in it’s 7th year and is successfully delivering all five phases of a cadet’s five year development plan.
Exercise Northern Jacobite Venturer is a multi activity week designed to give cadets from Giggleswick School the opportunity to produce a tangible outcome to the adventure training elements of their cadet experience. Expeditioning in March and April in such wild areas of Scotland certainly exceeds the requirements of the DofE Awards but is made achievable by exploiting the additional leadership and determination that comes from non DofE training that the cadets receive such as leading close target recces or organising teams of junior cadets during summer camps. In addition, Giggleswick’s location in the Yorkshire Dales and the Giggleswick Certificate programme means that most students will have been over Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-y-Ghent, not to mention their day to day exposure to weather, giving them a greater exposure to inclement conditions than most, and lays the foundation for the challenge Ex NJV offers.
Second only to logistics are the challenges imposed by the weather. We have had 14” of snow and whiteouts at the valley floors, and days of blazing sunshine where one was overdressed in shorts. Our training this year was blessed with favourable weather, good visibility and wildlife including a golden eagle and a sea otter. Snow conditions required us to move high onto quite wet snow and our attempts to use the gondola were unsuccessful due to unpredictable winds.
· cadets completed a WMF platform for Gold DofE training
· 29 cadets successfully completed an SMF platform in preparation for their Silver Assessment
· 10 cadets (2 groups) completed and passed their Gold DofE expedition.
· 10 adults successfully gained update and best practice training (incl snow awareness lecture and risk management) working with MICs.
Lt Col Darren Richmond
