In September 2015, Northumbria University Officer Training Corps undertook a level 3 Summer Mountaineering expedition in Yosemite National Park, California. 18 officer cadets and subalterns participated in the exercise, gaining the Summer Mountaineering Foundation qualification for those who needed it, led by three ML(S) instructors from amongst the permanent staff. The trip consisted of an 8-day trek through Yosemite’s wilderness, with a preparation day and then 1½ days’ R&R in San Francisco on the way home. It was an outstanding venue for a trekking expedition and gave the officer cadets a great taste of one of the benefits of Service life – taking a dip in the pristine mountain streams at the end of each day was one of those ‘priceless’ luxuries that has to be earned and cannot be bought.
The unit chose to conduct the trip in mid-September, when the oppressive heat of the summer was over but before the Park closes in late-September. Even so, the sheltered valleys we found during the first week of the exercise the temperature made carrying bergans very uncomfortable and some of the groups enjoyed an extended lunch break (and often a swim) to guard against heat injuries. We enjoyed T-shirt and shorts weather for all but one day when we had a little rain, though it’s advisable to be prepared for more challenging conditions. One of the factors involved in route selection was the availability of running water, and plans had to be confirmed or altered during the trek as the occasional walker told us whether streams shown on the map were still running or had become dry. As well as steritabs each group carried a water purifying pump and these were essential on several occasions.
The remoteness of the routes added an extra dimension to the trip. Our mobile phones got no signal at all and so the quickest way to seek help would have been for group members to run for 1-2 days to the nearest camp sites. Whilst it was good for the students to experience this sensation, it was a major factor for all of the group leaders’ dynamic risk assessment.
The Park authorities enforce strict limits on the number of people heading into its backcountry. The groups had to travel and make camp separately and each had to carry the ‘wilderness pass’ that we’d bought from the Park’s website. Its Rangers patrol the routes and will occasionally ask to check for these passes, with fines imposed if you’re found without it. There are also important rules that prohibit camping close to a trail or water-source, camp fires other than designated spots and leaving any litter or loo paper at any wild camp site, all designed to maintain the ecology and wilderness experience for the future. I personally was a little sceptical of these visitor quotas at the start of the trip, but after only 24 hours in the wilderness I realised that this is what makes Yosemite a special environment and genuine privilege to be there. The abundance of insects, birds and small mammals is stunning, and of course leads to the presence of the larger animals that we saw including coyotes, racoons, marmots and deer – one of the students was woken by a coyote licking her face in the same way as a friendly pet. We heard wolves howling at night but didn’t see them, nor indeed a bear. Yosemite is home to a large population of Brown Bears, though none of the more dangerous Grizzlies, so food/wash kit/sun cream always has to be in ‘bear canisters’ that are stored away from the site at night. We rented the canisters from the Park but they did add an extra challenge to our already-chocked bergans.
The groups chose slightly different routes but with the same drop-off and pick-up points, covering 6-10 miles each day and climbing to approximately 3,600m above sea level. Our routes began at White Wolf camp-ground, went via Tuolumne Meadows (topping up our food/fuel), and ended at Little Yosemite Valley camp-ground (located beneath the epic sight of Half-Dome), with one group summiting Mount Hoffman. None of the terrain was technical in any way or could be regarded as even Grade 1 Scrambling. Since the trip was at the end of the summer, all of the rivers and streams were running low so there were no problems in crossing these other than perhaps a wet foot for the careless.
The town of Yosemite Valley attracts the majority of tourists and a meal of burger and chips washed down with a few beers was very welcome after several days in the wilderness. Everyone enjoyed an afternoon to relax and reconnect to the outside world on wifi, there was a chance to view the mighty El Capitan and then to mix with a few other adventurous types (including El Cap climbers!!) during a BBQ on our campsite that evening.
R&R consisted of 1½ days in San Francisco; this is the best airport to use and there is a 5 hour journey from the city to the Park. The camp-sites at the trailheads have to be booked in advance on the Park’s website, thus ensuring you have time to get through the ‘no wild camping’ zone around each trailhead. Accommodation for R&R was in the Amsterdam Hostel – an ideal facility for our group with free ‘cook-your-own pancakes’ and unlimited coffee for breakfast, and the ability to store our ‘dancing kit’ while we were in the Park. One of the officer cadets had pre-booked tickets for the whole group to visit Alcatraz (a must in San Fran) and we also attended a baseball game to enjoy a taste of American culture. Some of the party visited a selection of the local hostelries but the combination of a strictly enforced over-21 policy and high drinks prices meant that beer n pizza was a better option for our evenings. Some officer cadets took the opportunity to have a personal holiday in the USA, leaving the exercise at the end of R&R and catching a later flight home (at no extra cost); small groups broke away to visit Los Angeles, the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas and other National Parks, all eventually making their way back the UK without incident (that we know of…yet!).
