The mission of the OTC includes developing leadership potential, creating a positive impression of the Army and promoting military service. I can’t think of many more apt ways of doing all of this than through adventurous training (AT). Hence,Sheffield OTC run AT during the students’ summer recess and this year we headed to the Dolomites of northern Italy to partake in Summer Mountaineering and Rock Climbing. Our group of 33 included students who were novices, some who already had a basic qualification and two of our own cadets who instructed. The programme allowed the novices to qualify in a foundation level summer mountain qualification and then develop further skills, for more experienced students to develop more advanced skills and for everyone not just to climb but to develop wider climbing awareness and rope-work skills. Here are three different perspectives on the exped.
OCdt Sam Marsh I really enjoyed the climbing aspect most of all. Learning about the emergency procedures was particularly useful. Knowing what you would do on the side of a mountain if you get into difficulty gives you confidence. Also it was great to be actually able to practice navigation. Using the map and compass is not something we get to practice very often. Within the navigation we each got to lead for a while. I enjoyed being in control and leading my group, making sure we didn’t get lost. The expedition has made me want to do more of this type of thing. The hardest day was when we planned on summiting Tofana Di Rozes. It was a long slog and felt like it was up hill all the way. The view from the refuge was good, but it was disappointing that the weather stopped us summiting. The instructors were really good; they made it loads of fun by being knowledgeable and engaging. I’ve always fancied becoming a ski instructor but after this trip I might consider getting more into climbing and instructing in that. The location was amazing with beautiful surroundings. While it’s nice to look at, this also made the terrain very challenging. This is probably the last trip I’ll get to do with the OTC so it was a fantastic one to end on!
OCdt Calum Taylor A couple of years ago I was fortunate to go on a similar OTC expedition to the Dolomites. Having had such a positive experience last time I was keen to recommend this region as 2016's destination. It's got so much to offer every level of climber and mountaineer. I have recently qualified as a Rock Climbing instructor, so this time, instead of going as a student, I was instructing. Instructing for your own Unit always adds another dimension to the challenges normally encountered when running adventurous training. When I realised I was going to be running climbing sessions for peers, friends and even housemates it's fair to say I felt extra motivated to try and provide the opportunity to both introduce novices to the sport and to challenge those with past experience. We soon discovered the Italians seem to take pleasure in underestimating the difficulty of climbing in the area with many apparently low grade routes proving to be real tests both mentally and physically. Whilst I benefited immensely from having the responsibility to plan and conduct each day's training, I was surrounded by other instructors with a wealth of experience running similar packages. I cannot emphasise enough just how greatly I have developed from being able to bounce ideas and receive advice from these instructors. As a result I feel that this trip has improved both my hard and soft instructor skills and has given me the confidence to look towards advancing my instructor qualifications.
OCdt Matthew King Throughout my time in the UOTC, I have been fortunate to already gain the qualifications of Summer Mountain Foundation (SMF) and Rock Climbing Foundation (RCF). This allowed me to nurture my existing skills whilst in the Dolomites in a variety of ways. Whilst on the rock face, alongside the routes for the day, OCdt Taylor gave us an introduction into abseiling including how to set up anchors, safety lines and the abseils themselves. This extension of knowledge was really interesting and beneficial, and helped to relate to real life examples where we might have to use this as part of safety procedures during the mountaineering expeditions that I often take part in. All the instructors on this trip were incredible, both socially and as the professionals in their respective disciplines. Whilst in the mountains, my group was lucky enough to head for some of the slightly more advanced routes, which enabled us to further our navigational skills over tough terrain and also to summit the local peaks in the area. Overall the two weeks spent in the Dolomites were very rewarding, as well as being great fun, and I would highly recommend this sort of expedition to anybody who gets the chance to go on one.
We’d all like to thank the Ulysses Trust for their financial support that helped make this trip possible.
