Page 73 - Wish Stream Year of 2019

Ex TATRAS CADET was a Summer Moun- taineering Expedition that took six Officer Cadets and two instructors to the Tatras
High Mountains in Poland. The aims of the expedition were to gain Quality Mountain Days in a challenging environment, develop hillwalk- ing and map reading skills, and to educate the Officer Cadets in the leadership and logistics of running an Adventurous Training overseas expe- dition, including all of the necessary paperwork and timescales. The expedition took place from 10th–16th August 2019, with five days dedi- cated to mountaineering.
The OCdt in charge of the trip was OCdt Patel. For the planning phase, he delegated several tasks to the team to ensure the expedition’s smooth running. Grant applications, transport and accommodation booking, equipment list and requesting loan pool and documentation were the main tasks that were completed by the team. With everything booked and kit packed, the team were met by the 44 Sqn coach driver at 0400hrs on the 10th August, ready to leave for Stansted Airport to begin the trip.
The team flew to Krakow, picked up their two hire vehicles for the week and drove into Zako- pane, where the accommodation was located. After moving in, visiting the local shop to stock up on food and water, and conducting final kit checks and route planning that evening, the team were ready to start their first day of moun- taineering the following day.
The first two days went very well; the team walked a 10km route on the first day, visiting
OCdt Patel
Glewont Cross along the way, and on the sec- ond day did the Kaprowy Wierch loop of 12km. In the afternoon of the second day, the team received a weather warning text which alerted of storms, hail and very strong winds expected overnight. It was decided that evening to follow a low-level route the following day, but unfortu- nately when arriving at the route start, the trail routes were closed by National Park security. The third day was left as an admin day for the team and allowed them to explore the markets and local town. The next day the weather had cleared, and so the team travelled to Morski Oko, where they conducted a 15km loop to visit the lakes. On the final day of walking, the team were feeling the pains from the previous day’s long climb, and so completed an easy-going 13km loop visiting Dolina Roztoki. The next day was the final day in Poland, so the team decided to wake up early to travel to Krakow and spend a few hours visiting local markets and make use of the town. The team then travelled to the airport and back to Stansted Airport where they were taken back to RMAS by 44 Sqn, and then left for a well-earnt leave.
In summary the trip taught the team some good learning points, including the importance of hav- ing flexibility and contingency plans when con- ducting AT, as it will not always go as planned. Most importantly, the trip gave an invaluable insight into the planning and preparation needed to run an overseas AT expedition, and is some- thing all Officer Cadets can take forward to their respective units upon commissioning from RMAS.
Exercise TATRAS CADET
SANDHURST 71