Page 83 - Wish Stream 2023 CREST

Exercise CAPE ESCAPE
Adventure training was something we all looked forward to. A nice way to cap off what has been a very intense term. Straight after doing a bit of drill for the King, we were off down to Cornwall for another challenge. We progressed from six blokes that couldn’t even get our ‘skirts’ over the edge of the kayak to being completely comfortable when capsized and learn- ing to ‘right’ ourselves with the assis- tance of another OCdt within just a few days. The biggest lesson for us all was learning to be comfortable in uncom- fortable situations and subsequently trusting our fellow OCdts. When being taught to capsize and wait for another boat to arrive so that you can self-right, you must remain calm. It’s safe to say the first few times a couple of us pulled the pin slightly too early. But by the end of it, we were all extremely comfortable being flipped upside down and calmly awaiting rescue.
The expedition took us from Falmouth, around the Lizard Peninsular, up the Fal Estuary and across to the Rose- land Peninsular. Each day exposed us to different challenges and the weather pushed us out of our comfort zone. On our second day we were pushed out
OCdt Stainton
of our comfort zone the most. When exploring the Lizard Peninsular, the wind picked up and standing waves kept us focused on not capsizing. We weren’t always successful and when we did tip, we relied on our trust in the training that we received the previous day and the team we had around us to work together and get everyone back in the kayaks and safe to continue.
Most importantly, the trip has demon- strated to us all the value of AT, not just how it can teach you all new skills but also how it brings you together and forges friendships. This is something we will all be taking to our respective units. It gives soldiers an opportunity to learn new skills and visit places they may never have had the chance to before. But AT is also relevant to the job we all train for. Expeditions aim to involve controlled exposure to risk, develop leadership, teamwork, physi- cal fitness, moral and physical courage, among other personal attributes and skills that are vital to operational capa- bility. It was not simply a jolly around the south coast of beautiful Cornwall but a week of testing ourselves and one that was highly rewarding.
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