Page 47 - Army Mountaineer Winter 2022

Mallaig. From here they travelled by ferry, a converted fishing boat, to Inverie, where they spent their first night under canvas, wild camping on the beach.
The following morning, shouldering packs with all their equipment and four days rations, they set off to trek to Barrisdale, inland and on the north edge of the peninsula, a perfect base for tackling the two Munros in the area, Ladhar Bheinn and Luinne Bheinn. The 14km trek covered rugged terrain, boggy in places and exposed rock in others, a challenge with loads averaging 22kgs. Everyone made it to their next campsite, pitched their tents, cooked dinner and prepared for the assault on Ladhar Bheinn.
Next day, now with lighter packs, they began 6 hours of difficult trekking and scrambling to reach the summit, which is 1020m above sea level and were rewarded by a fantastic panoramic view over the whole peninsula. The descent was a tiring journey back down the exposed rocky ridges but after a full-on mountain day of 12-14 hours, the team members were all back at the campsite for a well-deserved evening meal and long sleep.
After a big breakfast the next day, they broke camp and walked to Mam Barrisdale, a ridge which divides the peninsula. Here, some of the party
rested whilst the remainder dropped their packs and bagged their second Munro, summiting Luinne Bheinn (939m). The whole team then descended to Inverie and the beachside campsite. In total, it had been a 10 hour mountain adventure and a great achievement for those who had summitted. The final night on Knoydart was spent round a campfire watching a magnificent sunset and exchanging tales and reflections on their experiences.
The following day, they broke camp and walked the short distance to Inverie for brews and bacon butties before boarding the ferry back to Mallaig to catch a coach back to Dingwall. The rest of the day was taken up with cleaning and handing in kit,
then the most important part, the debrief and review session, enabling the cadets to reflect on what had been achieved, understand the transferable skills they had mastered and how much personal development they had experienced. They had not only enjoyed the experience but learnt a lot about themselves and others and experienced what can be achieved by teamwork.
The next day after breakfast they said their goodbyes and spread to the four winds, returning to their homes all over the UK, changed people. As one cadet said “Ex Knoydart Challenger has been the best experience of my life. I pushed myself physically and mentally beyond what I thought possible and have changed as a person because of it.” And one CFAV said “I watched a group of tired cadets (who had spent 12 hours on the mountain themselves) welcome a physically and mentally exhausted group back to the campsite later, put up their tents and cook them a hot meal. It demonstrated great teamwork, but more than that it showed compassion, emotional intelligence and servant leadership.”
I know mountain walking is at the lower end of the exciting mountain and climbing activities in which AMA members participate, but even at this low level, the full benefits of exposing young people to adventurous activities in challenging envi- ronments can be achieved. If you have any AT qualifications and would like to contribute to the personal development of deserving young people, type your postcode into the search function on ‘www.armycadets.com’ to find your nearest ACF detachment and volunteer!
ARMY MOUNTAINEER / 47