Page 20 - 2023 AMA Spring

EXPEDITIONNEWS
EXERCISE DELAGO TIGER
24 Aug-11 Sep 2022
Exeter University Officers’ Training Corps takes leadership and resilience training to a whole new level in the Italian Dolomites. The experiences of five Officer Cadets tell the story
OCDT ZOE HENDERSON WRITES...
Over the university summer holidays, 30 Officer Cadets from Exeter UOTC with 12 instructors and support staff were lucky enough to find themselves on Exercise Delago Tiger; a leadership and resilience training exercise delivered through the means of a level 3 alpine mountaineer- ing expedition in the Italian Dolomites. The activities comprised multi-pitch rock climbing, Via Ferrata and trekking, and proved to be some of the most demanding leadership and resilience training that EUOTC could provide for its officer cadets, taking them far beyond their individual comfort zones. The group camped between two main campsites at the International Camping Olympia (next to the town of Cortina) and Camping Marmolada in Canazei.
Via ferrata in Italian means ‘Iron Path’, and there are hundreds of these protected routes among the Italian mountains. A metal cable stretches from the base of the mountain to the peak, where a group of four Officer Cadets and one instructor navigated themselves up, ensuring they are always clipped onto the wire using an activity specific Via Ferrata set. Via Ferrata is graded from A-E with A being the easiest. The climbs are split into sections of varying difficulty based on exposure, climbing difficulty and gradient. Climbs range from flat mountain trails where the wire acts merely as a handrail, to vertical cliff face climbs where the wire and gear protect climbers in the event of a fall. Here, nerves quickly escalate as you pre-
20 / ARMY MOUNTAINEER
cariously move your carabiners from one stanchion to the next before looking back at the drop below. In our group, over the course of the week, we summited the surrounding peaks whilst simultaneously exploring the tunnels and trenches carved out of the mountains during the conflict between the Austrians and Italians in the First World War.
During the second week, the via ferrata groups had the opportunity to plan and execute our own mini expedition, over- nighting in a mountain hut. Spending two whole days high in the mountains allowed us to see the most incredible sunsets and sunrises from our respective huts and experience the unique alpine glow of the Dolomites. Some groups were also lucky enough to spot the Dolomites’ unusual flora and fauna including edelweiss, marmots, and ibex. In particular, the groups that scaled the Marmolada Mountain may well have witnessed a once in a lifetime sighting as the glacier recedes each year with the rise in average tem- peratures. We were also acutely aware of the people who had lost their lives on the mountain only weeks before when a chunk of ice had broken off the glacier causing a rock fall on their path. Spending time on the mountain gave us a further level of appreciation for just how versatile and fragile our environment is.
During our time at Exeter OTC, we are always hearing how adventurous leadership and resilience training gives Officer Cadets the opportunity to step
outside of their comfort zone, challenge themselves both physically and mentally, develop friendships and lead from the front. This expedition really embodied those aims more than any other training I’ve been on, and we will benefit massively from the personal development that this expedition facilitated. The continuation of our OTC’s visits to the Dolomites will allow many more Officer Cadets to experience the immense power of the mountains and bounds of personal growth brought on by time spent among them. Those lucky enough to return will be able to continue to develop their mountaineering skills and possibly try out other activities such as multi-pitch climbing.
“This trip was only able to go ahead thanks to the AMA expedition grant. On behalf of everyone there, we couldn’t be more grateful for the incredible experiences it endowed.”
“It was an unforgettable first
day on the wire, learning to put your faith in your carabiners and the metal stanchions, it can be a mental barrier, but in trusting the equipment and that your boots will stick you can really start to appreciate the unreal beauty of the place. On my first day I remember our instructor Jamie exclaiming how via ferrata really did give humans the ability to go where no human had the right to be. That has really stuck with me, and I feel so lucky to have experienced such a special perspective of the earth from the mountain cliff faces and summits.”
OCdt Sam Feltham-White