Page 19 - Wish Stream Year of 2017

down on us in a cloudless sky. This time around we had to trek down to the waterfall, which pro- vided us with the most difficult stage of naviga- tion as the area was enclosed and overgrown. Once reaching the midway point of the waterfall, the path was not accessible and so we were forced to turn back.
Unfortunately like all good things, the trekking had to stop and the long journey back to Eng-
land had to begin. With flights not for a number of hours there was a chance to explore some of the city of Amman and meet some of the locals to gain an enhanced cultural experience of the country and its people. Overall, we found our- selves being pushed out of our comfort zones, testing our mental strength in the arduous heat, and developing our navigational skills in the most challenging environment.
EX HIGHLAND CADET was an AT Expedition to Scotland to conduct mountain biking on the trails surrounding Edinburgh and Fort
William.
Day 1 of the expedition was planned
to start at 0700hrs to depart from
RMAS. Our chariot for the week
was a 6.5-ton Ford Iveco van lim-
ited to 60mph, that was affection-
ately nicknamed ‘The Beast’ by
OCdt Baker. The other vehicle was
a Vauxhall Astra estate that was far
more comfortable and, more impor-
tantly, wasn’t limited to 60. We travelled up the M1 and A1 to Scotland, arriving behind the other car.
Day 2 started with a quick breakfast in town, fol- lowed by the team piling into our vehicles and travelling to Glen Tress trail centre. This charm- ing place is located about 40 minutes south of Edinburgh and the facilities were excellent. After a quick lesson on bike maintenance and basic techniques from our instructor, OCdt Harrison,
we geared up and began our ascent up the mountain. We quickly got to the summit, where there was a large skills park. Following this, the group climbed a little further up the mountain to
Exercise HIGHLAND CADET
We quickly got to the summit, where there was a large skills park.
attempt a challenging but short red route down the mountain, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Following this we took the blue run down the mountain back to the trail centre.
Day 3 was our last day in Edinburgh, and after a slightly later than antici- pated start, the group made their way to Innerliethen Trail Park. Upon dis-
embarking from the vehicles in the car park, the view up the hill was pretty intimidating. However, the group was motivated and we made our way round the red route. Morale was high and the trail was good, and although the weather was not particularly sunny the rain held off. After a brief lunch the team returned to the vehicles, and the drive to Fort William began.
Day 4 was a day of good weather, but fatigue was starting to affect some members of the
SANDHURST 17