Page 50 - Wish Stream Year of 2017

begin hill-walking on the Saturday. This involved driving through the night, and we did not get much sleep as a result. Upon arrival in Ariège in the early afternoon, we immediately began the walk. Despite an initial quick start with the whole group in good spirits and in fit health, soon mat- ters took a turn for the worse. Members of the group who had not climbed the likes of Mont Valier began to struggle at around 1,700m. A combination of being worn out from the previ- ous fourteen weeks of training, and the altitude, took its toll on three members of the group. The situation hit its worst when there was still 500m of ascent and over 3km of walking still to go. To add to the problems of the group, the fog started to come in and started to obscure vision, which with members struggling started to cause prob- lems. Luckily, individuals came to the fore to help those in need. We kept a member of the group with those who were struggling to observe and assess their situation and aid them getting up the mountain, while others proceeded ahead try- ing to find the best route to reach the refuge. It is fair to say that the whole team on the first day alone experienced the key element of AT: con- trolled risk (we all knew that if the situation got too dire we could return back down Mont Valier, and we had brought medical kits with us as well as details of the nearest medical facilities). Fur- thermore, the leadership displayed by different members of the team showed the value of the AT. Whether it was through navigation, caring for those in difficulty, or being a pace-setter, it gave a prime opportunity to display transforma- tional leadership, thus inspiring and motivating the struggling members to continue. Not only did the whole group reach the refuge, but the entire group managed to climb the final 500m up Mont Valier the next day, after which we quickly
conducted our descent. However, our AT did not end with climbing Mont Valier.
After the difficult first two days of the expedi- tion, it is fair to say the next few days did not provide the same exposure to controlled risk or require the same type of decisive leadership as was required during the ascent of Mont Valier. However, each occasion we walked (the walks were, for the third and fourth day, in the vicinity of Gite d’Etape d’Aunac, and Lescure for the final day) gave us the opportunity to practice key skills such as navigation. Equally, despite not being as arduous, these days were still not easy, including days where we would be carrying all our equip- ment with us on ascents of the hills of Southern France, and sleeping at refuges or campsites. On the whole, by the end of Wednesday we had all worked hard and reaped the rewards of the AT.
Finally, beyond the physical side of AT we also got to experience a part of the world few mem- bers of the group had been to before. We had the opportunity to see the city of Toulouse (how- ever, much of the time there was spent resting in preparation for the long journey back to the UK), sample French cuisine, and see what life is like for the rural population of Southern France. Fur- thermore, some members had a brief discussion of the history of the area, including the Battle of Toulouse of 1814.
Overall, the expedition was a great success and the members of the group learnt a lot about themselves and their capabilities and limitations over the course of the AT. We would like to thank the staff of RMAS for their support and advice through the planning process and the Sandhurst Trust who aided us financially.
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