Page 52 - The Wish Stream Year of 2021 (Crest)

Exercise PADDLING PROSPECT
OCdt Ingram
Ex PADDLING PROSPECT began on Sunday 12th December 2021 with the six OCdts meeting at RMAS to pack up the hire vehi-
cles before heading to Tescos to make a signifi- cant dent into the CILOR allocation, mere hours into the exercise. After a six hour drive up to Snowdonia we arrived at our accommodation, a lovely, secluded cottage no more than 30 min- utes from any of our paddling spots. That even- ing we met our civilian instructor for the first time and as the week went on, he very much became part of the group. He did, however, seem slightly bemused by our constant breaking of our “no shop talk” rule.
To achieve the K2F qualification, we had to learn a number of safety drills, including water rescues and capsize drills. OCdt Ingram, in par- ticular, was noted as flailing in an unbecoming manner during said capsize drills. As the week went on, the OCdts became more confident on the water, and we transitioned toward kayaking in white water which proved more challenging. With it being December, the time spent kayaking was limited by the lack of daylight. This meant that the group had ample time in the evenings to utilise the accommodation’s ample supply of board games, to varying degrees of suc-
cess. The group also enjoyed cooking together despite Mr Searby’s endless appetite leading to a daily requirement for a bacon replen for break- fast. One of these late-night bacon runs led to an unnamed member of the group reversing out of the driveway into a ditch. Fortuitously, our next- door neighbour had a tow rope, and we were very grateful for his help in pulling the car out.
All the OCdts, who took part, hope to build on their K2F qualification and complete more kay- aking qualifications once they get to their units. We are also very grateful to our civilian instructor, Matt, for putting up with our bickering and weird conversations and providing us with an informa- tive and enjoyable week of kayaking.
50 SANDHURST