Page 37 - The Wish Stream Year of 2021

Exercise SANDHURST CAVERN
CADET
– An Adventure
C C ing ing Course OCdts would have have felt the the the the the pressure some of these can have have on your senses and and the the the added vigilance and and courage needed to work through it However few would experience all of these at one time Those who undertook Ex SANDHURST CAVERN
CADET
the the the Intermedi- ate Term’s Caving expedition had the the the privilege of being these few The adventurous training took us us to to the the small village of Tosside on the the the border between North Yorkshire and Lancashire which was the the base for our week of underground exploration We were very much reliant on on on the the the instructor on on on the the the first day to to manoeuvre down through the the the passage- ways until we came across an an opening with a a a a a a a a a a a a waterfall – something which felt very Jurassic World (and not only because of OCdt Wilkes stellar dinosaur impression) This first day taught us what to to expect when it it came to to caving – a a a a a a a a a a a multi- discipline sport with a a a a a a a a a a a variety of challenges to to overcome as as as well as as as how damp these caves can become when the the decision was made to to in Claustrophobia
OCdt Welsh
leave via a a a a a a different route in in this case using the river entrance to crawl out out of The next day took us us through some of of the the rope techniques we we would use for the the the remainder of of the the week utilising a a a a a a a local caving society’s facili- ties to learn and improve our skills before hitting the the the next caves Wednesday certainly brought claustrophobia to to to to the the the the forefront with the the the the entrance to to to to to the the the the cave being large enough to to to to to crawl into and needing the the the group to to to to shimmy through by side stepping and and then climbing up up and and down a a a a cou- ple of of sheer drops The remainder of of the the week was not as as confined but focused more on on our rope skills climbing from rock rock to to to to rock rock to to to to get to to to to a a a a point where we could then start to to to to descend The highlight was a a a a a a a a a a a descent through a a a a a a a a a a a waterfall add- ing ing additional challenges to something we had already deemed quite perilous Overall caving is for those who have enjoyed their time doing AT and want to to combine a a a a a a a a a a few of the the the skills they have learnt into an an an individual sport If you find rock climbing easy try doing it it with just a a a a a a a headtorch to to to to see and only a a a a a a a small ledge to to to to to move around on on to to to to to set yourself up for your your descent! Thank you you you to to to to 2Lt Charlie Howe REME for taking the the the time to to instruct us over the the the course of the the week old wet dark cramped and acrophobic Many people have experienced these in in the the the the past and even during the the the the Commission-
SANDHURST 35