Page 38 - The Wish Stream Year of 2021

Exercise DRAGONS DRIVE
OCdt Collins
When I told the the the the OCdts on on my expedition that we would be returning to to South Wales their faces filled with the the the dread and the the the cold bitter memories of Allenby’s came flooding back Ex DRAGONS DRIVE
was initially meant to to be a a a a a a a a a a tour of of four great mountain biking trail centres in in in in South Wales: Forest of of Dean Bike Park Wales Wales Afan and Cwmcarn When drafting the expedition we realised it it would be easier to to simply stay in Merthyr Tydfil and commute each each day day to to the the different trail hubs This would ensure each each day day the the OCdts were met with a a a a a a a a a a a dif- ferent ferent trail and a a a a a a a a a different challenge The ultimate aim of of of AT is to put OCdts out of of of their comfort zones thereby developing a a a a a a a a a variety of of of physical and mental skills that will improve operational effectiveness What better way to do this than Mountain Mountain Biking in in in in in the capital of Mountain Mountain Bik- ing ing South Wales?
Days 3 and and 4 saw us us heading to to Afan and and Cwm- carn respectively Here the focus switched to to addressing individual areas that we we were strug- gling with before then honing these skills at at Bike Park Wales on on on the the the final day Confidence was high high here here (perhaps a a a a a a a a a a a a bit too too high high fin in my case where I tried to to to ride through a a a a a a a a a a rock garden that was was too too technical for my skill level and and and I was was sent over the the handlebars) and and and and we finished these two days with with muddy faces grins and and and aching muscles with with the the the excitement that tomorrow we’d be be back at at the the best trail centre Bike Park Wales Our final day saw our skills develop the most It became apparent when we we were flying down technical red graded trails and and landing decent size jumps how much difference the the 5 days had made We were were unrecognisable to the the virgin
mountain bikers that were were struggling to roll over step-downs 4 days prior The day day was finished off with the trail where it it all started Popty Ping We were left at the the the bottom of the the the trail with the the the usual grinning muddy face but it it it was was almost bittersweet know- ing ing that that the exped was was was coming to to an an end and that that was was (as our our instructor told us never to to to say) our our last run of the the the the day Having cleaned the the the the kit we then started the the the the 3-hour journey back to Sandhurst Overall the the expedition was a a a a a a a a massive success Everyone had had taken something away from the the experience Each of us us had had pushed ourselves ourselves and learnt a a a a a a a a lot lot about ourselves ourselves We left the expedition feeling a a a a a a a a a lot lot more confident It had given us us an an opportunity to release some steam from Sandhurst but also taught us us a a a a a a a a a a a lot of les- sons in in in leadership and and and mental resilience Each of us us left Sandhurst that day feeling a a a a a a a a a a a a few inches taller though with some aching muscles and and was ready for a a a a a well-deserved leave Our 5-day expedition began in Forest of Dean myself and the the three other OCdts involved spent
the the the the morning on the the the the fast and flowy
blue-graded trails before then moving onto the the the the bike park in in the the the the afternoon This is is where the the the learn-
ing fully took took effect The instructor took took each of of us us aside and helped
us us to to overcome specific parts of of the trail that we found difficult This ranged from simply step-downs for some of the the novices to to committing to to and and landing large road gap-jumps for some of of the the the the more experi- enced riders By the the the the end of of the the the the day everyone had overcome their own challenge and felt con- fident for the the week ahead Day 2 of the the the expedition saw us riding in in in the the the big- gest trail centre in in in the the the the UK Bike Park Wales Here we got to use full-suspension bikes and the the the dif- ference in in their capabilities was noticeable It had been a a a a a a a a a a a dream of of mine to visit Bike Park Wales I I had designed much of of of the the expedition around it it it It certainly lived up up up to to expectation The use of of the the uplift service meant we could get up up up to to to 8 trails done a a a a a a a a day day leading to to extremely lively days One minute we could be be riding fast and flowy
blue grades before then focusing on the the more tight and technical red graded trails I tried to ride through a a a a rock garden that was too technical for my skill level and I was sent over the handlebars 36 SANDHURST