Page 23 - Wish Stream Year of 2018

confidence and the dives became more enthral- ling as we plunged to new depths. Highlights included diving the wreck of the HMS Maori, a British destroyer which served in the Mediterra- nean fleet during the Second World War.
The diving course was a resounding success as everyone passed their final exams with flying colours and received their respective qualifica- tions. However, the highlight of the expedition was saved for our last full day in Malta. One of our number (OCdt Tonna) is an international cadet from Malta and very kindly arranged a visit to his barracks. We were greeted and given an extensive tour by the extremely professional and knowledgeable Lt. Borg.
We were then privileged enough to have the band play for us out on the parade square; this was a truly emotive experience as the band marched up and down the huge square in the hot sun, sur- rounded by palm trees and impressive colonial
architecture. We were then invited into the mess for tea and coffee, where we had the opportu- nity to chat to a number of officers about their experiences in the Maltese Armed Forces. It was a great opportunity for the group to do some defence engagement and build relationships with our Maltese contemporaries. It was particu- larly interesting to speak to a Colonel who was a cadet at RMAS almost 30 years ago (yet still remembered his colour sergeant in great detail!).
The reason I believe our trip was a success was not simply because we gained our diving qualifi- cations. Yes, we had a fantastic learning experi- ence and developed new skills which we will be able to use our entire lives; however, we were a successful exped because I genuinely feel as though we fully immersed ourselves in the Mal- tese culture. Every single expedition member stepped out of their comfort zones in order to meet new people, eat new food, and travel off the beaten track.
Exercise SEA TO SUMMIT CADET
EX SEA TO SUMMIT CADET was an alpine ski touring expedition with two aims: the first was the delivery of SF3 to its participants,
and the second was to ski up and down three peaks from sea to summit.
Excellent instruction, four days of perfect con- ditions and a relatively high standard of skiing from all cadets ensured that both of these aims were achieved. The expedition’s remote loca- tion in the north of the Lyngen Alps – over an hour’s drive from the nearest town
‘stretch zones’ at certain times, most memora- bly displaying physical courage by teetering pre- cariously on one leg above a 300 metre face in order to implement one of the newly mastered ‘kick turns’ on Lille-Galten.
The final two days were divided into legs led by each OCdt. This allowed for each OCdt to develop leadership, decision-making, and navi- gation skills in a real-life position of authority, which simulated operational challenges of com-
– imbued cadets with a tangible sense of exposure both on and off the mountains. Over the week, the routes increased in difficulty with all cadets being pushed into their
The cadets also displayed excellent endurance...
mand. The cadets also displayed excellent endurance and strength of character in climbing 3800 ver- tical meters over the week, well above the vertical climb achieved in an average SF3 course.
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