Page 52 - Wish Stream Year of 2018

Exercise COSTA CADET
OCdt Foster
As the Intermediate Term drew to its close, and with the days getting colder and shorter, eight Officer Cadets were delighted to be seeking some respite in southern Spain... or so they thought. Ex COSTA CADET was a rock climbing (scrambling and falling) Adventurous Training expedition from 16th to 22nd December 2018, based near Calpe, Alicante. The OCdts, from three different platoons, joined four climb- ing instructors for a short flight to Alicante air- port. An hour of adjusting to driving on the wrong side of the road saw the climbers move into their accommodation for the week – an impressive villa equipped with a swimming pool, barbecue, and small gym. This really set the scene for a good week of working hard during the day but relaxing and recharging in the evenings.
Day one was the test and adjust, to find eve- ryone’s head for heights, learn ropework tech- niques and to understand the fundamentals of sport climbing. For some of the OCdts this was just a shake out of previous climbing experience, but for a few this was completely new territory. The range of abilities created a good environ- ment in which OCdts could help each other develop their skills.
This slow and steady start didn’t last long, as on day two the climbers embarked on a multi-pitch climb named ‘The Magical Mystery Tour’ – owing to its initial abseil off a sea cliff (bypassing a rick- ety old fisherman’s ladder), exposed traverse then diverse ascent. This provided an excellent test of the skills that had been learnt and devel-
oped the day before, as well as a chance to work on the pre-Christmas tan! We all finished up tired but content with a long day on the rock, and ready to retire to the villa for a team cook up and a glass of sangria.
As the days progressed, the OCdts were exposed to the full range of mountaineering activities the area had to offer; hiking and scram- bling along a rocky ridge, a 13-pitch, day-long ascent, and slacklining over a swimming pool (definitely a valid activity).
When the final day of the expedition came around, no OCdt was left unchallenged, nor with much skin left on their hands. All had pushed themselves well into their ‘stretch zone’ on mul- tiple occasions, surviving and thriving. An added bonus to the expedition, beyond learning that the group’s collective Spanish is appalling, was the bringing together of members from differ- ent platoons that had previously not socialised together. The days spent dangling from a rock face together had allowed all to become good friends. It was a highly rewarding expedition to conclude the Intermediate Term of Sandhurst.
50 SANDHURST