Page 25 - Chiron Autumn 2017

to the low cloud base so we returned back to Buchenberg to practice some ying with minimal direction. We each achieved four ights after a delayed start and again the group progressed. The nale was impressive; having been briefed the day before to never y in rain, the large cloud above us was beginning to threaten. Four of us remained and Dickie made the call that if we were fast we could all make it. It would have to be a quick re launch and rapid descent. We had a split second to decide if we wanted to go and at this stage no one wanted to be the one to pack away their kit and go back down on the ski lift. So one by one in quick succession we launched off the hillside as the raindrops began to fall. Big ears were a necessity and a far cry from the previous day I pulled mine in at the rst available opportunity causing Alistair to cry ‘not yet Nina’. My fear disappeared completely and for the rst time on the
course I enjoyed every second, I ew near to other pilots no longer worried that they might make a freak swerve into my wing. I’m not sure whether it was misplaced con dence but it felt a lot nicer than being in a constant state of dread. The four of us ew a textbook ight path, with no complications and landed one after the other in the correct eld. It felt brilliant and we had passed the Club Pilot Course. The real test was the next day on a bonus ight, when I ew in strong winds down to the landing eld. I landed in a heap and was instantly whipped back up by my out of control canopy and dragged across the eld. The vulnerability of the sport’s participants struck me and I sunk back into to my old fears, swearing I wouldn’t y again. Thankfully my over arching feeling once the fear had subsided was a desire to continue and y again. My emotions and irrational thoughts, or my Inner Chimp, were contained.
Paragliding is a unique and unusual sport, which allows you to experience nature in its rawest form, following the birds to traverse dramatic ridges and stunning open countryside, thousands of metres above the ground. As you are frequently reminded you are the only human enjoying that view at that moment. The learning journey is slow and weather dependant and experience is key to keep you safe; in the initial stages you have to be supervised and you y only basic journeys, you can’t just give it a go in your own time or experience all that it has to offer. This was the rst real step towards comprehending the possibilities that Paragliding affords and I’m excited to be able to start experimenting back in the UK. I hope one day to run an expedition across Nepal, camping and ying over the Himalayan Mountains; a dream that is a long way off but I am now one step closer.
I recently spent 4 months providing veterinary cover for Cyprus Military Working Dog Troop. When I started talking about the possibility of buying a cheap, second-hand Kawasaki KLR and riding it back home, it created varied reactions. From support and enthusiasm, to some thinking I was downright mad, especially on a bike not designed for long distance travel.
As I donned my heavy motorcycle jacket in the 26 degree Cypriot heat, sat on the uncomfortable seat and set off, I couldn’t begin to imagine what awaited me, I certainly didn’t think I’d be facing 4 foot snow drifts and -5 degree temperatures in Kosovo (I de nitely hadn’t packed for it!). In fact, I wasn’t even sure if the authorities would let me cross the border into Turkey due to the bike’s Cypriot heritage. What awaited was an epic adventure, full of ups and downs - ying along off road trails in Turkey in glorious sunshine and running through the mountain forts of Kotor in Montenegro, to crashing in the Albanian backcountry with little prospect of help. Setting off having never ridden a motorcycle more than 100 miles at a time on UK roads, with little mechanical experience and my rst off-road venture in Cyprus ending in a lot of repair work, you could say I was underprepared for the trip. However, as with any type of adventure training or adventurous travel, the bene ts are through controlled exposure to risk and being put in situations which seem beyond your control, presenting problems you have to solve. Planning and organising, changing those best laid plans due to the situation, and dealing with dif cult challenges as they arise are skills which are applicable
to personal life, work life and especially on operations.
I must admit that there were a number of occasions where I truly thought I would not make it back to the UK on the bike, or at all, and I really questioned what I was doing in the middle of the Balkans alone and cold with a broken bike. Lying in a snowy ditch, up a deserted mountain pass with 200kg of motorbike and gear lying on top of me was not a particularly high point. However, through overcoming these challenges I am better able to tackle challenges in daily life. To that end I would recommend to anyone to get out there and make your own adventure. It is daunting; it seems out of reach; it may
even seem impossible – but it isn’t!
Buy that motorbike, disappear up that mountain trail and
head into the wilderness. Fortunately the Reserves has provided ample challenges and opportunities for adventure, like this one. It is about more than just the clinical veterinary work and it is why any Vet or Vet nurse out there should consider Reserve service.
The Long Way Home
By Captain Richard Harvey RAVC 101 MWD Sqn
CHIRON CALLING 23