Page 39 - Cadet Review Autumn 2024

FAIRBOURNE 2024
By Sergeant Marek Bucholc
From the 3rd to 10th August 2024, both Wings held their annual camp at Fairbourne with a total number of 49 cadets. The cadets were able to take part
in a variety of activities during the week such as Mountain Biking, Water Sports, Indoor and outdoor Rock Climbing, Cave Ziplining and low-level walks.
One of the most favoured activities among the cadets was mountain biking. We also had the opportunity to visit 'Coed-y-Brenin' which helped improve our trail ability, mountain biking up trails opposite Snowdon and having a relaxing ride between Fairbourne and Barmouth.
Towards the middle of the week, the cadets had the unique opportunity to go to 'Zip World'. This was an Underground Cavern where cadets spent time going along 13 Ziplines underground. They first started off with a training session which took place in a controlled environment and once completing, were able to go onto the main course.
Rock climbing was one of the most successful activities due to the majority of cadets reaching their NICAS Level 1 Award. To achieve this, cadets must have completed two Indoor Climbing sessions, Outdoor rock climbing and abseiling.
Another activity the cadets participated in was a low-level walk, they went on a 1.5hr expedition to improve their navigational skills which will help in the future for other expeditions such as DofE. This was the 'Precipice Walk' which was close to the camp.
Reaching the end of the week, cadets took part in water sport activities and had the option to choose between Kayaking, Canadian Canoeing and Paddle boarding. This allowed them to learn new skills and experience activities they have not done before.
One of the last activities was a visit to the local town Barmouth, to explore the seaside town, and do sport activities on the beach and grab local gifts.
Flight Sergeant Harrison Buckley of 2434 (Church Fenton) Squadron) said:
“Fairbourne 2024 was an unforgettable experience, pushing cadets outside of their comfort zone in a safe and controlled environment. By completing many different challenging outdoor and indoor adventure training activities, it built resilience, teamwork, and confidence, in addition to developing personal growth.”
CADET REVIEW AUTUMN 2024 39