From the 8th to the 13th of July, cadets from Pangbourne College and Denefield School embarked on an adventurous training expedition in North Wales. The Capel Curig Training Camp was the perfect setting for the many challenging activities designed to develop their teamwork and leadership skills.

The adventure began with an evening of paintballing in Snowdonia, a welcome activity after a long coach journey. The second day began with an exhilarating gorge walk up a stream and waterfall in the Conwy Valley. Despite wet weather, cadets eagerly rock climbed, jumped into plunge pools, swam, and navigated slippery terrain, demonstrating great enthusiasm and effort.

On day three, cadets faced the challenge of abseiling from a cliff edge near an old lead mine in Trefriw. This thrilling day ended on the high of watching England's victory in the Euros. 

Day four involved raft building, ropework, and orienteering around the picturesque lake of Llyn Geirionydd. Some staff even took a refreshing swim while supervising the cadets as they tested their rafts.

The fifth day was particularly memorable, featuring coasteering along the cliffs of Porth Dafarch on Holy Island, Anglesey, and a big abseil at Caffi’r Parc. Cadets shared their enthusiasm, with one saying, “I would never have done this unless I came on this trip.”

Due to rainfall, the final full day saw a change of plans, with cadets heading to Penrhos Bay in Anglesey for an action-packed day of rock climbing and abseiling. We extend our heartfelt thanks to North Wales Active for their exceptional leadership. And we are incredibly grateful to the Ulysses Trust for sponsoring the trip, making it accessible to more cadets. Additionally, we appreciate the dedication of all attending staff, especially SSI Paul Radford, whose hard work was crucial in planning this inspirational expedition.