Surrey Army Cadet Force Online

During 2008 Surrey ACF cadets have had another successful year getting stuck into a number of activities training both in and on land, water and air. Some of these activities include Parachuting, Open Canoeing, Kayaking, Climbing, Camping, SCUBA Diving, Archery, Mountain biking and the odd Barbecue here and there.

As a part of our improving and ongoing adventure training programme many staff are investing their time in taking up qualifications to instruct in these areas. This is great news for the organisation and especially for the cadets. Some of our senior cadets are continuing to take the opportunity to visit the Cadet Centres for Adventure Training (CCAT) which is based at three key locations in the UK, Cwrt y Gollen in Wales, Crickhowell in Yorkshire and Dingwall in Scotland. The Centres provide cadets with week-long courses that are fantastic value for money. For further information on Cadet Centres for Adventurous Training see the www.armycadetadventure.info website.

The articles on this page give an indication of the wide range of activities now available to Surrey cadets.

To view a larger image, just click on the thumbnail images on this page.

To see the 2009 Adventure Training Programme click here.

:: Scuba Diving In Egypt July 2008

Surrey ACF can now list scuba diving on its list of activities following the success of the recent diving expedition to Egypt .

The expedition saw 66 cadets and instructors from across the county complete pre-qualifying dives in the UK before venturing to Sharm-el-Sheik on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt to complete their PADI Open Water diver course in the Red Sea . With temperatures nudging 54 degrees centigrade on the boats the going was tough so the each dive was a welcomed break from the heat. Each diver completed 2 dives per day for 5 days with an optional night during included in the package. At the end of day 2 everyone had completed their diver certification and became PADI qualified divers.

With crystal clear waters and some of the best coral in the world the team were spoiled with a variety of marine life which included trigger fish, glass fish, octopus, sea turtles, Spanish dancers, moray eels, clams and an oceanic white tip shark, but the highlight of the week was when a report of a shimmer of whale sharks came through on the boat radio. As the boat raced to the scene we all prepared our diving kit and were not disappointed to find 4 whale sharks swimming close to the surface amongst a bait-ball of sardines. These huge and beautiful fish were incredibly comfortable with our presence as we swam to within a couple of feet of them.

The final aspect of the expedition was to help put back a little bit of what we had gained from this beautiful part of Egypt by doing a beach clean-up in the protected Ras Mohamed national park. As a site for nesting turtles the beaches of this area are out-of-bounds to all, but we were allowed access for a couple of hours to clear away as much rubbish as possible. Despite the heat, we managed to clear 130 sacks of rubbish to do our bit for conservation. This was followed by an informative presentation from the park rangers who explained to us how protecting the area had led to an improved environment to allow wildlife on and off the land flourish, as well as looking at new initiatives to help protect the coral.

The final day saw the team have a well deserved splash about at the local water park before the long flight back to the UK . Many of those that participated were asking how they can continue diving in the ACF, so watch this space.

:: Capel Curig 2008

Over the weekend of 23^rd March 2008, 40 Cadets and 15 Staff from Kent and Surrey ACF went back to Capel Curig for the second year running for 2 days of Mountaineering, Kayaking and Canoeing. The group was split over the two days and were able to visit both the water and the hills during the Easter weekend. The mountain chosen was Carnedd Moel Siabod, ideally situated just east of the camp and offering easy access away from the more popular routes. The day started with an easy woodland walk in along the river Afon Llugwy. After about 30 minutes the path meandered up to an old disused quarry that provided a good opportunity to take a break and ponder over the history of the site and try to work out what each building would have been used for. From here we started the first steep section up the south side of the ridge overlooking Llyn Foel Tarn before reaching a plateau at about 700 metres above sea level. A fresh dusting of snow and a chill in the air had us eating lunch huddled together in groups of eight under our bothy bags. After lunch we continued at a leisurely pace to the summit topping out at 872 metres. We could have not picked a better two days for venturing onto the hills with the gift of fresh snow overnight, brilliant sun and blue sky during the day. The views of Snowdon and her surrounding mountains were spectacular. It was indeed hard for us to leave for the quicker descent down the north eastside of the ridge into Plas-y-Brenin and on to a local café for a cup of tea.

For the kayaking we picked Llynnau Mymbyr Lake at Plas-y-Brenin National Mountain Centre offering easy access to the water and shelter from the wind in some places. After a couple of hours back on the water and suitably refreshed the team continued east down along the river Afon Llugwy back to camp portaging at keys points to avoid the waterfalls. Again much fun was had by all with the extra experience of journeying along moving water taking in the views along the way. The food and accommodation at Capel Curig were ideal for groups of cadets and the centre was ideally situated adding all in all to a good fun weekend.

:: Adventure Training Dates for 2009

Adventure Training dates for 2009 are given in the table below. For full details you can print off a copy of the programme. Cadets should apply through their Detachment Commander.

Click here for a copy of the programme: Adventure Training Programme as a PDF

Please note the Pyrenees Trip has been cancelled for 2009.

Date 2008	Activity	Location	Places	Cost	Apply By
20/3 to 22/3	Bronze D of E Practice and 2 Star Foot Expedition	South Downs, Surrey	50 cadets	£12	4/3/09
10/4 to 13/4	Staff and Senior Cadets Activity. Surrey and Kent ACF multi activity long weekend. Options Walking, Climbing and Kayaking.	Capel Curig, Snowdonia	Staff F 3 Staff M 4 Cadets F 8 Cadets M 12	£18	11/3/09
24/4 to 26/4	Bronze Expedition Assessment (Walking)	South Downs, Sussex	50 cadets	£12	8/4/09
1/5/to 4/5	Silver D of E Practice & Assessment Expedition (Walking) and 3 Star APC Expedition	Brecon, Wales	Staff 4 Drivers 2 Cadets 26	£18	8/4/09
16/5 to 17/5	Trial Dive (Discover Scuba)	Pirbright Barracks	50 cadets each day	£10	5/5/09
25/6 to 3/7	Egypt Diving Trip (2) Advanced Open Water Course	Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt	Qualified Divers Only NOW FULL	£538 Dive Package	28/1/09
25/9 to 27/9	Open Canoe Expedition 2 Star Paddling Certificate Training and Bronze D of E Expedition Practice	To Be Confirmed	D of E Only	£12	9/9/09
2/10 to 4/10	Open Canoe D of E Assessment Expedition Bronze	To Be Confirmed	D of e Only	£12	9/9/09

To ensure that Cadets are allotted places and the logistics for events can be coordinated in time, please note that no late bids will be accepted. Once a place is taken Detachments will be expected to pay. Money will be collected by the CATO on arrival from either the individual or Detachment representative. Cadets will not be able to participate without payment. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Thank You, SMI Dan Stacey.

:: Achievements 2008

Event	Location	Participants	Qualification	Passes
Bronze D of E practice and 2 star APC Foot expedition	South Downs Way, South Harting	27	2 Star APC passes 24 Bronze Practice 26	50
Bronze D of E assessment and 2 star APC Foot expedition	South Downs Way	29	Bronze Assessment Passes 29	29
Silver D of E practice and 3 star APC Foot expedition	Brecon, Wales	19	3 Star APC 18 Silver Practice 14 Silver Assessment 5	37
SCUBA Diving Expedition	Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt	66	PADI Open Water PADI 58 Advanced Open Water 2 PV 1 Digital Photographer 1 Master Scuba Diver 1 BSAC Sport Diver 1	64
Level 2 Open Canoe Coaching Assessment	CCAT Halton	2	2 OC Level 2 Certifications	2
Summer Mountain Proficiency SMP	CCAT, Cwrt-y-Gollen Wales	4	SMP 4	4
Summer Mountain Proficiency SMP	CCAT Dingwall Scotland	4	SMP 4 Gold D of E Practice Expedition 4	8
Basic Rock Climbing	CCAT, Cwrt-y-Gollen Wales	2	BRC	2
Open Canoe/Kayak Training	Keogh Barracks	36	1 Star Kayak/Open Canoe 36 2 Star Kayak/Open Canoe 1	37
Introduction to A/T Kayak, Canoe, Climbing, Archery, Obstacle Course, Mountain Biking.	Lydd Hythe Kent	91	0	0
Introduction to A/T	Annual Camp, Salisbury Plain	300	0	0
Joint Senior Cadet Weekend Kent and Surrey ACF mountaineering, Climbing, Kayaking and Open Canoeing.	Capel Curing, Wales	40	0	0
SCUBA Diving	UK Training, Wraysbury	PADI Rescue Diver 2	PADI Rescue Diver 2	2
SCUBA Diving	UK Training, Vobster Quay	PADI Advanced Open Water	PADI Advanced open Water 2	2
			Total	248 Qualifications

:: Capel Curig 4 - 7th May 2007

The weekend went ahead with 25 Cadets and 6 Staff from Surrey making up half of the number attending, the other half comprising cadets from Kent ACF. We began the Saturday with two groups of staff and cadets who were broken down into teams. Over the Saturday and Sunday these groups undertook a day walking on the mountain and a day kayaking on the lake. The weather was scorching hot on the Saturday but turning overcast and rained on the Sunday afternoon giving a varied feel to the training

The cadets completed a fantastic walk on the mountain, starting from the Ogwen car park and taking the path up to Glder Faw in just under 2 hours. From there the teams traversed onto Glder Fach to the cantilever stone. The Saturday group then descended a deep screed gully and then climbed up onto the famous peak of Tryfan to top out at the Adam and Eve stones before starting the steep descent to the car park in 1 hour and 45 minutes. The Sunday group continued from Glyder Fach and traversed east to Capel Curig taking in the fantastic views of Llanberris. Two cracking full on days which everyone enjoyed and felt a sense of personal achievement.

2007_0506BronzeandCapil070008.JPG (854548 bytes)

2007_0506BronzeandCapil070011.JPG (853161 bytes)

2007_0506BronzeandCapil070014.JPG (841386 bytes)

2007_0506BronzeandCapil070015.JPG (847464 bytes)

The kayaking was very popular and was held at two locations, these being the lake at Blas Y Brenin and Llanberis. The locations changed depending on the wind. During the day the cadets undertook different skills and fun paddles. This culminated in nine cadets from Surrey and eight from Kent passing their one star Kayaking certificates

All in all, a very good weekend was had by all the Cadets and the twenty one staff who went. The accommodation was very well kept and included excellent drying rooms and very good food. Next year we are planning to continue this event by going back for four or five days and expanding the training to include other activities for our cadets to enjoy.

SMI Dan Stacey
Adventure Training Officer

:: Duke of Edinburgh's Award & Army Proficiency Certificate Expeditions

Adventure Training is part and parcel of both the Army Proficiency Certificate and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Adventure Training expeditions are a requirement of both schemes and one of the prime reasons the Adventure Training cadre was initiated. During 2006 the following expeditions were undertaken:

Duke of Edinburgh's, Bronze

South Downs Way, May 2006 :- 18 cadets passed their 2 star APC Expedition and 7 cadets undertook their practice expedition.

Duke of Edinburgh's, Silver

Brecon, April :- 3 cadets passed silver practice expedition.

Annual Camp, Duke of Edinburgh's Silver & APC Expedition

26 Cadets passed their 3 star APC Expedition. 2 Cadets used this to qualify for their Bronze expedition. 14 completed their Silver Practice Expedition

All 1 and 2 Star cadets had the chance to do 1 or 2 days Adventure Training on camp this year. Activities included Sailing, Kayaking, Canoeing, Archery, Paint-balling, Beach Body Boarding, Climbing and Abseiling as well undertaking a two day expedition.

At Annual Camp many more cadets signed up to take the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. There are currently about 97 Cadets in the scheme, a big improvement over last year.

:: Staff and Cadet Instructor Training

Staff and senior cadets have attended a number of Adventure Training Courses throughout the year around the UK to train and qualify for AT activities. Some of the qualifications achieved in 2006 include.

Capt T. Hayter	Level 2 Open Canoe Coach 4 star Open Canoe Certificate.
Captain D. Shipton	Summer Mountain Proficiency Mountain Leader Trained Open Canoe Foundation Kayak Foundation Course 3 Star Kayak Certificate Site Specific Climber High Sports Canoe Safety Test.
Lt J. Brand	Summer Mountain Proficiency Mountain Leader Trained Kayak Foundation Course 3 Star Kayak Certificate Canoe Safety Test.
SI T. Bottomley	3 and 4 Star Kayak Certification Canoe Safety test renewal.
SMI D. Stacey	Level 2 Kayak Trained 3 and 4 star Kayak Certification.
Cadet J. Arnold	3 and 4 star Kayak Certification Open Canoe Foundation Kayak Foundation Course,
Cadet Under Officer K. McDermott	Open Canoe Foundation 2 Star Open Canoe 3 Star Kayak Certification.

The following attended the Winter Skills Week at Cameron Barrack Inverness

Capt J. Marsh	Winter Mountain Proficiency
AUO D. Crafter	Winter Logbook Days
SMI D. Stacey	Winter Logbook Days
SI T Bottomley	Winter Logbook Days

CCAT Course Cadets

Five Cadets attended a CCAT week in April at Crwt y Gollen Wales

Greg Wilkinson	Summer Mountain Proficiency
Kaysen Asante	Summer Mountain Proficiency
Theodore Wilkie	Summer Mountain Proficiency
Sophia Fong	Kayak Foundation Course

Four Cadets attended a CCAT week in October at Halton

Ashley Clarke	Open Canoe Foundation Course 2 Star Open Canoe Certification a Canoe Safety Test.
Louise Crothall	Open Canoe Foundation Course 2 Star Open Canoe Certification a Canoe Safety Test.
Greg Wilkinson	Open Canoe Foundation Course 2 Star Open Canoe Certification a Canoe Safety Test.
Mary Hughs	Open Canoe Foundation Course 2 Star Open Canoe Certification a Canoe Safety Test.

:: Obstacle Course

:: Scuba Diving

:: Mountain biking

:: Archery

:: Rafting

:: Climbing

:: Snow Hole

:: Climbing

:: Mountain Biking

:: Rock Climbing

:: Canoeing