On the weekend of the 25 th and 26 th of July, cadets and staff from 2030 (Elmdon and Yardley) Squadron took part in a wild camping experience in the Snowdonia National Park . After their recent advanced navigation course at the start of May, it was now time to put their new skills into practice, whilst experiencing all that wild camping had to offer.

The two day expedition begun early Saturday morning enabling cadets to arrive in Snowdonia at their start point, Llyn Eigiau Reservoir, at 09:00 . As this was an expedition in a mountainous environment, both cadets and staff were required to carry full packs in order to accommodate all the equipment needed to survive for both days. CI James Wakeman commenting ‘It was good practice to get used to wearing a full pack again'.

The weather was spot on for mountain walking with fantastic visibility. The days walk took them up through Cwm Eigiau and Gledrffordd, and up to Carnedd Llewelyn (1064m), Snowdonia's second highest peak, covering over 700meters of height gain. The view from the top was spectacular with visibility all the way out to the Irish Sea . Cdt Connor Brockhouse commented by saying ‘The relentless height gain was hard work but worth it to see the view from the top'. Throughout the day, everyone was tested on their map work skills, requiring them to pinpoint their position on a map to within 25 meters, not an easy task!

The descent took the cadets down to Dulyn Reservoir, stopping off at the peak of Foel Grach (976m) along the way. There they investigated the building of Dulyn Bothy, where they would be camping outside for the evening, Sgt (ATC) Emma Hart commenting on how useful a mountain Bothy could be in an emergency situation. Following a hands on lecture on the use of a mountain Bothy, and rules around wild camping across the countries within the U.K. , the cadets pitched tents, ate dinner and bedded down for the night.

The next day saw poor visibility and weather conditions hit the area. The day concentrated on slightly lower level micro navigation in adverse weather conditions which really tested everyone's skills throughout the day. Having completed the navigation exercises it was time to return to the vehicles. The weekend had been a success with the cadets not only developing their navigation skills but gaining valuable understanding and practical knowledge of wild camping in a mountainous environment.