This year, Warwickshire and Birmingham Wing have just completed another successful gold and silver expedition at the National Air Cadet Centre in Llanbedr. To utilise the facilities at Llanbedr Centre to the maximum, Warwickshire & Birmingham decided to commandeer an old converted barn in a nearby village where we stationed over night a number of staff, allowing us to provide more cadet spaces in the centre.

Throughout the 4 days the Cadets managed to develop their Navigational Skills, Leadership abilities, Sense of Team Sprit and gain a personal sense of achievement having walked over 50 miles and scaled some of Wales most magnificent and challenging mountainous ranges.

This year also saw Warwickshire & Birmingham Wing achieve a Duke of Edinburgh best, with a 100% pass rate and no cadet retiring from the hills with an injury or lack of motivation to carry on. Cdt Peake from 1368 (Warwick & Royal Leamington Spa) Sqn explained: " it can be mentally challenging as well as physically, but the team camaraderie drives you on and that failure isn't an option."

The week at Llanbedr also included a variety of staff development assessments which saw Flt Lt Elliot Hemes of 492 ( Solihull ) Sqn, achieving his Gold Assessor Status and Service Instructor Simon Watson from 1368 Sqn, completing his Basic Expedition Leaders Award.

Flt Lt Stuart Iles Wing Adventure Technical Training Officer said: " It's essential that we maintain our staff development so we can continue with our Adventure Training and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Schemes for many years to come. The Llanbedr centre is an excellent place for Duke of Edinburgh expeditions because it has a vast diversity of landscape – mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, estuaries and buildings in which the cadets can be challenged and making the whole experience worth while".