WEEK 7 (June 20–26) — Sunny Sennybridge Summer Camp
On Monday we were taken to Wales for SDW (Soldier Development Week) to practise our MRT (Mental Resilience Training) and develop core values of the Army (CDRILS: Courage, Discipline, Respect for Others, Integrity, Loyalty, Selfless Commitment).
Sennybridge is a small village home to one of the largest military training areas in the UK. It’s right above the Brecon Beacons, a mountain range in south Wales. We stayed in the training camp, which apparently was used as a camp for Italian POWs during WWII. Just small buildings with rickety bed frames and buildings for showers, toilets, etc. I don’t think there have been any renovations to it since the POWs were here.
On day 1, we put our kit away and immediately got amongst it on the high ropes course. The course is a series of feats that we had to complete either individually or as a team of 4. The first one for our group was to scale a narrow ladder about 15 m (50 ft) high and stand on a small platform, from which we had to jump across about 2-3 m to a trapeze suspended from an iron beam and hang there for a few seconds, before being lowered down on the rope (we were wearing harnesses). I was the first to go, so I had to do the demonstration as the instructor described how to perform the activity correctly. It was pretty fun and didn’t feel that scary since I knew we had ropes attached. Take the rope off and maybe then my legs will shake a bit. Until then it’s only child’s play J Only kidding. Some people genuinely had difficulty with it as you can imagine, being at quite a height and having to jump with no safety net below you. The rope attached to the harness obviously catches you if you fall, however.
The next task on the course was to climb a pole that had hand- and footholds up it, then balance on the top. The catch was that we had to have all four people up on it at the same time, on the platform at the top which measured about a square foot, then hold each other’s arms and lean back. The pole was wobbly, so if you were stood at the top, you could feel the pole swaying as the others climbed it. I was the second one up, so it was Mancuso and I at the top hugging each other for dear life trying not to step on each other’s feet and not fall off. As the other two climbed up, we had to yank them up by the arm to the top and somehow all fit there until we could grasp each other by the wrists, then we all held on to each other and leant back. Once we had done that correctly we were lowered down on the ropes. That was for me the most thrilling since it did feel at the top like you were going to fall off. We were like figurines dancing on the top of a spindle in a music box.
The third and last task was to climb a series of horizontal beams suspended in the air directly above one another as a team of three. The beams were spaced such that each one was slightly higher than the one before it, so it was relatively easy to scale them at the beginning but got harder the higher you went. Our strategy was for two people to hold on to the higher beam and kneel so that the shortest person could step on our knees and climb onto the beam above and then the other two would climb up with help from the first person who hoisted them up by the harness. It was quite tough, and I fell off a couple of times, so I dangled in the air suspended only by the rope attached to my harness and had to get my legs back on the beam to continue. We made it to the fourth or fifth beam before we ran out of time and had to come down.
On day 2, we were driven out to the Brecon Beacons for a day of hill walking. With map and compass in hand, we were led by a civvy instructor and our troop commander across the hills. Throughout the trek we were asked where we were on the map and then had to make our way to the next checkpoint using our compasses. We timed our travel to approximate the distance we had travelled. Apparently, average walking speed is about 4 km/hr for a soldier. So, to calculate the time required to travel to the next location, you measure the distance on the map using the ruler on the compass, divide the distance (in metres) by 100, then add half of that number to itself to get the travel time. So say your next checkpoint is 600 m away.
600/100 = 6
6 + (6/2) = x min
6 + 3 = 9 min
It would take about 9 min to travel 600 m. Make sense? That’s how we would approximate how long to travel to arrive at the next checkpoint. It was probably a little off since we didn’t take into account changes in elevation.
It was beautiful weather all week. Apparently, it rains in the Beacons about 200 days a year, so we were lucky to have the whole week sunny. It averaged in the mid 20 s C all week. Felt like being on holiday at a summer camp. The section commanders were pretty chilled out and we didn’t get told off at all, so there were good feelings all around. We even got treated out to an evening of scoff at a pub in town. Just a simple meal, but we also did a trivia quiz and some karaoke. I got up to sing a couple of times. It was made funnier by the fact that the section commanders were all getting drunk and then pointing at members of the troop, yelling at them to get up and sing, like we were court jesters entertaining nobility. My theory is that the whole thing was set up purely for the amusement of the permanent staff. We were just the object of their jests. Dancing monkeys. It was perhaps the best part of the week because it was so funny.
On days 3, 4 and 5 our group did rock climbing. Those were the cards we were dealt—other groups got to also do kayaking and caving, but for whatever reason we didn’t get the opportunity to do those things. I was really looking forward to caving so I was disappointed we didn’t get to go. According to other groups, it was pitch black inside and there was water flowing through, and at some points they had to crawl through spaces only big enough for their body to fit. I’ve never been in a cave like that. Maybe I’ll have the opportunity to do it in the future.
Climbing was good though. The location was beautiful. Cliffs emerging out of the green hills with lookouts across the valley behind us. The cliffs themselves were about 20-30 m tall. My fastest time to get from bottom to top was 1:47. It was good. Since adventure training is part of our job, we are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to do outdoor activities like this throughout our careers. In fact, we are supposed to participate in a minimum number of activities per year. In other words, we are forced to have fun. I’ll be looking out for opportunities to go climbing and caving and anything else I can get my hands on. Our section commander told us she’s been all over the place doing all sorts. Skiing, snowboarding, scuba diving, sky diving… some of the things she’s done. She’s been to the Caribbean and the Alps, among other exotic places. Essentially, we get paid to go on holidays for a week or two in other countries to do cool stuff. All to build our courage and learn skills to be better soldiers. I’ll take it.
Since being back in the block we’ve not had much to do. We sit in the rooms and once we’ve got our kit and lockers all squared away, we’ve got to find ways to fill the time. Last night, we started doing some grappling amongst ourselves in the room. We put one of the mats we use to polish our boots in the middle of the open floor, then two people faced each other on hands and knees and the object was to get the other person off it whilst staying on the mat yourself. I had bouts with West and Mancuso and managed to get West off but lost to Manny. We find ways to entertain ourselves. Sometimes Clapham gets his deck out and we play cards. Sometimes it’s silly things as in the case this morning. When we got back from scoff, I found my bed in disarray. Williams had a furtive look on his face so I knew he had something to do with it. I tackled him onto his own bed, tore off the bedding and tied him up in his bedsheet. Apparently West had been in on it too, so then Williams and I turned on West’s bed while he was out of the room and threw his mattress off the frame and put a chair in his open locker. When he came back we blamed Hamilton for it.
One of the things that really had me in a fit of laughter this week was back at the camp in Sennybridge. Stephenson had thrown a bag of sweets on Hamilton’s bed and when we came back later after a hot day, Hamilton had a nap on his bed. He woke up finding red sweets stuck on the underside of his pillow leaving pink stains all over it and he yelled “Why’d you have to get sweeties all over my military pillowcase?!?” in his thick Scottish accent. He was worried the section commanders were going to see it and tell him off once again, since he’s always getting picked up for silly things like that. It just tickled me since Hammie is known for his infatuation with all types of confectionery. I was in stitches.
The gossip is that this coming week we will be doing CBRN (Chemical/Biological/
Until next week. (If I survive the gas.)
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