CTE assessment weekend: March 2003
Twelve experienced instructors from Squadrons in Herts & Bucks Wing
travelled to North Wales on Friday night, and set up camp in the Ogwen Valley. Eight
of them were CTE candidates who completed the ML (Summer) training course
some years ago, and have subsequently been running cadet activities under 'the old rules', so the purpose of the weekend was to assess them and
confirm whether they could continue to run activities on the basis of
"competence through experience"
The weather had been dry, mild and settled during the days leading up to the
weekend, and we erected our tents under a clear, starry sky, with the silhouette
of Tryfan looming just down the valley. After an unexpectedly cold night we woke
to a heavy frost, but crystal clear day, and the air was soon filled with the
roar of stoves and the smell of coffee and breakfast
After breakfast we gathered for a briefing and laid out maps for a route
planning session. We had a session on planning a group day and a discussion on personal and
emergency
equipment, then set off up the Braich y Ddeugwm (ridge) behind the campsite
in two groups of six. The weather was good with cloudless skies and unlimited
visibility: superb for walking, but not ideal for testing navigation skills!
Nevertheless every group member had to demonstrate his map reading and timing
skills throughout the walk, and the assessors took the opportunity to talk to
everyone and get a feel for their experience and leadership style. We stopped
for lunch at the Cantilever stone, at the top of the Bristly ridge. Normally
seen dimly through thick mist or a blizzard rather then bright sunshine, everyone
commented that the stone looked smaller than they remembered it!
Continuing along the ridge, we detoured onto Glyder Fach
summit, and Castell y Gwynt (Castle of the Winds) and confirmed that everyone was comfortable scrambling over
steep rocks. We took our time descending by the Gribin Ridge, with the walking
ropes coming out to practice a number of techniques for securing group members
on step ground. These ranged from preparing a Thompson Knot to lower a casualty,
to short roping a nervous group member along an exposed path. The lower slopes
of Tryfan provided opportunities to contour across rough ground to the Milestone
Buttress as we returned to the campsite to cook dinner. Soon it was dark, and
time for everyone's least favourite activity: night navigation! We parked in
Capel Curig and walked North towards Crimpiau, and away from the warm, welcoming pubs. Every group member took turns to
lead us to a small map feature -
typically a spot height, ring contour or small lake, and we spent the next three
hours stumbling across rough ground and through heather under a cold, black, starry
sky. We managed to complete the exercise in time to enjoy a couple of rapid beers in
the pub before returning to the campsite. This time we were better prepared for
the cold night: after all alcohol is an anti-freeze!
On Sunday, everyone was asked to suggest a day's activities suitable for a
hypothetical group of cadets. All the ideas were good, so we broke camp and
opted for a walk from Capel Curig toward Moel Siabod. The disused quarry
workings and ruined slate buildings were interesting, giving plenty of scope for
the environment aspects of group leadership. This area proved ideal for more
micro-navigation practice, to the confusion of some walkers who couldn't fathom
why we were leaving the well-trodden track leading to the summit of Moel Siabod
to follow contours, and pace our way across rough ground. After successfully
tracking down a series of ring contours, hut circles and re-entrants we returned
to the Capel Curig for a cup of tea before the drive home.
A short debrief
confirmed that everyone was operating at a high enough standard for CTE, but
emphasised the importance of getting out regularly to maintain currency, of
working towards a proper ML assessment and of keeping that vital first aid qualification current
