During the week, the pair joined other cadets from across the UK and together, they developed their inland kayaking skills and gained a wealth of knowledge and experience on the rivers, lakes and estuaries of North Wales.
Navigating the River Rapids: Caterham School CCF
Over October half term, Caterham School CCF (Army) Cadets Cdt Richards and Cdt Donovan were chosen to take part in a week-long kayaking course in North Wales.
Developing Key Kayaking Skills
The first day of the course involved working on their technique development on flat water, before progressing on to learning how to safely enter and exit moving water. During this vital exercise, they were able to acquire and develop key kayaking skills such as travelling on river rapids and rescuing manoeuvres.
Over the next few days, the cadets faced their toughest challenge – kayaking through five different types of rapids along a fast-moving river. During this time, they were able to put their new techniques to use and learn more about water safety. They also participated in important lessons on staying safe in the water, which included focusing on and learning about the ways in which they can save themselves and each other when capsized.
A Week Full of Fun
We are delighted to say both Cdt Richards and Cdt Donovan passed the course with flying colours (and had a brilliant time navigating the river rapids!) The cadets commented “This was such an amazing experience for us both! We got to improve our adventure training skills and gain new experiences, whilst meeting new people and making new friends. We would definitely recommend this course to anyone who is interested, as it is a week full of fun and interesting opportunities.”