Twelve cadets and three members of staff left Cranleigh straight after the end of term assembly for the drive up to Ffridd Farm, our habitual base above Harlech in southern Snowdonia. After the customary stop at the Dolphin Fish Bar for supper in Barmouth, we arrived in good time, settled into the bunk house and planed our adventures for the next week.
The weather was kind and allowed us to get on with all our activities as hoped, exposing the cadets to a mixed programme of mountaineering and scrambling on Tryfan’s North ridge; rock climbing and abseiling at Tremadog and Betws y Coed; mountain biking; an overnight trek in the Coed y Brenin and Rhynnogydd and, on the last day, the slightly less adventurous activities of go-karting and paint balling.
The junior cadets all got stuck in even when decidedly apprehensive about certain activities (climbing was not to everyone’s taste!) The seniors set a good example and took care to look after their less experienced charges. As ever the only significant daytime rain fell when the RSM was out on the hill. Miss Coyle even managed to tolerate the two daft old men who were nominally running the show, so all in all a fun and challenging time was had by everyone.
Many thanks to GGB and EMC for taking the time to join us and help everything run so smoothly.
Maj SAH Young
Contingent Commander Cranleigh School CCF