Ex WYVERN MOUNTAIN 24 (Ex WM24) was a Type 2 (Distributed Training) Adventure Training package delivered for service personnel from the Royal Wessex Yeomanry (RWxY) that took place in the southern aspects of Cairngorms National Park, Scotland during August 2024. The Ex was designed to deliver a Summer Mountain Foundation (SMF) course to a number of novice students and provide Quality Mountain Days (QMDs) for a few more experienced members of the Ex.
Overall, the aim of Ex WM24 was to provide challenging outdoor training for our soldiers to develop leadership; teamwork; physical fitness; moral and physical courage; all attributes that will contribute to unit effectiveness.
Over the course of a week, and under the guiding hand of our instructor, the students progressed their skill sets from basic hillwalking to being confident navigators on moderate hikes during challenging weather conditions. In addition to honing their foundational military navigation skills, the students also learned a considerable amount relating to the flora and fauna of the highlands, how to interpret mountain weather forecasts and acquired an appreciation for the complexities involved in properly planning a hiking route through difficult and unknown terrain.
Every day consisted of a pre-hike safety brief and a post-hike debrief where lessons identified could be shared to enhance the collective understanding of the group. After each hike, the team relaxed in our cabin, treated blisters, shared dits, played card games and took turns preparing hot meals to keep energy and morale levels high. By the end of the week, a group of relative strangers became a cohesive and mutually supportive team. Furthermore, the combination of participants of all ranks (and from all four squadrons of the RWxY) allowed the perfect opportunity for individuals to get to know one another and forge relationships that will enhance the output of the Regiment on future exercises and operations. By the end of the Ex, all students that were eligible, received the Summer Mountain Foundation qualification and many quality mountain days were earned.
One soldier summed up his thoughts on the Ex by writing: “Excellent experience! A real ice breaker with people in the Regt I have never worked with before, it also allowed to me expand my skills in micro/macro navigation and ground appreciation”
This was the first Regimental-level AT Exp that the RWxY has run in several years and, ultimately, was a tremendous success; achieving both the aim and intent of Ex and our Commanding Officer. Adventurous Training in general (and Summer Mountaineering specifically) provides an excellent opportunity to test a soldier’s fitness, ability to master new skills and take them outside their comfort zones in a demanding and unfamiliar environment. It is hoped that the positive experience had by service personnel on WM24 will spread across the Regiment and help to enthuse others to engage with future Regimental AT activities.
All of the above would not have been possible without the very generous financial support we received from the Connaught Trust. All participants in WM24 are extremely grateful and wish to thank the Trust and its Board for their strong support.
Capt. J. Ashcroft
UATO, RWxY
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