Reservists and permanent staff from the 3rd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment conducted nine days of Adventurous Training in the Peak District.
Based out of Totley Camp near Sheffield, the reservists took part in canoeing, hill walking, rock climbing, mountain biking and caving activities.
Some activities presented more of a challenge than others! The mountain biking course topped the list for endurance and most scrapes & scratches. The rock climbing and caving courses tested individuals’ aptitudes for heights and confined spaces. On the paddle boards, sense of balance was tested when the instructions escalated to headstands; most attempts ended with a cold dip in Tittesworth Reservoir.
The 3rd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment train in several locations in East Anglia: Bury St Edmunds, Norwich, Lowestoft, Chelmsford and Hertford. East Anglia RFCA maintains all the Army Reserve Centres for reservists of 3 Royal Anglian to train in, on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.
Adventurous Training is designed to take individuals outside their comfort zone and develop leadership, coping strategies, decision making, teamwork, physical fitness and courage. With this comes an enormous sense of achievement and camaraderie, through tackling challenges together and helping each other. The British Army claims that the corresponding renewed sense of self-determination makes for better soldiers and enables better lifestyle decisions. The British Army mounts over 1,200 Adventurous Training expeditions every year.