Over Half Term, a group of ten cadets, eight from Malvern and two from Bredon, travelled to the Scottish Highlands for a week of winter mountaineering in the Cairngorms, following in the footsteps of Old Malvernian Simon Richardson, the outgoing President of The Alpine Club and one of Britain’s most accomplished mountaineers.
The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) at Malvern College is a vibrant and valued part of our co-curricular life, offering cadets structured training in leadership, teamwork, resilience and outdoor skills. Through regular exercises, fieldcraft training, adventurous activities and expeditions, CCF cadets develop confidence and character, preparing them for challenges both in and beyond school life. The programme is open to all eligible students and presents a wide range of opportunities — from basic drill and navigation to challenging mountaineering expeditions like the one recently undertaken in Scotland.
As ever, the weather is a critical factor when on the winter hills, and lots of recent snow meant that the party arrived full of anticipation for a great week…
The first day was the standard ‘instruction day’; crampons were needed right from the car park at the bottom of Cairngorm and were used for pretty much the whole day — an early and valuable skills lesson! A walk into Coire an t-Sneachda under a blue sky (and with enormous cornices looming dramatically on the cliffs ahead) was a good warm-up for the day of skills training. There was local wildlife about to see, too: snow hare; ptarmigan; and reindeer (albeit in the distance) were all observed. After an afternoon of learning how to navigate steep snow and ice, and how to use an ice-axe, the group returned to the historic Norwegian Lodge for some welcome home baked cakes and one of chef Zoe’s substantial, excellent suppers.
Day two saw the wind and avalanche risk build, and so a relatively gentle ‘Munro’ was the target for the day, Meall a’ Bhuachaille, which was approached with a pleasant walk through Glenmore Forest with the added bonus of a stop in the Ryvoan Bothy.
The wind refused to drop for the following day, and so the time was spent learning snow craft and survival skills; a giant snow-hole was constructed and a ‘shovel-up’ snow igloo made during the day. These proved to be remarkably warm and comfortable (comparatively!) once completed and provided an attraction for passing walkers.
The next day the weather gods smiled and low winds, blue skies and excellent snow conditions meant that everyone was out early for a big push. The group split into two, with one party heading up the appropriately named Windy Ridge via Ptarmigan Station to the summit of Cairngorm. There was time for a quick photograph (at –15°C it wasn’t ideal for too much time without gloves!) before heading across the Cairngorm Plateau to see the dramatic cornices above the two coires and the journey down Miadan Creag an Leth-choin.
The second party had a truly memorable day heading up past Sneachda onto the plateau before continuing to the summit of Ben Macdui, the nation’s second highest mountain. They then returned via all the ‘high points’ on the summit plateau as a navigation exercise before heading back for some more well-deserved cake.
Unfortunately, the weather then turned sharply, with storm force winds coming in, so rather than another summit, day five was a pleasant walk along the beautiful Glen Feshie, where Edwin Landseer famously painted The Monarch of the Glen. Even at low level the winds proved challenging, but after a stop for a ‘brew’ and chat with some locals in the Ruigh Aiteachain Bothy, the group returned to the drop-off point intact and in good spirits.
Gale force winds continued into day six, sadly, and so more valley work was the order of the day. Again, the party split, with half heading up towards the Chalamain Gap and a visit to the reindeer herd, and the other group completing a forest walk around Loch Morlich. A highlight of this walk was taking a ‘path less trodden’ and coming across some trees that had been very recently felled by beavers — quite unexpected and certainly impressive! The beavers themselves remained hidden (being nocturnal and shy), but it was a memorable way to finish the week.
Despite some challenging conditions, the expedition was a tremendous success, with cadets demonstrating resilience, teamwork and enthusiasm throughout — a fantastic example of the experiences and opportunities offered through CCF at Malvern.
