Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia mountain training

The training involved three days in the Brecon Beacon National Park where compass and map work were undertaken and various aspects of mountain craft discussed. Since the initial training the officers have been building up their profile of walks, complete with risk assessment like analysis of each. A lesson has been devised to teach young people aspects of map and compass work and groups of young people from the division have been taken on walks. This will continue in the May half term with young people being taken further a field and culminate during the summer school holidays with residential trips to the Brecon Beacons utilising the facilities of the Storey Arms and subsidised with monies raised from local groups by the school liaison officers with the young people themselves also contributing.

In addition the SLO’s were required to achieve some more challenging routes in Snowdonia where they encountered all that a spring day in North Wales has to offer including sun, mist, snow and driving rain! The officers were challenged by the difficulty of the route they had planned but all achieved it and had their kit fully tested. Initial disappointment on learning that the mountain top café was closed turned to understanding on seeing 5ft of compacted snow hiding all but the top of its entrance from view!

The officers are required to attend a three day final assessment in September which will include an overnight camp and micro-navigation exercises.