Each year, Oswestry School CCF run a competition day for their cadets at the end of the Easter term. Using Nesscliffe Training Camp, which is conveniently only 15 minutes down the road, they had the cadets doing a rotation of 6 stands during the day – an ambush, a section attack, a deliberate attack, the firing range, command tasks, and the climbing tower.

As for the last few years, I found myself on the climbing tower where the cadets were assessed on their abilities to put on harnesses, and helmets safely as well as tie appropriate knots to secure themselves to the ropes and their ability to work as a team.

As has been a running theme of late, it was a pretty cold day and the biting wind made things quite challenging for everyone. The sections certainly had to work together as the climbers usually returned to the ground unable to feel or use their fingers for several minutes, relying on others to untie them and harm them up.

As is normally the case, there was a range of abilities and levels of courage, but it was great to see everyone pulling together in such adverse conditions. Well done.