Ex NORTHERN ASCENT 2022

What better way to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the RAF Regiment than contending with the Scottish Highlands with your fellow Gunners.

During the course of our 250km journey we were met by stunning Scottish scenery, some mechanical issues, a few cuts and bruises along the way and not forgetting the kamikaze sheep which always made for an interesting ride. Both mentally and physically challenging, the arduous climbs would always be met with thrilling downhills flying through the beautiful Scottish Highlands.

As expected, we had some challenging terrain to navigate through on our bikes. Fallen trees from a recent storm brought our ride to a halt, not for long though. With the bikes on our back, we took the obstacles by foot, and got back on our bikes as soon as we could. We were blessed with some smooth riding MTBing trails, one of which followed the perimeter of the stunning Kielder Water, undulating through the trees with the sun glinting off the water next to us.

Starting just outside Carlisle on day 1 of 4 we soon realised what a challenge the next few days would be. Day 2 saw us finally getting to Scotland and however happy we were to cross the Scottish boarder we were welcomed by a long, steady, arduous climb on the tough Highland terrain which felt like it would never end and in true Scottish weather, we were absolutely drenched! Morale maintained high throughout the duration of the week and we were always very thankful to finish the day of riding to a warm homemade meal cooked by the amazing support team we had with us. This was my first time visiting Scotland and it was by far the best way to see the unspoilt landscape (apart from when the weather was so bad that you can’t see

‘‘Morale maintained high throughout the duration of the week and we were always very thankful to finish the day of riding to a warm homemade meal cooked by the amazing support team we had with us’’

100yds in front of you!) For my first AT with the Squadron it will definitely be one which holds very fond memories. The camaraderie and laughter didn’t stop, even when we were soaked through to the bone or trying to resolve a mechanical issue in the middle of the remote Highlands.

We were lucky that we had minimal accidents, but by far one of my absolute favourite moments and something that forever plays over in my head and makes me laugh was when Andy Scott attempted to coast across a puddle at the bottom of a pretty steep descent, but to his dismay, the ‘puddle’ was not as shallow as he presumed and performed a pretty spectacular dive into the water sending his bike flying across to the other side of the track. He emerged from the kneedeep water, unharmed apart from his dignity!

Teamwork, leadership, and navigation are among the many skills developed during ‘Expedition Norther Ascent’ but sharing the adventures of the unforgiving Scottish wilderness with a great group of people is what this AT truly was about.