Hundreds of young people headed for the hills recently, tackling the seventh annual Mourne Mountain Adventure.
A record entry of 400 teens took part and Cadets from Enniskillen Royal Grammar School’s Army Cadet Force Detachment were there to support the challenge by sharing their outdoor adventuring skills with young participants.
The annual venture provides young people from a range of backgrounds with the opportunity to engage in a thrilling risk-taking adventure in the stunning natural setting of the Mourne Mountains. It is staged thanks to a unique partnership forged between Newry, Mourne and Down Policing and Community Safety Partnership, South Eastern Regional College, The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service, the Police Service for Northern Ireland, the Ministry of Defence, NI Water and the Reserve Forces & Cadets Association of Northern Ireland … together with a generous helping of youthful energy!
Setting out in teams of six, the young people had the choice of two routes. The 3-5-hour Challenge route was designed for mountain climbing ‘newbies’, while the Expedition route was for those who were more familiar with trekking through the mountains and took approximately 6-7 hours to complete.
When they arrived at Silent Valley, the teams were treated to a barbeque lunch and a range of fun activities including archery, laser shooting, a climbing wall, an inflatable assault course as well as a Viking Village display, complete with axe wielding! In recognition of their hard work and achievement, the young people were awarded commemorative certificates and medals.
Thanking the Enniskillen Cadets for helping to make the day an outstanding success, Colonel Johnny Rollins, Chief Executive of the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Northern Ireland said, “Year-round, our Cadets have some fabulous opportunities to build their adventure training skills and they really enjoyed sharing their experience and expertise with other young people. Our Cadets approached the event with a great sense of responsibility and worked hard to help ensure that The Mourne Mountain Adventure was both fun and safe out for all concerned. They also encouraged those who most enjoyed the event to think of joining their local Cadet Detachment where adventure is a regular feature of the syllabus!”
