Adventure Training
Adventure training is the NCC's deliberate exposure to controlled risk. The exam asks what activities are conducted, what each builds in a cadet, and above all the safety discipline that makes the risk acceptable.
Purpose
Adventure training develops courage, endurance, self-reliance, decision-making, leadership and team spirit, and counters the fear of height, water and isolation. It converts the discipline learnt on the drill square into initiative in the field.
Activities
Mountaineering and trekking, rock climbing, rappelling (abseiling), river crossing, white-water rafting, parasailing, slithering, scuba diving, sailing and boat pulling, cycling and cycle expeditions, and adventure camps run in hill and desert terrain. Courses are attended at established mountaineering institutes, where cadets are taught to handle rope and equipment under qualified instructors.
Safety discipline
- Buddy system: nobody moves alone.
- Equipment check before use: harness buckles, carabiners locked, rope free of cuts, helmet on.
- Belay commands: "On belay", "Belay on", "Climbing", "Climb when ready", "Slack", "Up rope", "That's me".
- Weather and route check; a first aid kit and a trained first aider with every group; a head count at every stage.
Worked example
On a rappel, the cadet stands at the edge facing the anchor, rope running through the descender, brake hand firmly on the rope below the hip, and steps backwards into position, legs straight, body away from the rock, the lower hand controlling the descent. Letting go of the brake hand, or leaning into the rock face, are the errors to watch. The belayer stays anchored and attentive throughout.
Traps
Confusing belaying (holding the rope for another) with rappelling (descending yourself); recalling activities without their safety rule; forgetting the buddy system; treating adventure as an individual competition rather than a team task.