BATTLE OF BRITAIN DINING IN NIGHT - The Insight Online

RAF WADDINGTON CLIMBING AND MOUNTAINEERING CLUBOPENS ITS REFURBISHED WALLIt is said that we are born with just two innate fears; loud noises andfalling, which is surprising considering today’s phobia obsessed culture.What is even more surprising isthe growing number of peoplethat actively chose to placethemselves in situations thatseem to almost guarantee aconsiderable fall from height! I’mtalking of course about the evergrowing sport of Rock Climbing.With its roots dating back to theVictorian era, climbing as we knowit today can be traced back to thefirst solo ascent of Napes Needle(The Lake District) by WalterParry Haskett Smith in the late1880’s. In many ways, climbinghas advanced significantly overthe last 130 years but the cruxof the sport remains essentiallyunchanged; “climb to the top ofthe highest thing around andhope you don’t fall!”The RAF views climbing, as withmany other forms of AdventurousTraining (AT), as ‘the only wayin which the fundamental riskof the unknown can be used tointroduce the necessary levelof fear to develop adequatefortitude, rigour, robustness,initiative and leadership todeliver the resilience that militarypersonnel require on operations.AT contributes to recuperationfrom the mental stress ofoperations, by re-introducing theconcept of fear in a controlledenvironment. AT is thereforea core military training activitywhich supports operationaleffectiveness and the ethos ofthe Armed Forces’. Put simply,working through our fears,innate or otherwise, can oftenhave significant benefits to ourprofessional outputs.The new facility was formallyopened by the StationCommander, Group Captain AlGillespie on 6 August in a smallceremony attended by membersof the RAF Waddington Climbingand Mountaineering Club.The club’s training officer CorporalAsh Johnson said, “The overhaulwill enable RAF Waddington tocontinue to meet it’s mandatedAT targets whilst maintaining ourstatus as a strong contributor toRAF Climbing. It also ensures thatwe’re able to continue our liaisonwork with the local communitywhich includes working withorganisations such as the Princes’Trust and the Air Training Corps”.If you’re interested in gettinginvolved in the sport, pleasecome along to one of the club’straining nights which are held atthe climbing wall every Tuesdayfrom 1800-2030. The clubprovides training and advice forboth novices and experiencedclimbers and is open to Servicepersonnel and dependants. Aswell as indoor climbing, the clubroutinely runs outdoor climbingsessions and overseas expeditions.For further information, pleasecontact Flight Lieutenant I Dodd(Ext 8503). Alternatively visit theRAF Mountaineering Associationwebsite at: www.raf.mod.uk/rafmountaineering/Flight Lieutenant D S HandleyAlthough RAF Waddingtonhas been home to an organicclimbing facility since 2001, 12years of constant use and littleinvestment had led to a severedecline in usability. In an effort toregain this important Station asset,the RAF Waddington Climbingand Mountaineering Clubsuccessfully secured funding fromRAF Waddington, the RAF CentralFund and the RAF Sports Lotteryto conduct major renovation workon the existing Wall. Work beganin June and was completed inearly July providing 2 additionalclimbing routes and a significantincrease in overall usage options.18 InsightMAGAZINE