Monday mornings usually bring misery to the majority of us, but for a group of lucky Sailors from HMNB Clyde they managed to beat that dreaded feeling and found themselves on their way to the beautiful landscapes of Aviemore in the highlands, for a week of Adventurous Training. For 2 weeks in September, Exercise Cairgorm Crusade is a highlight on the calendar of HMS Neptune, where over the space of 2 weeks 40 or so service men and women of all ranks and rates are encouraged to get out of their usual workplace and into the great outdoors to breathe in the fresh Scottish air in the name of AT.
On Saturday 19 September 2015 members of HMS Neptune PT Department hosted the first ever Exercise Rothiemurchus Challenge (RC) which is an Adventure Training (AT) challenge for Tri-service personnel at Rothiemurchus Lodge (RL). The event consisted of Mountain Walking, Mountain Biking and Open Boating elements. The event was open to all Service personnel who were medically fit to attend.
The history of the Rothiemurchus Lodge dates back to 1948 when Colonel John Grant of Rothiemurchus, who was keenly interested in the unrivalled opportunities for challenging, outdoor recreation offered by the Cairngorms, proposed that the Army should erect a hut on his land so that soldiers could take advantage of these outdoor pursuits.