31 Section Special Investigation Branch (United Kingdom) Royal Military Police Provost Bks, Maida Rd, Aldershot, Hants, GU11 2DN

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1 31 Section Special Investigation Branch (United Kingdom) Royal Military Police Provost Bks, Maida Rd, Aldershot, Hants, GU11 2DN Telephone: Military (9)4222 Ext 5433 Our Reference: G See Distribution Date: 19 th Oct 06 POST EXERCISE REPORT FOR EXERCISE SPECIAL DRAGON (SPAIN), 27 SEP 10 OCT 06 References: A. Joint Service Adventure Training Form Alpha Ref G dated 23 Jun 06 B. Notification of Adventurous Training Expedition Authority Ref G7 PAT /07 C. Ex SPECIAL DRAGON Admin Instruction Ref G dated 12 Sep 06 INTRODUCTION 1. Expedition Name. Ex SPECIAL DRAGON. 2. Dates. 27 Sep Oct Grading. Level 3 Distributed Adventure Training Exercise. 4. Participating Units. SIB (UK) RMP, HQ PM (A), LAIT. 5. Countries/Areas Visited. Picos de Europa National Park, Spain. 6. Overview of Achievement. The expedition enabled ten personnel from the Royal Military Police to trek across parts of the Picos de Europa Mountains, developing teamwork, leadership, and navigational skills. Participants also gained experience in hill-walking and were able to enjoy the local culture and sights of the National Park. 7. Expedition Leader. Capt RA Booth (AGC (RMP), 31 Sect SIB (UK) RMP, Provost Bks, Aldershot, GU11 2DN, Tel: , Fax: JSATFA. As detailed at Reference B, authorisation was achieved following the submission of Reference A, three months prior to the start of the expedition, a copy of which is attached at Annex A. EXPEDITION MEMBERS 9. Nominal Role. Not for publication AIM 10. The aim of the exercise was to allow members of SIB (UK) to trek across the Picos de Europa Mountains, developing teamwork, navigational skills, whilst gaining hill-walking experience and enjoying the local culture and sights of the National Park 11. Achievement of the Aim. The aim of the expedition was fully achieved. The ten expedition members completed eight days of arduous treks over the Picos de Europa Mountains. Each individual had to work as part of the team throughout the expedition and was given the opportunity to lead a trek, thus developing their navigational and leadership skills. The aim was fully achieved on the basis that each member of the expedition was of a reasonable standard of fitness and willing to participate fully in the expedition.

2 PREPARATORY TRAINING 12. It was not possible to conduct joint preparatory physical training prior to the expedition because the participants were posted in different locations throughout the UK. Individuals were informed that a reasonable standard of personal fitness would be required and thereafter had to conduct their own suitable training. EXPEDITION 13. Wed 29 Sep 06. At 0630 hrs the team met at HQ SIB (UK) RMP, Bulford and departed for Plymouth at 0700 hrs in the 16-seater minibus. After a quick brunch stop in Exeter we arrived at the ferry port in time to board the 1230 hrs Brittany overnight ferry to Santander, Spain. The crossing was relatively calm and the team were accommodated in a combination of two and four berth cabins. The ferry provided good eating and entertainment facilities. 14. Thu 28 Sep 06. Following the early morning rush for breakfast on board, the ferry docked at Santander at 0830 hrs. We drove in the minibus for about two hours before stopping at a reasonable sized town named Potes, situated 8 km north of our final destination. After scoping the availability of local services and having the usual three course Spanish lunch, we headed south to La Vega to find our accommodation. The hostel was well sign-posted and despite the slight delay caused by the local siesta, we were shown to our rooms. The hostel manager was very helpful and spoke reasonable English. The rooms were basic, but clean, comprising bunk beds, a shower and a toilet. With some gentle persuasion we managed to secure no more than four people to a room. That evening the team enjoyed the first meal provided by the hostel, followed by an admin and safety brief by the Expedition Leader. 15. Fri 29 Sep 06. It was decided that the team would begin the activities with a gentle walk on a hiking trail from La Vega to Potes. The total distance was 11 km and despite a fairly steep start, the fast pace set by Maj Williamson ensured that we arrived to in Potes in time to enjoy a late lunch. The afternoon was spent purchasing food supplies for future lunches from one of the larger supermarkets. On arrival back at the hostel planning was conducted for the following days trek, with the chosen leaders planning a route card; an activity which continued throughout the expedition. 16. Sat 30 Sep 06. The group set off straight after breakfast to the small town of Compollo situated about 3 km north of La Vega. The minibus was parked up as the group set off to complete a 9 km figure of eight route led by Sgt Hall and Sgt Holland. We walked up a climb of about 600 m, following the westerly track which unfortunately seemed to disappear after about 3 km. The Royal Marine of the team, Sgt Hall, decided that we would therefore take the cross country option including a steep ascent through a forest, much to the dismay of the rest of the group. The tracks on the map were not accurate to the ground and it soon became evident that this would be a regular occurrence. On arriving back at Compollo later that afternoon, the tired team were very relieved to travel home in the minibus. 17. Sun 1 Oct 06. We drove to Fuente De, located approximately 30 km west of La Vega and rode the cable car up to the top of the very steep and windy mountain. Starting at a height of 1810 m, Capt Booth and Sgt Desmond led the group along a rocky track, steadily climbing 352 m to the high point of Cabana Veronica. The intention was to continue further around the high point completing a circular route, however it became apparent that whilst the map depicted a walking trail, the reality was some serious scrambling. The instructors decided that due to the windy conditions and lack of experience within the group, it would not be safe to continue and so we turned around and went back down the mountain and cable car respectively. On returning to the minibus we discovered that the vehicle would not start and so the AA were tasked to recover the vehicle back to hostel, whilst the group made their way back in taxis.

3 At the top of El Cable 1810m 18. Mon 2 Oct 06. Prompted by the broken-down minibus, the decision was made to use the day for R & R. Arrangements were made for the minibus to be recovered to a garage in Santander the following day as we were informed that it could not be fixed on site. The two instructors, Maj Williamson and Maj Pickering, used the opportunity provided by the day off to scope some local routes which would not require a vehicle, whilst the rest of the team explored the mountains on horseback. 19. Tue 3 Oct 06. The trek, led by Cpl Alderson and Sgt Brown started in the town of Toranzo, 3 km west of La Vega. It became apparent that the planned route would have to be changed as the locals informed us that our chosen track was out of bounds; for reasons that were not further explained. We subsequently reassessed the situation and selected a 15 km route which would take us via some high points on the Sierra Borra Peaks and back down to Potes. The group ascended 608 m, following a track in a north westerly direction to the spot height of 1308 m, where we stopped for lunch. The afternoon comprised of a steep decent on a forested track, passing through several rustic villages, including Bodia and San Palayo, eventually reaching Potes. 20. Wed 4 Oct 06. With the news that the minibus would be remaining in Santander for the duration of the expedition, the group decided that it was necessary to procure two hire cars. This allowed us to split the group in half, with each team starting the trek at opposite ends of the 10 km route. WO1 Sayer and WO2 Allix headed up the teams beginning at the towns of Espinama and Morgrovejo respectively. Each team climbed an ascent of over 1000 m to meet at the high point in the middle for lunch. The teams then continued on a descent to the opposite village to collect the cars and travel back to La Vega. 21. Thu 5 Oct 06. The group was again split in half, this time the teams being led by Sgt Holland and Sgt Hall. The 12 km linear route between the towns of Sotres and Espinama took the groups through a pleasant green valley surrounded by cattle and horses. With a gradual climb from both start points, the groups met in the middle and then continued in opposite directions down the sides of the valley to collect the cars.

4 Meeting at the mid-way point 22. Fri 6 Oct 06. Led by Capt Booth and Sgt Desmond the group started the trek at the town of Posada De Valdeon, located 40 km west of La Vega. Following a hiking trail, we climbed in a northerly direction towards a lone hut marked on the map as Pantivalles. After a short break we set off on the steep ascent, climbing 907 m towards the high point of Collado de Pambuches at 2087 m. The trail faded into a scree slope which was very hard going, followed by an array of rocky out crops. On reaching the top, the weather closed in and visibility became very poor making navigation exceptionally difficult. The decision was made not to continue around the second peak to complete the planned circular route, but instead to turn around and go back the way we had come. This was certainly the most arduous trek of the expedition and the group was very tired after completing the steep descent. At the top of the scree slope climb

5 23. Sat 7 Oct 06. With everyone feeling weary from the previous days trek the group decided to take a short walk to visit some local caves. 24. Sun 8 Oct 06. We drove to Santander to enjoy a final day sight-seeing and ensure that the hire cars were returned on time. 25. Mon 9 Oct 06. Everyone took the opportunity to enjoy the shopping and food of Santander prior to boarding the ferry at 1630 hrs. With the exception of Sgt Hall who assisted with the recovery of the minibus onto the ferry, the remainder of the group boarded as foot passengers. We were accommodated in two berth cabins and enjoyed a relatively calm crossing back to Plymouth. 26. Tue 10 Oct 06. The ferry docked at 1030 hrs and miraculously the minibus engine started, so taking advantage of this stroke of luck, everyone jumped in and we drove back to Bulford. Goodbyes were said after a thoroughly enjoyable expedition, the team dispersed back to their various units. PUBLICITY 27. There was no media involvement throughout the expedition; however it is intended that an article will be forwarded for possible publication in the RMP Journal. FINANCE 28. Detailed at Annex C. The only major change to the estimated expenditure was the unforeseen cost of privately hiring two vehicles, which had to be procured using expedition funds as a result of the minibus breaking down. EQUIPMENT 29. All expedition equipment was self-provided by the participants, with the exception of five Silva compasses which were loaned by 160 Pro Coy, 4 RMP. PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED 30. Language. Following her assistance in the planning stages, our fluent Spanish speaker, Cpl Mills was unable to attend the expedition due to unforeseen circumstances, which resulted in none of the expedition members being able to speak the national language. The locals spoke very limited English, resulting in an obvious language barrier; a problem which future expeditions would be advised to avoid by ensuring a fluent Spanish speaker is included in the group. 31. Minibus. The minibus was provided by HQ LAND, following the submission of a transport request via HQ SIB (UK) RMP. It was evident from the outset of the outward journey that the vehicle was in very poor condition and the team immediately had doubts about its reliability. Five days into the expedition, the minibus did breakdown and subsequent liaison was affected with the AA call centre in the UK, who tasked the Spanish recovery company, RACE. The minibus was recovered to Santander, where it remained for the duration of the expedition. The AA informed us that they were contracted to provide a replacement vehicle for a 24 hour period only. We were advised by HQ SIB (UK) RMP, that no public funding was available to provide replacement vehicles and as such any costs incurred would fall to expedition members. It was decided that a vehicle was essential in order to continue with the expedition as it was required for safety reasons as well as expedition transport. Future expeditions would be advised to request a reliable minibus and consider the possibility of extending the standard military insurance cover of the vehicle, to include a replacement vehicle in the event of a similar incident. 32. Roads. Although the roads in the area were very well maintained, travelling time was slow due to the mountainous terrain. It was therefore necessary to change some of the planned walking routes because of the increase in estimated travelling time to and from the start/finish points. 33. Meal Timings. No self-catering cooking facilities were available in the area and therefore the group relied on the provision of breakfast and the evening meal by the hostel. Whilst the food provided was adequate the evening meal was not served until 2030 hrs, which was deemed to be too late after an arduous days trekking.

6 INFORMATION FOR FUTURE EXPEDITIONS 34. Planning Time Frames. The planning started four months prior to the start of the expedition, taking into account the three month requisite clearance period for Spain. 35. Accommodation. The Albergue Rural El Portalon situated in La Vega, Liebana, Spain, Tel: , provided good value accommodation and was well located to access the surrounding walking routes. Further information regarding the hostel can also be found on the internet. 36. Food. Breakfast and evening meal were provided by the hostel, which proved to be very cost effective. The makings of lunch were purchased from a several local supermarkets in Potes and the selection and cost of the food was reasonable. 37. Transport. The overnight return ferry journey between Plymouth and Santander limited the driving hours and enabled the team to arrive at each destination without feeling tired. Brittany Ferries provided an excellent service and the journey allowed the team the opportunity to get to know each other and wind down at the beginning and the end of the expedition, respectively. It proved essential to have a minibus/safety vehicle whilst in Spain because many of the walking routes are in remote locations and cannot be reached by the very limited public transport. 38. Fuel. Fuel cards were used throughout the expedition. 39. Trekking. The Picos de Europa National Park proved to be a superb location for trekking. The area provides a variety of terrain, with walks spanning a range of difficulty levels. The mountains are incredibly scenic and the area is still relatively unexplored. 40. Documentation. There was no visa requirement for Spain. 41. Medical. There was no requirement for any theatre specific vaccinations or other medical considerations. 42. Insurance. Comprehensive insurance cover for all ten members of the group was procured from Trinity Insurance. Signed on Original RA BOOTH Capt Officer Commanding Annexes: A. Joint Service Adventure Training Form Alpha Ref G dated 23 Jun 06-Removed B. Nominal Roll-Removed C. Finance

7 ANNEX C TO G3/12/1 DATED 19 OCT 06 FINANCE Actual Income ( ) (a) Actual Expenditure ( ) (b) Public Funds Ferry G3/J3 (AT) Allocation Per head Accommodation CILOR Food Non-Public Funds Insurance Unit Grant Hire Vehicles Personal Contribution Per head Maps RMP Days Pay Scheme Cable Car Currency Exchange Misc 6.54 TOTAL INCOME ( ) TOTAL EXPEDITURE ( ) All expenditure in Euros has been converted to Pounds Sterling using a 1.4 exchange rate.