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9th-12th-Lancers - Year 2002 - Page 0040

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Regiment 9th/12th Lancers
Year 2002
Transcription 38 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE 9TH/12TH ROYAL LANCERS (PRINCE OF WALES’S)
Exercise WHITE-KNUCKLED LANCER
No trip to Canada is complete with exposing oneself to the
enormous dangers of the extreme sporting opportunities
that exist in North America. Naturally, the officers of the
Regiment undertook to achieve this en masse, thus to demon-
strate the collective bravery and expeditionary spirit contained
within such a fine body of men. What could possibly be more
hazardous, more perilous, more overwhelmingly life threaten-
ing than white water rafting through the great rapids of British
Columbia? Could anything be more death defying than launch-
ing the body amongst the terrible currents of Kicking Bull
River? Well perhaps, but it was quite cold in there.
Without further ado, and at the request of the great OPFOR
leader Chairman Mar-Tin, the arrangements were made for a
journey into mortal jeopardy. With approximately 20 officers
taking part from all levels of command the logistical conse-
quences were complex, far reaching and demanding. However,
fine military minds were set to task in order to overcome these
intricate problems of sustainability. In all, some three hundred
cans of beer were procured. And 20 odd packets of peanuts.
Problem solved. Ready to go.
The first night was spent setting up camp in forested British
Columbia. Putting up the tents was no problem at all. Building
the dam in the river to make a cold storage area for the beer was
a little more taxing and quickly became the main effort so that
the representatives of RHQ could be fully catered for upon
arrival. With camp established we were ready to raft. The next
morning, as the sun ascended above the evergreen landscape we
reveled in the safety brief from our guide Sean and the way he
explained the ten different ways ofperishing at the hands of the
Kicking Bull. Moments later the two parties boarded their
crafts and were hurtling their way towards possible doom
amongst the swirling tide of glacial melt.
St SW Sear/0y , we’re not on the b/Mdy water yet/
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