February was Chile for 72nd Seaforth cadet Johnathan Dimalanta. From Feb 6 to 25 he and 17 of Canada’s top cadets participated in a remarkable Cadets Canada International Expedition that started in Punta Arenas and worked its way through some of the world’s most beautiful terrain in the Torres Del Paine national park.

Reflecting on the experience, which included a 25 km mountain hike and kayaking near glaciers, Dimalanta said he experienced “sights that absolutely left me with a sense of awe … experiencing the culture and the terrain in Patagonia are experiences I won’t ever forget.” [VIDEO]

For 16 years, the Army Cadet League of Canada and the Department of National Defence co-sponsor the annual expedition program, which takes the country’s top army cadets and sends them to countries all over the world where they use their skills and training to master demanding outdoor challenges.

Previous cadet expeditions have taken cadets to Morocco, Australia, Iceland, Nepal, the U.S., and other destinations where they learn safety, a healthy lifestyle, environmental stewardship, and the basic themes of army cadet training. Teams also improve their decision-making skills and problem solving skills, team building, co-operation, communication, resourcefulness, and time management.

Congratulations to Jonathan for being selected to participate in the Chile expedition, and for representing the 72nd Seaforth Cadets so well!