Woodlore

Customer Feedback

Arctic Experience Course

To Ray, Jane, Paul and James,

Following last week's arctic trip I wanted to thank you for your sincere kindness, warmth and shared knowledge.

I truly had a wonderful experience and upon reflection realise just how much I learnt about myself, the arctic and survival.

I wanted especially to thank Jane, who always listened and showed interest in others and always made the effort to fully engage with others, which I will always remember. It is this kindness which brings out the best in people and makes such a course.

I hope to be able to attend another course in the future. Once again thank you for making the week so memorable.

Just a note to thank Paul, James and of course, Lars for a fantastic week in Sweden. What an experience and memories and naturally I have learnt so much from this course as well as the previous courses I have attended.

All the best and I hope to see you in the future.

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the Arctic experience course which I completed last week. The facilities in Sweden were superb and Ray, Lars, Paul and James ensured a good time was had by all and more importantly, the necessary skills were learnt. The week highlighted what is needed to survive in such a stunning but harsh environment and it generated an element of great respect on all those who attended the course. Please pass on my thanks once again to all involved, it was a terrific experience.

P.S. I'm already missing the food; it was excellent!

I thought I would take this opportunity to write and thank the whole team involved on the above course for providing an experience and education incomparable with anything I have previously undertaken.

For the last eighteen months since booking a place on the course there has been much anticipation as to what the course might involve, what the environment would be like and indeed what it would be like living and working in Arctic Sweden for a week. All of my preconceptions have hugely underestimated the beauty of the area, the complexity of working in the environment and the length and detail Woodlore go to ensure that you obtain the best education from the best educators available.

Unquestionably I have learnt bushcraft skills which I will ensure stay with me for the rest of my life. The team and I made many mistakes which whilst overcome also offered an invaluable education which will not be forgotten. Preparation and attention to detail are prerequisites that have to be learnt quickly but mistakes and problems still occur and it is this which tests you. The course has reinforced in me the need for mental strength, tenacity and the ability to keep throwing yourself onto the fray even when things have gone wrong. The attitude of the "cup is always half full and never half empty" seems the only way to approach this environment.

The accommodation was in every sense superb and the food, particular Friday nights farewell meal was as good if not better than I have enjoyed in any restaurant anywhere in the world a credit to the chef and his team working in a confined kitchen. Marina at Lappeasuando is the kind of host who conveys a warmth and generosity not often displayed in this day and age.

As for Ray and Lars, it was a pleasure to meet them both and to be able to talk about all manor of things and feel that they had a genuine interest in listening as well as talking. It was enthralling to watch Ray demonstrating his skills and to observe his passion for bushcraft at close hand. Lars appears to be an individual whom is un-phased by any situation other than perhaps losing his pipe.

My only regret is that time passed too quickly and that time to practice new learnt skills is limited.

Thank you once again and I hope that I can participate in more of your courses in the future.

Canoeing in the Ardeche Course

Like everyone else on the trip I had such an excellent time last week, really enjoyed it.

The Woodlore team has the rare ability to deliver an outstanding service using a unique combination of professionalism and humour. The experience from booking the trip to departure from Pont D'arc was flawless, and the care and personal touches provided by the support team of Jane, Di & Shelley (especially at the final dinner) made us all feel very special.

As far as the minor event of paddling is concerned, it was a treat and a real honour to be taught by two of the country's (or possibly the world's) best coaches. I know that all of the splashers would like to thank Ray Goodwin and Richard for their wisdom, patience and ability to keep cool (laughing) when some of us were going round in circles and demolishing their equipment. Their true dedication to the sport and in making this experience personal, exciting and memorable will certainly stay in my mind and heart for a long time.

I would finally like to thank Ray M who happened to join us on this journey for, without his passion, this type of experience may never have been available to us.

This is an encounter with nature that everyone should enjoy at least once in their lives and I would, of course, recommend undertaking it with the Woodlore team.

May I express my heartfelt and sincere thanks for you putting up with me for a whole week in such an idyllic place as the Ardeche Gorge. The best canoe course I've ever been on. You'll learn more skills on this course than any I've experienced in the UK. Staff superb, venue stunning, and experience unequaled.

Introduction to Bushcraft Course

I have been back home now for 2 days and still find my self continually thinking of the short course I was just on. The professionalism and enthusiasm exhibited by the course instructors was amazing. From the moment we arrived to the time we sadly departed they showed a genuine interest in passing on there endless knowledge. This had to be with out a doubt one of the most rewarding couple of days I have had. I have now booked to do the fundamental Bushcraft course and can’t wait to start on it.

Our course leader Dan... I felt compelled to write to you about him. What an ambassador he is for Woodlore. His leadership skills and friendly calming manor touched everyone I spoke to on this course. His knowledge of his surroundings and Bushcraft was truly amazing. I found him very approachable and always willing to pass on his knowledge. His passion for his surroundings and nature as a whole was very infectious, that thought is something that I took away from this course and will stay with me for a very long time.

To close this brief email, I would just like to thank all concerned in organising and running these courses. It is clear to see this is a subject that we love to learn and you love to teach.

I have just attended the Introduction to Bushcraft course and would like to pass on my thanks and appreciation to the course instructors who we had the pleasure of sharing their knowledge with over the last couple of days.

I personally learnt a lot about our natural environment and woodlands, and look forward to learning more by venturing out by myself more now that I have this extra knowledge and the confidence to use it.

The course will also enabled me to pass on some knowledge to my daughter who at the moment is young enough to enjoy walking in the woods with her Dad, rather than hitting the years where Dad isn't cool any more and disowning me!

The accommodation was very peaceful and the food was good (even the meals we cooked ourselves!). I've never had accommodation with a bathroom and toilet as spacious as this before.

As an added bonus to my personal enjoyment was the group of people that were also in attendance.

The group consisted of people from all over the UK of mixed ages and backgrounds. Everyone got on with each other and everyone mucked in with the various tasks equally.

More importantly was that everyone was keen and interested to learn and no-one took themselves too seriously and had a good sense of humor.

This added to my personal enjoyment and I would like to thank them as well, it was a pleasure to meet them all.

Anyway thanks to Paul, Ian, Emma and Scott for their time and patience and I will be looking to attend the Fundamentals course next year.

Kind regards

I just wanted to let you know that I had the most fantastic time last weekend. The whole event was pitched at a level that enabled everyone to learn, experience and practice the basic skills in this fascinating area of knowledge, and it will be something I carry with me forever. I have already been practicing my slipknots on the washing line and identifying some local trees!

Paul, Emma, Scott and Ian have doubtless covered the same ground many many times, but they were a perfect team to enthuse and engage the group; also quietly observing when direct input wasn't needed. I know from experience the immense preparation needed to successfully plan and run large events, and the smoothness of this event was a credit to everyone.

It also helped hugely that the weather was kind, and that the entire 20-strong group was equally affable, friendly and good-natured. I guess that latter point shouldn't come as too much of a surprise as the common interest that brought us all together was an appreciation for Ray's passion for Woodlore, and a desire to try it for ourselves.

Sitting here at a PC doesn't compare.

Thank you all for a brilliant 48 hours.

It seemed a lot longer, in terms of what you managed to pack in. It was a great group of people on the course, every one seemed to get on so well and were all helpful too; but I guess a lot of that came from the art of good leadership! Great content and pace, never hurried but no hanging round for things to happen either. I heard lots of people sharing how much they were enjoying it; and not a single whinge.

Hope to join you again soon for a longer course!

Best wishes.

Dear Woodlore team,

I've taken part in the Introduction course a week ago, Thursday 11th and Friday the 12th of September. Although it was only two days, I am still full of it.

I would very much like to thank your instructors for making these two days a success. Their enthusiasm and peace have been a great inspiration for me.

Thanks!

Greetings All. Just returned from 2 fantastic days on the "Introduction to Bushcraft" course.

The instructors included Bob, Rob and Mike, three more helpful and friendly people you won't find anywhere. The information that they possessed individually and together was out of this world and the way they show you as well as explain it is really easy to understand and take in, the camp atmosphere was fantastic considering there were 20 strangers put together to carry out these tasks that were set (of course with a mug of tea in the one hand at all times.) So, if you're reading this just thinking about one of the courses, my advice would be to "just do it" you will really enjoy yourselves.

Thanks to all the Woodlore team that I met and the ones that I didn't, I'll definitely be doing the Fundamental Bushcraft course as soon as a place becomes available. (man, my girlfriends bored of me going on about it already.)

Introduction to Nordic Skiing

I would just like to give Woodlore some feedback about the Nordic Skiing course I attended last week in Norway.

It was a fantastic course and I really enjoyed it. Having never skied before I was very impressed by my progress by end of the course, all due to the excellent tuition by Brian Desmond and Glyn Sheppard.

The mini biathlon style race run by Brian was a great addition, the shooting added extra variety to the course as it's not something I have done before. The big highlight was the overnight expedition to the mountain hut; stunning scenery and a good challenge skiing-wise for us. It did help that we were so lucky and had perfect weather nearly all week.

I look forward to doing the HOT (Heroes of Telemark) tour in the future.

Just dropping you a line to let you know how impressed I was with the Introduction to Nordic Skiing course. Enjoyed my week with Brian Desmond immensely.

The structure of the course was excellent. I was part of a mixed ability group and Brian managed to get us all up to standard for the expedition into the mountains at the end of the week. The training we received was well thought out and enabled us to all improve at our own pace in an enjoyable manner.

The hints and tips on skiing and survival in the snow were well received and helped me to feel safe and well looked after. Last but not least, accommodation was great throughout.

Brian and Glynn (the expedition guide) are great guys to be around; knowledgeable, professional and good fun.

Thanks for a wonderful experience.

It was a fantastic experience and I can't sing its praises too highly, it took a total wobbly non skiing novice like me to a point where I felt confident to ski across some quite demanding terrain and more importantly to judge my limits to not take unnecessary risks and walk parts I was unhappy with.

Brian and Glynn Sheppard provided some excellent instruction and I thought the duty and level of care and skiing facilities were similarly top notch, with plenty of factual information to answer all my questions, nothing seemed to be too much trouble for them both.

The overnight expedition was a real experience, stunning scenery and atmosphere. I aim someday to do the HOT course and have discussed this with Brian and obtained some recommendations on how to achieve this.

Just returned from a great week in Norway on the "Introduction to Nordic Skiing" course, which is very accurately described on the website. It was challenging but rewarding and Brian, the team leader, deserved a medal for patience and sense of humour. The course was well organised and it's hard to believe that we learnt so much in such a short space of time.

The website recommends that you are "average fitness" but my feedback would be that it is worth getting a bit fitter beforehand, as falling down and getting back up is very tiring!

Only one of the ten of us in our team had done cross-country skiing before, but we all left with a reasonable level of competence. However, downhill skiers beware – this is a very different kettle of fish. Don't come with any preconceptions and pick your crash site!

Brian is very organised and an excellent leader, which was particularly important as we had pretty bad weather, especially on our two-day trek. Knowing that Brian was looking out for our safety meant that we could concentrate on the skiing.

I have to admit I felt slightly daunted at the prospect of the expedition but so did some of the others and I think even Brian must have wondered on day one how he was going to lick us into shape! Anyway, it's good to have faced a challenge and pulled it off. The Norwegian hut system is great and we were all delighted to have reached our destination.

This is a well-structured course that gives a good impression of what is likely to be involved in the "Heroes of Telemark" Expedition and provides a comfortable and beautiful environment in which to start to learn the skills required.

I can highly recommend this course and cross country skiing. We had a blast and I'd like to do it again. I could certainly do with the practice!

Family Bushcraft Course

Dear Woodlore

I wanted to write and thank you all for the great time Leah and I had on the Family Bushcraft Course (25-27th July) We had been looking forward to it for over a year and it was worth the wait.

One of the things that made it so good was the friendliness, helpfulness, patience and professionalism of the instructors. They were all very individual but came together to represent Woodlore in the best way.

I think the content and pace of the course was just right for the age range and kept them interested but not over loaded. I also learnt a tremendous amount by doing hands on what you can't really absorb from reading. The setting for the course was ideal (other than being a long drive from Leeds!) and allowed us to explore the woodland but not be "punished" for leaving things in the car.

I would recommend the course to anyone with a young family and look forward to myself and Leah being able to participate in future courses and also Leah's sister Isobel, when she is old enough.

I felt I had to write to express our thanks, as a family, for the truly delightful weekend that we have just spent on the Family Buscraft course.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and it was a privilege to meet and be guided by your staff. With his wonderfully gentle manner, Bob kept us all under control and managed to impart a great deal of his knowledge. I really appreciated the way he seemed to have a word for everyone, and was generous with his advice. He was, of course, given great and full support by the enthusiastic and capable Yella, Mike and Dan. Please pass on our thanks once again to all of them.

We could easily have spent much more time in their company. Perhaps we will have the opportunity to do so in the future.

The weekend served as a great introduction to outdoor living for our two boys, and has refreshed and expanded our ideas of what this subject is about.

Fundamental Bushcraft Course

Dear James, Jeremy, Scott and Nick,

Last week was fantastic! Thank you all for putting on such an outstanding week of fun and learning.

The week was crammed full with more than I could ever have expected and the help and encouragement on offer from you four was first class. And you all appeared to be so patient! Certainly the food was definitely better than I thought would be possible for so many of us.

Thanks again. Fantastic week.

Regards

Please convey my thanks to James, Scott, Nick, and Jeremy for their fantastic instruction on last weeks Fundamental Bushcraft Course. Their knowledge and understanding of this vast subject was truly inspirational, and far exceeded my expectations. Their patience and willingness to help and to answer our questions was top rate, and made digesting all the subjects covered easy and an absolute pleasure.

This truly is a fantastic course and I would whole heartedly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the great outdoors, I came back with a wealth of knowledge and a better understanding of the subject than I ever thought possible, already I am planning and eagerly anticipating attending further courses with Woodlore with the Journeyman and the Camp Craft courses in mind.

Many thanks.

I don't normally write feedback but I felt in this case I should make an exception. I have just got back from the Fundamental Bushcraft course and have had one of the best weeks ever. The course has lived up to all my expectations and went beyond them. The knowledge I have gained will enable me to confidently explore wild places in comfort and safety. The course tutors were brilliant so a big big thanks to Dan, Scott, Bob and Nick. I eventually made fire by friction on the last day after hours of help from all the instructors so thanks for your patience and advice it meant a lot. I'm already looking at the intermediate course for next year!!

Once again thanks for a top week.

Just returned from a week Fundamental Bushcraft and I sincerely want to thank you for... actually for everything.

In particular a many thanks to your instructors (James, Brian, Keith and Tom) for their professionalism, enthusiasm and wonderful cooking.

It's exceptionally wonderful that Woodlore exists and that we are given the opportunity to learn lost abilities that tie us to nature.

My head feels like it is busting with new knowledge and skills and I can't wait to get back outside to use.

The course was outstanding never a dull moment and certainly no regrets that I was there. The food was fantastic and every talk, discussion or activity just brilliant (even collecting nettles...)

On the train on my journey home I looked out at the small areas of woodland we passed and wished I was back at the camp, sat around the fire under the parachute. I saw birch trees and knew that everything would be alright with such useful trees around.

Again, thank you all it was an experience which will stay with me forever.

I was very impressed with the level of instruction, encouragement and feedback from all members of the team. Paul, Rob, Ian and Keith. They all displayed a level of professionalism and knowledge that impressed and exceeded my expectations. We learnt so much and we were constantly pushed, it isn't a holiday, its hard work and I think that made it a world apart from the usual courses you go on with death by powerpoint and a course you can't fail.

The facilities, discipline and encouragement was exemplary. All members of staff gave expert tuition but wouldn't put up with second best. They seemed to know what your best efforts could result in and got you to that point.

We learnt the basics of so many useful and interesting skills and I particularly liked the way that you didn't know what was going to happen next. It has opened up a whole new world to me and I am looking forward to learning more and expanding on what was covered. Ray even turned up briefly and unexpectedly which was a nice surprise.

My only criticism could be that vegetarians don't eat fish, so I felt a little short of energy on a couple of occasions but it was only a week long course and loosing a notch on the belt is no hardship but I felt a bit down on zap a couple of times. Still in real life that could easily happen. Did I get my monies worth? Definitely a resounding yes.

Just going out this morning, I couldn't help but look at the trees in a slightly different manner to see if I could work out what they were, which I have never done before and reading through my journal I can't believe how much we covered. From a personal perspective, I think the best part about the course is not just about the practical things we learned but what I learnt about myself. With that in mind, Ade I will be going down the gym to make sure I have enough wellie to light that fire and of course I will! And I will give it a few weeks before I try grasping the nettle again and see if it "shouldn't hurt".

Thanks again to Paul, Dan "Superman", Ade and Kevin. The course may be set but the quality of what we learn is by the way it is taught and the interest shown in getting us to the end of it and keeping us motivated and we were lucky to have all of you there to do that for us. I don't think I have any superlatives left to describe what was one of the best weeks I have ever had.

A bit of feedback about the above course. Brilliant sums it up rather well I think. Long days, hard work, lots of fun and made loads of things. On a more serious note - the instructors were wonderful. Oozing knowledge, extremely professional, but also very friendly and approachable. Safety was always at the forefront of whatever we did.

I was quite apprehensive at the start, partly because of my age - I had no idea what to expect and didn't know whether I was fit/young enough to do all this stuff and last the week - and partly because I've never seen a woman doing bushcraft. This is no doubt a misconception of mine, but nevertheless caused me a bit of worry. However, there was another woman on the course, and everybody was very friendly and helpful to each other. I was also pleasantly surprised at the age range - from early 20s up to 60+ and for a change I wasn't the oldest person - woman or man. That was nice.

This has been possibly the most remarkable week of my life. A wonderful opportunity during which I learned new skills, made new friends and had the privilege to meet four inspirational people.

My thanks to Willow, Rob, Matt, and Tom your patience and enthusiasm made learning an enjoyable experience again.

To my fellow course members, also my thanks you are a wonderful group of people and it was an honour to share that week with you.

I heartily recommend this course to anyone, it makes you look long and hard at yourself. And you come out liking what looks back.

Again my thanks to all involved.

Heroes of Telemark Course

I have been meaning to write for some time to let you know what a superb experience we all had on the Real Heroes of the Telemark expedition. Brian's instruction and commitment were absolutely first class and provided an incredibly passionate and motivated atmosphere during training week. When Glyn joined for the expedition it was clear that we were being guided by two fantastically experienced men, leaders in every sense. I personally found their enthusiasm and support inspiring.

It is a tough experience, and I think in some ways life changing. Whilst this sounds like an old cliche, to walk in the footsteps of proper heroes, to experience first hand the dedication and courage that these men displayed, is humbling. The full depth of the experience is only possible because of Brian's unstinting commitment to make it absolutely authentic, and to ensure that all aspects of what was achieved by Grouse and Gunnerside are fully understood.

So thank you to Woodlore, and particularly thank you to Brian and Glyn for delivering an experience better in so many ways than even my greatest expectation.

Journeyman Course

Just a wee word about the second Journeyman course of 2008, and how it has changed my perspective on bushcraft in a survival situation.

I started the course only with the knowledge that the following week was going to be testing, and I was certainly right! At times I felt sure that I wouldn't be able to cope with the hunter-gatherer aspect of the course. However, the positive motivation and excellent instruction led me to focus on my own journey, away from the practical difficulties of our challenge. I found that the art of survival is a fine balance of body and mind that is easily tipped, allowing for lethargy and lack of self-motivation. Without my team-mates I surely would have slipped, yet by the end of the course I felt far more convinced by my ability to look after myself.

Really what this course has proved to me is that 'what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger'. My comfort zone has certainly stretched past fundamental wilderness living, and more importantly I feel capable of letting go of some of the 'essential camping tools' and relying on nature even more than before.

My thanks go to Paul, Willow, Phil and Claudia for helping me understand that hardships are there to be overcome, whether in the wilderness or not.

It has given me an appreciation of how hard hunter-gatherer lifestyles really are. It showed me that we all have the ability to do things that are really hard, all we need is the determination and resolve to strive (and survive).

I would highly recommend this course, although it is not for the faint hearted. The combination of skilled, motivated staff aided by renowned experts allows them to deliver an experience second to none.

Wilderness Navigation Course

I would like to take this moment to thank all the Woodlore Team and fellow Navigators for a very enjoyable and memorable week. The ability to use both map and compass, to take me off the beaten path and broaden my travelling-horizons is a skill I've wanted to learn for a long time. The mysteries and magic of navigation were skillfully and very patiently explained! Answers and encouragement were always on hand and at the end of the week the terrain, over which we'd travelled many times! looked very different indeed. Many thanks for all the jokes and biscuits, Cheers.

Many thanks for another great course, I thoroughly enjoyed the Navigation Course, and it was great to learn much more than just using a compass to navigate. Looking forward to the next course in September and seeing the Woodlore staff on the Journeyman.

Woodlore First Aid Course

I have just returned from the first ever Woodlore/Fusion First Aid Course and felt I had to write to say "Thanks" to all involved in putting together one of the most enjoyable and educating weeks of my life.

The course content far exceeded my expectations and was delivered in the most practical way to learn this kind of life changing experience. I now feel confident that if the worst were to happen, I have the capability to help where it matters most.

My thanks to Sharon and Jamie of Fusion First Aid, and to Paul, Matthew and the ever present patient, Dan of Woodlore for the course and imparted knowledge, and to all the would-be first aiders that I had the pleasure to spend the week with.

Thought I'd write and thank you for running such a great course and for all the hard work and intense planning that went into it. As with the Fundamental Bushcraft course I attended in April of last year, I was struck by the high degree of professionalism along with enthusiasm and humour on the part of everyone administering the course.

In the event that I ever need to call upon what I learned I feel I gained a great deal of knowledge and guarded confidence from the course. Guarded because I'm far more aware of the consequences of getting it wrong but having been through the scenarios I feel that I am far less likely to be "phased" by being confronted with a real emergency. Being able to make mistakes and learn from them in a simulated environment is invaluable.

The scenarios and those participating in them were really good and my thanks and congratulations to all who played their part in them. I'll particularly never forget the emergency concerning the jampot lid, but the course as a whole is something I'll always remember and cherish. In short, a great course and one which I suspect will be a forerunner of many and like other Woodlore courses, in much demand and oversubscribed.

Hope you don't mind some feedback on the first aid course for Woodlore and Fusion. Extremely enjoyable course, a credit to Jamie and Sharon's teaching styles (including yourself). Above all no B.S. The use of casualty simulation and scenarios a godsend as usually not used to its fullest. Generally other courses do not have the time. The 6 days was a luxury in comparison.

An excellent course and I will recommend it to anybody. Again my profound thanks to you and your staff. And of course to Sharon and Jamie. Best Wishes.

Woodsense Course

Thank you for the Woodsense course in May. I absolutely loved it, even the rain which provided an added challenge to the skills I had learned on the Fundamental Bushcraft course.

Since the course I have seen young stoats playing, a badger in broad > daylight and just two days ago a magnificent Roebuck looking back at me. I have not seen these things before. The course has also given me ideas about a story I want to write set in the woods.

Thank you to the instructors all of whom were models of calm leadership. Thank you to Jeremy Ray who was the instructor associated with the sub group I was in. He was concentration, determination and focus itself.

Thank you!

Just a quickie to thank you all at Woodlore for the fantastic courses I have completed, especially the Woodsense course, which to my mind was the best of the courses as it enabled me to be able to utilise what I had learned from the previous courses.

There are any number of people out there teaching Bushcraft, but I always recommend Woodlore to any one who shows an interest as I feel that the dedication that all members of the team, from Ray and Paul, Di and everyone in the "office" and the instructors shows through on the courses.

Thank you so much for opening my eyes to our wonderful world.