Ok, here goes...
I think it's best not to give away too much, as the anticipation of what is next is part of what makes the course!
So, what did we do?
Well, we covered a lot of areas (see below). Mostly in the format of a brief interactive lecture round the fire, showing popular kit, what works and what doesn't, good and bad techniques, and some interesting lore and stories, before a period of practical work trying out what wed just learnt and starting whatever project that stemmed from what we had covered. These were then to be completed at our leisure and to be presented on Saturday. A couple of little walks around the estate for some of it too.
Topics:
Care and proper use of knives and saws :swordfigh. No axe work at all don't expect to use one if you bring it. You'll be disappointed. Still, I think most people (I'm pleased to say not me) ended up with a nick or two by the end of the week...
Basic trapping and snare setting
Various ways to start and build fires, including tinder types, preparation, gathering, appropriate use etc.
Shelter making, including the option of sleeping in one if you like
Fishing: Just a brief overview of efficient ways to get fish for food and the opportunity to chuck a few lures in with a spinning rod. If you're a keen fisherman bring your own gear, their ones are a bit naff and the reels were knackered. They don't mind you having a cast in your spare time but don't take the mick.
Carving a spoon!
Preparing wild foods (we did trout and pigeon) including cooking your own dinner at least once
Cordage and other crafts
Tree and plant ID's
Looking after yourself: Hydration, hypothermia, shelter from elements etc.
Basic tracking
Some simple star navigation and lore
Fire drill (this takes some time and a fair bit of effort! Still, the sense of achievement is immense)
A few smaller projects
A bunch of stuff that I can't remember right now.
Ate cake every night at 9pm. If it wasn't present, the natives got restless!
Oh, and got rained on. Lots.
What did I enjoy?
All of it! (esp. the cake and the constant supply of tea)
Bad points:
Forgetting where I'd put stuff and finding it just after I'd needed it (Lesson: Keep everything together, and dry!)
Spectacularly falling on my backside into deep mud while lots of people were watching.
Having to get out of my hammock at 3am and 5am in the rain most mornings as a side effect of all the tea I drank. :theyareon
Most useful bits of kit:
Wooly hat to wear at night in bed
Goretex salopettes
ASDA balti dish - all round useful camp crockery (get a big one - see Alan Partridge)
Head Torch :thinkerg: !
Tea Mug (steel)
Least useful:
Swiss Army Knife
Plastic plate
sun cream
Top Tips
Keep track of where you put things - try to keep it all in one place
Make sure you listen to their little suggestions - a small hint at one point early in the week may make all the difference to how you get on come Saturday.
Try to make the most of all the projects - it may seem like they mount up but you do have time to do them all, and get as much work in as early as you can because you can expect more to come through the week
Pitch your site as high up as possible - the further down the hill, the more in the dew trap you'll be.
Some particular highlights for me:
Waking up on Thursday morning to sun streaming into the spruce shelter wed made. I was on my own for an hour, with sun pouring down the little valley, a babbling stream running by, and an hour to kill. Washed in the stream, put out the fire in the shelter (it was supposed to be there!), and felt just like Grizzly Adams. I had a look around to see if Gentle Ben was kicking around somewhere. Then went a bit native and thought to myself: "Soon the White Man will come and spoil this place" and other such delusions
Got dressed, went to the main camp and had Crunchy Nut Cornflakes for breakfast. Felt a little more sane.
Gettting an ember for the first, second.. in fact every time, with the Fire drill.
The not-too-early starts
Cake! And the accompanying chat sitting round the fire. In particular the stories of (usually drunken) misadventure from one of our number, which kept us in stitches for most of the week!
Teaching a thing or two to the instructors on Fish gutting was pretty satisfying (tutorial to come next time I have a fish and a camera and a second pair of hands in the same place.) Hopefully Steve and Matt will remember the trick and show you next week, Andy
Learning that a Golf umbrella is a pretty useful woodland tool. (or the "Smug Umbrella" as Lisa called it because the person standing under their only one usually looks pretty smug!) :umbrella:
Seeing Anthony graduate to Full Instructor and being awarded his instructor's knife (only the fourth, including Ben and Lisa). He was righfully pleased and fully deserved it. :You_Rock_
A refreshing (i.e. very chilly!) swim in the Tarn. If you have a go, unless you're used to it, I recommend holding on to the dam until you've acclimatised or you may find yourself realising it's cold about 10m away from the side and finding it suddenly difficult to swim or even breathe freely because of the sudden shivers! :aargh4:
And the peace that can only be found after settling in to the hammock with a good book by candlelight at the end of the day, listening to the stream, the calls of the owls and eventually the distant snores of other satisfied students (or was it Gentle Ben
?)
