A hectic week is over, and I realize that the next ten months will be super super busy, more than I previously thought. Working and studying at the same time is not easy, I saw that this week - especially as I am currently still commuting between the school and home, losing nearly three hours of working time. I now need to decide if I move to the "Lad Pad" in Kuru and only go home over the weekends, or commute.
Monday morning I was packed up and arrived early in Kuru - school started at ten. It was basic introduction stuff that day, getting to know the other students - a great group, very international with nine different nationalities among thirteen students - and the school, and an introduction to what we will learn in the next ten months. Great, exciting stuff ahead - four two week expeditions, four smaller events and all of them we need to plan and execute - and at least six weeks of practical training. As we can go anywhere we fancy, I am tempted to go to Bozeman, Montana, or Iceland...
The school building on a beautiful Monday morning.
Tuesday saw us getting to know the school grounds - we have over 1000 ha of forest as a playground, three (!) saunas and a lake next to the school, and so much more that there won't be any boring time. While Kuru is a tiny village it still has all what one could need (pub, supermarket, healthcare services, library, etc.), and for more: Tampere is just an hour bus ride away.
Starting my studies of birds.
The next day we got more into the thick of things, learning more of what needs to be done for a trip, how to plan it, and more. Thursday was visiting Tampere and different shops - I didn't buy anything, tough the visit at a Finnish cottage manufacturer who builds traditional shelters had me tempted. They were really nice, and to see that we have a cottage manufacturer practically on my door step is fascinating.
Drosera rotundifolia in Seitseminen National Park.
Friday we did a field trip to Seitseminen NP, and while I have been there plenty of times it was very interesting to go around there with our teachers and learn more than I would one my own. We also visited the old Kovero croft, which was very beautiful and it is a life I reckon which is much better than what we have nowadays.
Kovero croft from the inside.
The next week we will spend the complete time in the forest. We will build our own shelters, cook over fires, learn what we can eat from the forest, go fishing, do orienteering and much more. The week after we'll butcher sheep and learn to cook, as well as canoe and kayak lessons. It is a lot of fun to look forward to, but besides that we also need to start to write our essays on different topics, develop a business plan, learn to identify pretty much the complete Finnish flora and fauna (we have a list of over six hundred birds, mammals, fungi, lichen, trees, plants, reptiles, amphibians, etc). So it is not only "playing" but also studying - a lot. Lessons are every day from 8 till 16 o'clock with a couple of coffee breaks and a one hour lunch break. And after that studying, and for me also working.
If this is getting you excited and ready for a career change, the programme is called
International Wilderness Guide, more info and applications can be found from the link. There are plenty of people applying, so the earlier you start to plan and apply for this the better. I'll once in a while report about the studies and how they're going, though if you have more questions please feel free to ask in the comments.
A hectic week is over, and I realize that the next ten months will be super super busy, more than I previously thought. Working and studying at the same time is not easy, I saw that this week - especially as I am currently still commuting between the school and home, losing nearly three hours of working time. I now need to decide if I move to the "Lad Pad" in Kuru and only go home over the weekends, or commute.
Monday morning I was packed up and arrived early in Kuru - school started at ten. It was basic introduction stuff that day, getting to know the other students - a great group, very international with nine different nationalities among thirteen students - and the school, and an introduction to what we will learn in the next ten months. Great, exciting stuff ahead - four two week expeditions, four smaller events and all of them we need to plan and execute - and at least six weeks of practical training. As we can go anywhere we fancy, I am tempted to go to Bozeman, Montana, or Iceland...
The school building on a beautiful Monday morning.
Tuesday saw us getting to know the school grounds - we have over 1000 ha of forest as a playground, three (!) saunas and a lake next to the school, and so much more that there won't be any boring time. While Kuru is a tiny village it still has all what one could need (pub, supermarket, healthcare services, library, etc.), and for more: Tampere is just an hour bus ride away.
Starting my studies of birds.
The next day we got more into the thick of things, learning more of what needs to be done for a trip, how to plan it, and more. Thursday was visiting Tampere and different shops - I didn't buy anything, tough the visit at a Finnish cottage manufacturer who builds traditional shelters had me tempted. They were really nice, and to see that we have a cottage manufacturer practically on my door step is fascinating.
Drosera rotundifolia in Seitseminen National Park.
Friday we did a field trip to Seitseminen NP, and while I have been there plenty of times it was very interesting to go around there with our teachers and learn more than I would one my own. We also visited the old Kovero croft, which was very beautiful and it is a life I reckon which is much better than what we have nowadays.
Kovero croft from the inside.
The next week we will spend the complete time in the forest. We will build our own shelters, cook over fires, learn what we can eat from the forest, go fishing, do orienteering and much more. The week after we'll butcher sheep and learn to cook, as well as canoe and kayak lessons. It is a lot of fun to look forward to, but besides that we also need to start to write our essays on different topics, develop a business plan, learn to identify pretty much the complete Finnish flora and fauna (we have a list of over six hundred birds, mammals, fungi, lichen, trees, plants, reptiles, amphibians, etc). So it is not only "playing" but also studying - a lot. Lessons are every day from 8 till 16 o'clock with a couple of coffee breaks and a one hour lunch break. And after that studying, and for me also working.
If this is getting you excited and ready for a career change, the programme is called
International Wilderness Guide, more info and applications can be found from the link. There are plenty of people applying, so the earlier you start to plan and apply for this the better. I'll once in a while report about the studies and how they're going, though if you have more questions please feel free to ask in the comments.
Week One at the Wilderness Guide School
I like the way you are learning about the whole wilderness: plants, birds and all that the forest and wilderness has. Fantastic. Keep us updated as you learn and we can pick up some good stuff at the same time.
ReplyDeleteSounds very exciting! Will take a look at the link.
ReplyDeleteExcellent stuff!! Will try to keep up with your movements - just started the TMB so Internet access in the Alps may be limited it your course is simply too intriguing to miss...!!
ReplyDeleteNice to see that the Finnish flora and fauna belongs to the curriculum. Several wilderness guides I've encountered were not very knowledgeable in that particular area, but I think it is necessary.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like it will be quite thorough. I'd especially like to know what I can eat in the forest, other than bilberries and Tahti.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you have your work cut out for you for the next few months though!
Are they taking applications already? I'll have to email Timo.
Looking forward to next week's installment, and the sheep slaughter.
Sounds brilliant. I'm looking forward to following your progress. Sheep butchering sounds a bit extreme. What if you are a vegetarian?
ReplyDeleteWill do that, Martin. It is a very broad course and yet we learn a lot of details as well.
ReplyDeleteTake a look, Janne - it is also very cheap in comparison to other courses.
Maz, enjoy the Mont Blanc - there will be plenty of opportunities to keep up to date with my adventures!
Yeti, I agree - being in Finland one should learn the Finnish flora & fauna, even if one plans to work in Australia. You can't pass the course without passing that exam as well.
Mark, actually there dropped out some people at the last minute, so if you wanna move asap to Finland... I think the next round of applications will start next January or so.
Robin (& Mark), we actually don't slaughter the sheep (I think it would be good to see that as well). I concur that it might sound extreme, but as we learn how to be a wilderness guide I reckon that learning how to butcher is a valuable skill. There are quite a few Vegetarians in the course, they don't seem to have a problem with it, though. It is part of the education, after all.
Sounds like you'll have a great time. Looking forward to following your progress.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a nice course! If you find any good book on what you can eat in the forest, it would be nice to know.
ReplyDeleteAhh, might be a bit soon for me to return right now! Don't think Minna would appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteI've been watching a very funny show on Discovery - "Alaska: Out of the Wild" in which a group of "ordinary Americans" have to survive in the wilderness, eating porcupine, and hiking "a gruelling three and a half miles" to the next shelter. One day, Hendrik, that will be you. But with sheep.
This looks like it's going to be a great/busy year for you.
ReplyDeleteWhere do you sense it taking you, career-wise?
Wow, this sounds like a very interesting course. What a great range of subjects to study. I know from studying Environmental Science that it will be tough to learn flora and fauna during the first part of the traditional academic year, ie mainly autumn and winter. Then you will have to cram a lot into the last few months when the flowers burst into bloom. All the best with your studies.
ReplyDeleteHi Hendrik,
ReplyDeleteYou said: "Robin (& Mark), we actually don't slaughter the sheep (I think it would be good to see that as well). I concur that it might sound extreme, but as we learn how to be a wilderness guide I reckon that learning how to butcher is a valuable skill."
I don't think it extreme at all. I think you should learn how to kill, skin, joint and cook wild game (When you kill a sheep you skin it first then gralloch and joint - with other mammals you kill, gralloch, skin then joint)
I learnt to kill and prepare wild game before I was ten - sadly in this modern world people are too divorced from the land. Many people do not know the names of the flora and fauna in the country let alone how to prepare and eat it.
That much of this will be on your course does not surprise me at all. Having been fortunate to visit the wild places in Finland many times over four decades, Finns seem to me at any rate, to be more in tune with nature than many other countries - long may it continue!
Enjoy yourself - I'm certain you will.
Cheers,
Rob fae Craigellachie
That was a good idea. It seems I got interested for that course,too. Learning a lot about the wilderness will keep us prepared during outdoor activities such as camping and hiking. Keep us updated on your next blog.
ReplyDeleteHi Hendrik! First of all, thanks for your blog, much information can be found here. It seems you are going to have an interesting year ahead. I'd like to ask you for book recommendation on Finnish nature - I mean, if you find during your studies that one or two books is more often in your hands than the others, just give a hint. I might want to carry an allrounder in the backpack.
ReplyDeleteFraser, no concret plans yet, though I am cooking up my business plan (mandatory) and then we'll see. UL courses in the European Arctic, how would that be?!
ReplyDelete-maria- and Tobias, I will be adding some books to my Reading List page during the coming weeks, so keep a look at it.
swanscot, we have a very broad curriculum, but the main things are: Wilderness skills, flora & fauna of Finland, canoeing, skiing, ski-doo maintenance & driving (not interested in it, but mandatory), orienteering and much more. I started already during the late summer to collect plants, but it will be hard, nevertheless. Thanks for the wishes!
Clio, I'll keep you all updated in regular intervals.
Hei Robert, interesting to hear! We have the cooking/ foragging/ butchering classes next week, and a renown teacher comes extra out of retirement to teach us - I am sure it is going to be excellent =) we already had a short walk through the forest last week to learn about edible and poisons plants & mushrooms, very interesting.
What the heck my pal,youve becoming a guide too?
ReplyDeletesuperb!
Everything good and very nice...
ReplyDeleteHow awesome our God...
Like this all...
Sweet Regard... ^^
Everything good and very nice...
ReplyDeleteHow awesome our God...
Like this all...
Sweet Regard... ^^
Wow, this sounds like a very interesting course. What a great range of subjects to study. I know from studying Environmental Science that it will be tough to learn flora and fauna during the first part of the traditional academic year, ie mainly autumn and winter. Then you will have to cram a lot into the last few months when the flowers burst into bloom. All the best with your studies.
ReplyDeleteAhh, might be a bit soon for me to return right now! Don't think Minna would appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteI've been watching a very funny show on Discovery - "Alaska: Out of the Wild" in which a group of "ordinary Americans" have to survive in the wilderness, eating porcupine, and hiking "a gruelling three and a half miles" to the next shelter. One day, Hendrik, that will be you. But with sheep.
Sounds like you'll have a great time. Looking forward to following your progress.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like it will be quite thorough. I'd especially like to know what I can eat in the forest, other than bilberries and Tahti.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you have your work cut out for you for the next few months though!
Are they taking applications already? I'll have to email Timo.
Looking forward to next week's installment, and the sheep slaughter.
Sounds very exciting! Will take a look at the link.
ReplyDelete