The Winter Bushcraft course in Finnish Lapland was an exceptional experience and one of the most meaningful outdoor experiences I've had.

The quality of instruction is outstanding. Teaching is calm, precise, and at a very high standard, with a strong emphasis on understanding why skills are done a certain way in Arctic conditions. Safety is taken extremely seriously, but never in a way that feels limiting or risk-averse. Instead, risk is managed thoughtfully, creating an environment where I was encouraged to stretch myself, try difficult things, and move beyond my comfort zone while knowing I was well supported.

I was the only woman on the course, and at no point did I feel underestimated or excluded. I received specific encouragement to contribute fully at my capability, and my input was valued equally. That culture of respect, positivity and teamwork made a significant difference, particularly in challenging winter conditions.

The setting in Finnish Lapland is extraordinary and central to the learning. This is not a generic bushcraft course placed in a cold environment; it is deeply connected to place, season, and local knowledge. The integration of Sámi culture and traditional practices adds depth, authenticity, and context, reinforcing a respectful relationship with the land rather than a macho, survival-at-all-costs mindset.

Teamwork is clearly essential in these conditions, and the course reinforces this throughout. Success depends on cooperation, shared responsibility, and trust, not individual bravado. The instructors foster a strong team dynamic that supports learning and safety.

What truly sets this course apart is its authenticity and local engagement. The instruction is grounded, based on lived experience, and respectful of the local culture, environment and traditions. You leave not only with practical winter skills, but with genuine confidence, humility, and a deeper understanding of what it means to operate competently and responsibly in Arctic environments.

Highly recommended for anyone seeking serious winter bushcraft taught properly, with integrity and care.

The course was absolutely fantastic. Ray, Ruth, and Tom are amazing instructors — knowledgeable, attentive, and genuinely invested in the group.

The course offers a unique perspective on Arctic survival and shows how ancient and modern peoples have managed to live in such a harsh environment for so long.

Ray's knowledge is incredibly deep, practical, and experience-based. He really knows what works and what doesn't, and he always goes the extra mile to explain things clearly and push participants to test and develop their own skills.

The schedule is full but never exhausting. The course isnt physically intense, but the extreme cold adds an extra layer of challenge that makes everything feel more real and alive.

Im truly grateful to have taken this course, in such a beautiful, remote, powerful, and untouched environment. I�ll definitely be back to explore this biome even more. Huge thanks to everyone at Woodlore for the care, attention, and warmth you showed me.

Best,
Rodrigo

A wee note re being a female on the Woodlore Arctic Expedition with Ray Mears. This was my first encounter with Woodlore. The landscape is mesmerizing and it would be very hard to feel so immersed in it and experience it all without the support of the instructors and classmates - its dear but it is a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. As we heard in the evenings listening to Ray, the land truly does teach us and I built up experience slowly until I felt more at home in the landscape. I think its really female friendly in terms of instruction and the comfort of a lodge no more than an hour or two�s ski away. I was sad to say goodbye to days of skiing across frozen lakes, trying to take in the beauty of the quiet and stillness, the long sunrises and sunsets and of course the northern lights! Skiing at night was really magical. I really enjoyed the challenge of it all.

Book well ahead and talk to the lovely Woodlore shop folk re kit. The right kit doesn�t have to be dear but it builds your confidence. You definitely need the Nokian Naali wellies. I booked just a few weeks before the course and got away with second hand gear in good wool but it was just the pockets and small zip pulls that were the downside and I needed to layer more which was fiddly - the arctic designed gear is just more efficient and better at not losing heat - huge pockets are the way to go and the arctic gear has large zips that hands in thick mitts can work. Not that I'm an expert in clothing but its just what I noticed.

For any females interested I would suggest you try and get good gear in female fit as the male fit gets bulky round the shoulders. The Woodlore staff are on hand by phone to help you work with what you''ve got and they definitely don�t push products from their own shop. From my experience the Woodlore shop is good as its the right quality to last and price is standard if you can afford it or don�t have time to look for second hand kit.

It was a great laugh - I really felt the support of the other classmates and the instructors were great - Ray of course is funny and friendly and really supportive and his team of Dave and Tom were brilliant and encouraged independence. And thanks to the lovely Ruth with her cheery smile and sense of fun - you were brilliant. Thank you Woodlore!

Fantastic experience and great value for money. Memories I will hold dear for the rest of my days.

In short, this trip was a dream come true. The environment is stunning, so much so that the pictures really can never do it justice. Building and sleeping in a quinzee with the northern lights dancing overhead is something I will never forget. And then again in the hot tents. It was truly magical. This is a hard environment and somewhere you really cannot just ''tough it out'' so having the superb Woodlore team teach you the necessary skills was essential. It is jam packed, from ice fishing, to shelter building, personal care, wildlife, snowmobiles, and cultural insight. The accommodation is very comfortable and the food is great, but it�s the nights spent out in the cold that you�ll never forget. Correctly attired you�ll be comfortable and excited.

Yes this is a lot of money, but do I think it�s value for money, yes! The group I was with was a delight to spend time with and Ruth, Ray, Tom and David from Woodlore were an excellent combination with first rate guidance. I�ll be back!

A simply wonderful experience which I am still basking in the afterglow of over a month after having returned home. Thank you team Woodlore for the amazing time I had and the knowledge I took away.

I saved up for a few years before deciding to commit myself to attending this course and I am pleased to say it was worth every single penny. I was somewhat concerned in the run up to the start of the course about my lack of bush crafting prowess and winter skills but this proved unfounded as I never felt in over my head. I learnt a hell of a lot in the 10 days and feel I will be able to use this as a strong starting point to develop more for the future and get out and explore more in a safe and efficient manner. I realised quickly that you really don�t want to be making avoidable mistakes when it is very cold as things could spiral out of hand quickly, but the course started with how to spot signs of frostbite and other potential cold hazards so luckily no mishaps!

The course structure and the whole team of instructors were able to impart such a wealth of knowledge in an easily digestible fashion with an excellent pedagogical approach. Engaging and captivating each and every one. I enjoyed watching demonstrations of techniques used and tips and tricks to allow one to safely navigate and thrive in a northern environment as well as being able to ask questions and request clarification. It was a great learning environment and one I benefited from immensely.

The fun really began when we participants were let off the leash to put into practice what we had been taught. Demonstrate, do, reflect would be how I would describe it. It is all well and good to read about how one should do something but to have it demonstrated and then actually do it yourself allows for that knowledge to sink in that much more permanently.

The things I enjoyed doing the most were learning to travel on cross country / back country skis and constructing snow shelters / quinzees. I enjoyed the team work and effort involved and feel extremely grateful to have been surrounded by a really fantastic bunch of individuals.

I am so very grateful that I bought the recommended Nokian Naali winter wellies because they allowed a very good fit to the Finnish military ski bindings as well as keeping my feet toasty when the mercury dropped. This really allowed me to embrace the joy of travelling on skis even if I did end up on my derriere more times than I can count.

The base for the course was delightful and the food provided exactly what I needed so that I never felt hungry nor depleted. Breakfasts were something which I looked forward to most.

In hindsight I wish I had read Ray Mears and Lars Fält‘s book Out on the land BEFORE arriving in Finland because there were many many things which I could have practiced in the comfort of my house (knots!) rather than trying to learn first time and tie with gloves on at minus 20 degrees centigrade.

What you will learn will inspire your future and enable you to overcome any challenge.

If you haven''t already booked you have no idea what you''re missing.

The days are full of practical arctic living lessons, Finnish skiing, shelter building, fishing, snowmobile techniques, finishing with living in hot tents .

Evenings develop the practical skills with theory lessons on a range of topics inc equipment and how to operate in Arctic conditions.

The course is based from a basic but comfortable lodge with excellent food providing over the six thousand calories per day that you will need to meet the course demands.

We spent a number of nights sleeping out in various configurations and temperatures as low as -37 c.
We saw the Northern Lights most nights and the scenery is stunning.

One of the benefits of this course is that you learn to understand the mental attitude, approach and how you can be comfortable in what can be a harsh environment. One lesson is that you come to understand the significance of the phrase "the colder it gets the fewer mistakes you can make".

You end this course with the theory practical skills, confidence and understanding to tackle any challenge you might face in any environment or walk of life.

It''s a real team effort from all the Woodlore team that make it such a success. They make it run so smoothly and pack so much in. What you don''t see is the effort and long nights they spend planning, preparing and adapting to changes.

Last time I was in the Arctic with Ray was 2005 in Sweden and wouldn''t hesitate to go back again.

Having just returned from the Winter Bushcraft course in Northern Finland, I have to say what a wonderful experience I found it to be. Ray and his team have a wealth of knowledge and experience in this environment and the course provides a unique opportunity to tap into that well of information, all you need to do is listen and apply yourself. The course can be physically demanding at times, especially if you�re not very fit like me, but ultimately it is a rewarding experience that stretches beyond the immediate purpose of providing a baseline of skills for living and working in the Boreal forest in winter. Highly recommended and thank you Ray, Ruth, David and Steve.

An absolutely amazing experience, and a privilege to work with Ray and Lars and the rest of the team involved.
Fantastic organisation and execution even when faced with consistent extreme cold spells ... otherwise known as "Cosy" by Lars Falt who is the only man ever to use the word Cosy and -48C in the same breath ... and keep a straight face !
Seriously though, if you are reading this and considering booking the course, then you should do it because it will be everything you dreamed and lots that you could never have imagined in your wildest dreams. There is however, one very big complaint which I feel it is only fair to voice ... I wish it lasted a month not a week !
I am already thinking of ways to earn brownie points with SWMBO (she who must be obeyed) so I can return to the Arctic next winter and use the skills I have learned to ski treck even further out into the wilderness.
Thanks guys for a great time.

It was with some intrepidation that I decided to book on the "arctic experience". I have been on a number of Woodlore “challenges” as l like to call them and have learnt a lot about the causal use of the words “delicious”, "short walk" and "slight chance of drizzle". However when my wife, a self confessed camping phobic with a morbid fear of cold, said that she would like to come along I was speechless. All camping trips I have done with the children have started with dropping her at the nearest airport to take the first flight out to Spain. My wife read the usual all too brief description of the trip on the Woodlore website and decided to call them. The staff were helpful as usual and I must apologise for the intense cross examination that they all underwent as Jane tried to extract as much information as possible to give an indication of the level of suffering she was about to embark upon.

So it was with extreme high risk to our marriage that we boarded the flight to Kiruna 3 days before valentine''s day.

The day we arrived the legendary Lars introduced himself and used the word "cosy" in the same sentence as -42 degree Celsius. Another adjective to add to the Woodlore thesaurus. However despite all my worst fears and many sleepless nights prior to the trip, my wife loved every minute of the adventure and it has brought us much closer together ( not just because of the cold). I haven�t seen her smile so much in years. The organisation and preparation for each day was well planned. The food was delicious (a great bonus from my cooking on previous Woodlore trips). The other adventures were all super fun with many characters and surprises. Mr Mears managed to entertain and educate late into the evenings with his tales of far flung places and skills he had picked up along the way. The Woodlore staff, James and Dan were always to there to lend a hand between snowmobile starting exercises. Britt Maire and Lars managed to supply between them enough knowledge, skill and passion to fill two notebooks and my soul with renewed vigour for the outdoors.

Three days into my return I am still on a high and even the day to day grind of work in the UK has not dampened my spirit. The unexpected bonus is that I have switch off the heating in the house and my wife hasn�t notice yet. I hope to save enough to pay for the next adventure, somehow I don''t think I will be getting away on my own again for a while, the wife has seen through the looking glass and she�s coming too. Does anyone want 3 children for a week!

Dear Woodlore Team....

I would like to express my thanks to you all for an amazing course in the Arctic. It was yet another professional, well organised, intense yet hugely enjoyable experience.

Thanks to all of you behind the scenes in helping with last minute equipment needs and to Paul, Dan, Ray and Lars for their willingness to share their knowledge and experience.

To be able to learn how to cope to some degree in such harsh conditions under the watchful eye of such experts is invaluable. Fortunately Britt-Marie's round the clock efforts kept our energy levels up throughout and she gave a great insight into such a different way of life.
I feel truly privileged to have met such a great bunch of people.

It was great to meet and survive with such a diverse yet similarly motivated group of coursemates.
Plenty of great memories that will stay with me.

Once again a great Woodlore course.

I look forward to seeing you in the future.

Kind Regards,

Stuart Wittke

As per always, amazing landscapes, meticulous planning and teaching staff that are the best in their field.
Thanks again for making dreams a reality.

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.