graham pope's experience - Bushcraft / Primitive Living Skills

Just attended the Bushcraft/ Primitive Living Skills last week in Carraig Dulra with my girlfriend and wanted to write some sort of quick review in so that potential participants can know what they are getting themselves in for.

My girlfriend and I tried to get there as imaginatively as possible, as suggested by the website. However, the bus timetable was not favourable and I was not up to the cycle from Dublin with a tent in tow. Sadly, this left us with my car as the only option. I do suggest that you try and carpool if you can (*Mike will have some info in this regard) So we arrived on Saturday morning and met up with some of the other more adventurous participants who had already made camp the previous night.

Mike had prepared the breakfast which catered for all tastes. After a few ground rules by Antonio, the instructor, we are whittling away on our bow-drills with the hope of making fire by friction. Then a delicious soup was served by Mike: no roughing it on this weekend;-) Back to our fire-making, which proved pretty difficult with the wind. After collecting enough wood for the intended fire, Antonio demonstrated the figure-4 trap and stick throwing in case we needed it in a survival situation.

Mike, the host with the most, cooked fantastic organic burgers and vegetable kebabs over the pit fire. After dinner, it grew a bit cold, so we all huddled about the fire playing camp-fire games, snacking on cholcolate and swigging on a bottle of brandy.

That night was cold in tent, but we shivered our way asleep.

8am next morning, Mike had breakfast ready for a somewhat sleep-deprived bunch of campers. Antonio demonstrated how to broaden our scope of vision and sound while walking barefoot along the trails. After that, we were ready to start learning to track animals. Soup was then ready back at the Yurt. Sweetcorn chowder. Magnifique. Then we went to the woods to make a debris shelter. Although this was smaller than would be suitable for any of us, it took us nearly two hours of intensive work. Antonio demonstrated another type of trap on the way back to camp.

Although it was only a two day course, I think that everyone learned a lot about primitive living skills and also the permaculture that is being introduced to Carraig Dulra. I hope to go on another of Antonio's course in the future. Next time, I will try to get on a seven day course.

I would recommend the course to anyone who has any interest in outdoor living, regardless of physical fitness and ability. It is hard work at times, but Antonio does not push you past your ability.

I will post photos of the weekend on the site in the next few days.