Dear friends, customers, and fellow explorers, as we reach the close of another remarkable year, I want to offer my heartfelt thanks for your support, enthusiasm, and curiosity about the natural world. Whether you joined us on a course, equipped yourself for new adventures, or simply followed our journey from afar, your connection to Woodlore, the school I founded all those years ago, remains at the heart of everything we do.
Step inside the Arctic Circle with Ray Mears and Woodlore, and you’ll find yourself in a world where the cold is honest, the forest is ancient, and the sky feels close enough to touch. This is Sami country: a place shaped by reindeer trails, deep snow, and the quiet determination of those who travel through it. The journey is tough, beautiful, and deeply grounding. Equal parts training and transformation.
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To make sure your parcel arrives in time for Christmas, please place your order by the appropriate date below, as recommended by Royal Mail:
As an extra helping hand, we are pleased to say that all UK orders to the value of £40.00 and above (not including postage costs) placed after 2:00 PM on Friday 19th December until we close at midday on Tuesday 23rd December will be dispatched via a Next Working Day Delivery service, to ensure delivery in time for Christmas. Any orders placed after midday on Tuesday 23rd December will not be dispatched until the offices reopen in January.
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The fire crackles low against the dusk, its warmth battling a cool wind drifting through the gaps in the shelter. Muscles ache, hands are calloused, and yet there’s a quiet confidence among the group. These are not just students of bushcraft anymore. They are Journeymen.
But here’s the surprising truth: the Woodlore Journeyman Course was never designed as an elite summit of bushcraft training. When it was first conceived, it was intended simply as the next step beyond the fundamentals. Yet over time, it has gained a reputation—a test of grit, a course people whisper about with hesitation.
“I’m not sure I’m ready,” many say.
And yet readiness is not the point. The only requirement is completing the Woodlore Fundamental Course. Some students take a gap to consolidate their skills; others step straight into Journeyman. Either way, what they discover is that the course isn’t about being fully prepared—it’s about finding out how much more capable you are than you ever imagined.
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Inspired by tradition and Ray Mears’ life on the trail, read on to discover the story of our leatherwork — a journey of skill, patience, and a deep respect for the wild places it was made to serve.
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This exciting canoeing expedition in southern France takes place in the dramatic Ardèche Gorge, a place of awe-inspiring natural beauty, largely untouched since prehistoric times.
Join Ray Mears, along with expert local instructors Blue and Caroline, from Adventure Ardèche to learn to navigate the river, read the water, experience the adrenaline of Whitewater canoeing and enjoy a final descent of the gorge.
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The Ray Mears & Woodlore Bushcraft Blog 