Bear Grylls Survival Academy Information Pack & Joining Instructions CATSKILLS MOUNTAINS, NY STATE
COURAGE/DETERMINATION/INSTINCT/SPIRIT FITNESS/RESOURCEFULNESS/FIRE WITHIN SELF-RELIANCE/HOPE There is little faith involved in setting out on a journey where the destination is certain and every step in between has been mapped in detail. Bravery, trust, is about leaving camp in the dark, when we do not know the route ahead and cannot be certain we will ever return. COURSE OVERVIEW From your wilderness base camp, in the heart of coyote, bear and bobcat country, you ll learn Bear Grylls own survival techniques, delivered by an elite company of instructors selected by Bear and his crew. They ll guide your team in the Priorities of Survival, knife skills, fire lighting and rope work, showing you how to build an emergency shelter, forage and trap for food, gut and skin your catch, find and purify water. You ll learn to navigate by day and by night, and how to dynamically and safely ascend mountainous terrain in a natural training theatre of rocky gorges, rugged cliffs, craggy outcrops and fast moving white waters. For your final 36-hour adventure, you ll be dropped off in a remote mountainous area, with just a few basics and an empty water canteen. Nothing you have done before will test you like this experience, as you put everything you have learnt into practice to navigate the dense Catskill forest and make your way back to civilisation via a cascading waterfall! After the passing out ceremony that follows, your now well-used Bear Grylls knives and the memories are yours to keep. PLEASE NOTE: You must arrive at Frost Valley YMCA for 14:00 for a prompt start. Location YMCA 2000 Frost Valley Road, Claryville, NY 12725 UNITED STATES GPS Coordinates (recommended instead of using address): N 41 59 13 W -074 30 16 Please arrive at Frost Valley where you will be met by a Bear Grylls Survival Academy representative. You will be shown to your base camp, given a safety briefing and introduced to your instructors your adventure begins here! *You will be finished on day 5 by 1400hrs, please be aware of this before making any onward travel plans.
5 DAY SURVIVE THE CATKILLS YOUR COURSE DAY 1 - ARRIVAL The adventure begins at 14:00, with a chance to meet your course leaders and fellow participants and to ensure you have all the items on the BGSA Kit List. We will then move to the academy s wilderness base camp. On arrival you will set up your camp training area, receive a safety brief, course brief & outline as well as having a chance to talk about your specific requirements. You will then be issued with your personal training equipment, basic food rations and you will start the first of many survival sessions including the packing of expedition equipment, a Priorities of Survival lesson, followed by a knife skills session. After a late Alpine style supper, there will be a lesson on Astro Navigation and then it s heads down in preparation for the next few days of full on Bear Grylls style adventure. DAY 2 Day two begins with a field physical training session, followed by various core survival skills such as fire lighting, remote and improvised First Aid, knot tying, improvised harnesses and the practical use of snares, traps and dropping out fishing lines. Later, you ll build your own emergency shelter and forage, find, prepare and cook some exciting wilderness food. You will learn to gut and skin, and explore the art of sourcing, filtering and purifying water. The day concludes with a stalking stance and a night navigation exercise using Astro Navigation skills. DAY 3 Hopefully you ll wake up dry and warm if you ve built a good shelter! You ll need to use your skills to make a fire from scratch, check the snares and drop lines.... have you caught anything for a wilderness breakfast? After that we head out on the extreme Bear Grylls training adventure day. You will undertake navigation training and learn how to dynamically and safely ascend mountainous terrain using a variety of techniques. This is classic BG crossing of difficult ground. Mountain sides, gorges, rugged cliffs, craggy outcrops and fast moving white water is your training theatre for the day, so climb, swing, slide, jump and ride- it s pure Bear Grylls.
5 DAY SURVIVE THE CATSKILLS YOUR COURSE CONTINUED.. DAY 4-5 Final Exercise let s just say you ll be putting all your new found skills to good use! You will be dropped off in a wild remote mountainous area with just some basics and an empty water canteen. From that point, you re on your own as a team. Nothing you have ever done is even close to the adventure your about to go on. The aim: simple, survival and rescue. You must navigate and bushwack your way through the forest to the 8th highest peak in the Catskills. After locating a plane crash site, maybe you ll find a safe camping area for the night, clear of all the Catskills black bears. You will need to get yourselves some clean water and maybe some food. Hopefully you have a good strength of character and the will to succeed. If you manage to get through the dense Catskills forest and rugged terrain in time, you will make your way back to civilization by going down a cascading waterfall - BG style! If you are successful and we make it back to base camp, we have the final passing out ceremony and the awarding of the BG Survival Academy certificates. Your now well used BG knives and the memories will be yours to keep. PLEASE NOTE: You will be finished on day 5 by 14:00pm,please be aware of this before making any onward travel plans. Please note all activities are weather dependent.
HEALTH & FITNESS As you would expect, the Bear Grylls Survival Academy is challenging both mentally and physically. So, in order to get the most out of the course, applicants should be fit and healthy. If you have any questions about Health and Fitness for the course, please contact our BGSA team. KIT LIST Provided for you: The following kit will be issued to participants by the Academy, for the duration of the course: 4 seasons sleeping bag Camp bed Head torch Ruck sack and waterproof liner BG Canteen and mug Bear Grylls survival knife These items will all help you to survive! Please note, all of the clothing and equipment that you bring must be appropriate to the environment and the time of year. This is just a guide and you may not require all the kit. Your instructors will let you know what to take out into the wilderness upon arrival - any surplus kit can be left in vehicles. For a more accurate idea of items you may need to bring, please check the weather forecast prior to your departure for 12725 (Claryville, NY). 1 pair of Hiking boots, preferably with ankle support Training shoes Trousers (lightweight) Base layer, mid layer and outer (lightweight) Thick fleece or lightweight winter jacket Hat Gloves x 2 thin (active) & thicker outer (waterproof) Water and windproof trousers and jacket Swimwear for ladies Sunglasses & Sun Cream & mosquito repellent (weather dependent) Casual clothes (spares, including footwear for once the course has ended) Personal toiletries & Towel Personal medication Camera (in a waterproof bag) and a bag full of positive attitude! Please note - all activities are weather dependent and may be affected by other factors beyond our control. The course schedule and content may be rearranged or amended at short notice and cannot be guaranteed. Emergency Contact Jeff Williams T: (845) 985-2291 ext. 315 E: jwilliams@frostvalley.org
HOW TO FIND US.. NEAREST AIRPORTS Albany International Airport, NY (98 miles) LaGuardia Airport, NY (127 miles) Newark Liberty International Airport, NJ (130 miles) JFK Airport, NY (138 miles) NOTE: Please arrive at Frost Valley YMCA for 14:00 for a prompt start. Location YMCA 2000 Frost Valley Road, Claryville, NY 12725 UNITED STATES GPS Coordinates (recommended) N 41 59 13 W -074 30 16 DRIVING DIRECTIONS Driving Directions from New Jersey and Points South: From the New York Thruway, take Exit 16 (Harriman). Go 55 miles West on Route 17 to Exit 100A (Liberty). At the end of the exit ramp turn right onto Route 55 East. Follow directions from Liberty. Follow Route 55 East 10 miles to Neversink. Look for a sign on the right for Claryville. Turn left onto Claryville Road/County Road 19 and go four miles to Claryville. Look for a sign on right marked Frost Valley YMCA. Turn left onto Frost Valley Road/County Road 157 (which becomes County Road 47) and drive 7 miles to Frost Valley YMCA s Main Campus. From Binghamton and Points West: Take Route 17 East to Exit 100 (Liberty). At end of exit ramp turn right onto Route 52 West. Drive.25 mile and take a sharp right onto Route 55 East. Follow Route 55 East 10 miles to Neversink. Look for a sign on the right for Claryville. Turn left onto Claryville Road/County Road 19 and go four miles to Claryville. Look for a sign on right marked Frost Valley YMCA. Turn left onto Frost Valley Road/County Road 157 (which becomes County Road 47) and drive 7 miles to Frost Valley YMCA s Main Campus. From Connecticut and Points East: Take I-84 West to Route 17 (Middletown, NY). Go West on Route 17 to exit 100A (Liberty). At the end of the exit ramp turn right on to Route 55 East. Follow Route 55 East 10 miles to Neversink. Look for a sign on the right for Claryville. Turn left onto Claryville Road/County Road 19 and go four miles to Claryville. Look for a sign on right marked Frost Valley YMCA. Turn left onto Frost Valley Road/County Road 157 (which becomes County Road 47) and drive 7 miles to Frost Valley YMCA s Main Campus.
BOOKINGS & ENQUIRIES Email: enquiries@beargryllssurvivalacademy.com Phone: +44 (0) 1483 424438 Phone: +1-877-742-2925 Fax: +44 (0) 1483 860391 Website: www.beargryllssurvivalacademy.com In be eligible for the academy you need to be 18yrs+ INCLUSIONS Accommodation Meals Various kit (see kit list) All fieldwork & lectures EXCLUDES Flights and any other means of transportation not mentioned. Travel Insurance BONDING Bear Grylls Survival Academy is a fully bonded tour operator and all participants booked to travel with us have protection by bonding, as required by ABTA and ATOL (through the civil aviation authority). We are also a fully licensed IATA agent. Full payment is required to confirm your booking Your placement will then be confirmed to you in writing by the Bear Grylls Survival Academy Please Note: Bear Grylls Survival Academy reserves the right to amend dates of courses or cancel courses if our minimum attendance numbers are not met. Participants should check that adequate travel insurance covers them for cancellation of any flights that may have been booked. It is the client s responsibility to be provide accurate and true information to the company. Proof of identity and age will be required, before the client may join the course. In the event of any of the information supplied by the client proving to be incorrect or untrue and preventing the client joining the course, the full amount paid by the client will be retained to cover administration costs and there will be no refund due to the client.