Into the Wild Weekend – Igloo Making & Bushcraft Skills

Learn wilderness bushcraft and build igloos during a weekend in the mountains with Luca and Mathieu, specialists in archaeology, indigenous communities and their traditional way of life, and survival techniques.

Luca was born and raised in Geneva, but spent most of his time in the wilderness with his parents. That’s where the love for nature and hunter gatherer’s way of life grew. Growing up, he had the opportunity to go for a trip in the Yukon territories, Canada where he witnessed the real bound between humans and Nature.

Mathieu has also always been fascinated by nature and wildlife. After graduating as a wild animal specialist, he started investing time in his bushcraft skills, hunter & gatherer way of life and experimental archeology. Nowadays, Mathieu lives between Switzerland, Norway and Canada where he shares and experiments his knowledge.

What’s the plan?

You meet Luca and Mathieu at a given location on Saturday morning. The exact location will be communicated as we get closer to the date, and will be within 2.5 hours from Zurich by public transport. The day starts with a snowshoe walk to your camp. The walk introduces you to the environment in which we spend the weekend.

Upon arrival at the camp, Luca and Mathieu show you the camp equipment, allowing you to settle into the woodland environment. Then you will spend two days learning the basic skills to live in and of nature in the winter. This includes how to make fire through friction, how to build an igloo for the night, how to feed yourself in nature in the winter… You will spend the night in your self-made igloos after sharing a nice dinner around the campfire!

Requirements

The hike to the camp will be short (maximum 2 hours), in order to maximize the time spent at the camp, learning new skills and enjoying being in the woods.

Insurance

It is the participant’s responsibility to get health and accident insurances that cover mountain rescue, including extreme sports. Becoming a Rega patron is highly recommended (CHF 40 per year only for emergency medical assistance from the air).

How to get there

The exact location and public transport / car parking options will be shared at a later stage.

Kit list

Clothing essentials

• Winter hiking boots
• Waterproof jacket and over trousers
• Down jacket
• Fleece
• Base layers
• Hiking trousers
• Warm hat
• Warm gloves (spare gloves are recommended in case of wet weather)
• Warm socks (spare socks are recommended in case of wet weather)

Night essentials

• Headlamp and spare batteries
• Sleeping mat
• 4-season sleeping bag (at least comfort 0°C)
• Waterproof sleeping bag cover

Technical gear

• Backpack
• Waterproof backpack cover
• Waterproof inner bags or bin bags to keep your personal items dry

F&B

• Knife
• Camping plate and mug to eat and drink
• Water (min. 3L)
• Packed lunches

Pharmacy

• Sunscreen and lip protector
• Plasters and basic medicine

Nice to have – optional

• Small handsaw
• Axe

Pricing

The price for this event is CHF 300.

Included in price

• 2 days of bushcraft activities with two bushcraft specialists
• Dinner on Saturday
• Breakfast on Sunday

Not included in price

• Transport to/from the event location
• Lunches
• Drinks and snacks

Group size

Min. 6 / Max. 10 participants

By signing up for this event, you agree that you have read, understood and will adhere to our Terms and Conditions.