The Timeless Journey® General Courses grew out of our desire to assist clients with little or no experience in the outdoors in rapidly acquiring the skills needed to participate in our adventures.

Structured Curriculum

In our General Courses, we offer a complete, step-by-step introduction to essential wilderness living and survival skills. Each course has new course content, different exercises, creative projects and problem-solving challenges. 

We feel that creating logical, sequential learning and adequate practice is important in building confidence and competency in outdoor skills so we build these opportunities into our program. Every new skill is seen at least four times; each time in a different way:

  • demonstrated by an instructor
  • taught in a lesson
  • practiced by students in an exercise
  • applied in a scenario or project

When you select a Timeless Journey® Adventure (at the same level), you will have additional opportunities to use and practice the skills you have learned in context, furthering your ability to perform under pressure but still under the guidance of a professional adventure guide. 

As a result of our structured curriculum, you can take our General Courses at any Timeless Journey® Campus across Canada.

A More Comfortable Way To Learn

At Timeless Journey®, we offer regular opportunities to learn, practice and review your skills. You do not have to coordinate schedules with a mentor or friend- you can count on our availability! 

We prepare, organize and provide the materials and a venue for our course activities. All you have to do is get there- the rest can be done for you if you want. 

We have carefully studied the risks and hazards involved in our activities. We work hard to stay in good standing with WorkSafe BC and we carry insurance for our activities. This is well beyond the industry standard. Wouldn’t you rather learn from a professional who holds themselves to this standard? 

Because we’re a team, we can offer some hospitality services designed to make your wilderness experience more comfortable and fun. Check out the hospitality provided on our courses in the detailed course descriptions. Let us help you in advocating for an outdoors lifestyle with an inexperienced spouse, family member, friend or work associate- that’s our passion and life work. 

Just to be clear. On Timeless Journey® General Courses clients are invited, not forced or cohersed, to participate. You can stop any activity at any time if you feel uncomfortable, feel like you need more support or simply want a break. 

If you fail to meet a pass-fail objective during a General Course, you can still go home and practice on your own alone, pay for a private or semi-private lesson with an instructor of your choice or try something different like a Timeless Journey® Specialty Course or Timeless Journey® Adventure. 

Quality Instruction

We hire and train our own professional Bushcraft and Survival Instructors from within our company. We invest in their education by providing a rigorous training program and regular continuing education seminars. Our instructors have many opportunities to adventure and take courses with our competitors world-wide. We’re confident they know their craft inside out, are passionate about what they do and excel as outdoor educators.

Great Courses for Complete Beginners

At Timeless Journey®, we have some of our most experienced instructors and our lowest student to instructor ratios (1:6) in our General Courses for beginners. We are committed to one-on-one instruction for practical first- experiences with new tools. We want our clients to be safe and have a positive first experience with our company. 

The following general courses have no prerequisites and are suitable for people with little or no experience in the wilderness:

If you have previous tent camping experiences in traditional campgrounds, we heartily recommend the following courses: 

Looking for something different? Check out the selection of Timeless Journey® Specialty Courses and Timeless Journey® Adventures that are also available to beginners. 

How to Qualify For Higher Level Course

Some of our General Courses are open to novices, however, the vast majority require some form of qualification.

The qualification process allows us to offer highly-skilled courses that appeal to experienced outdoors enthusiasts too (and remain insured). There are five different ways to qualify for a higher level course:

  • Option 1: Taking and Passing the Required Prerequisite Courses

Our structured curriculum is designed to provide clients with a seamless, step-by-step introduction to wilderness living and survival skills. Passing the required prerequisite courses is the best way to ensure that you are fully prepared to handle the next level of complexity. 

  • Option 2: Applying For Transfer Credit From Another Institution

At Timeless Journey®, we recognize that many of our clients have already taken excellent survival or wilderness living skills courses with one of our competitors. You are welcome, and encouraged, to review or reinforce your knowledge by exploring our approach to the same material.

If you would rather “pick up where you left off,” we are happy to offer a transfer credit for courses taken at reputable institutions (those that keep student records, issue receipts and can confirm your attendance) and operate with a reliable curriculum (so we can know what subjects were addressed in the course). 

Please contact the Head Office for more information about Transfer Credits. 

  • Option 3: Completing a Personal Knowledge and Skills Assessment

A 2-3 hour private or semi-private assessment with a Bushcraft or Survival Instructor. Clients receive a written personal evaluation with a recommendation about how and where to enter the Timeless Journey® program. They work together with the Bushcraft or Survival Instructor to develop a realistic plan for achieving their goals. A private or semi-private assessment can be booked through the Head Office. 

  • Option 4: Hiring Additional Support

On General Courses with Timeless Journey®, you can forgo the qualification process if you are willing to personally address the costs and responsibility of hiring the additional support staff that may be required to meet your personal needs.

This service is very useful in properly addressing personal physical or mental health issues, a client’s concerns about their inability to meet a regular level performance standard, special scheduling requirements (early returns, late arrivals, anticipated need to leave the course…) or they lack the necessary prerequisites and do not/ cannot sit a personal assessment with an instructor. 

The costs of hiring additional support will vary on a case-by-case basis and must be assessed directly by contacting the Head Office at least two-weeks prior to the start of the course.

At the beginning of some select courses and adventures, clients have an opportunity to challenge the prerequisites by demonstrating their prior knowledge, preparedness and competency in a series of hand-on exercises with an examiner.

If they pass the challenge, they can complete the course or adventure with the rest of the group. However, the client must be entirely prepared to assume any and all costs that may arise if they fail to meet the minimum performance standards outlined in the challenge.