We are #iWG23

It all started when…

‘Welcome to the IWG program’ – after 3 months of application process and nerves of steel the relieving news dropped into my Email account. Finally. I fucking made it!

I am part of the amazing course called International Wilderness Guide based in Kuru, Finland.

Yes, Finland. A country not too many people visit I find. And if you are one of them who never visited or thought Finland is part of Scandinavia then please do check this out! (Thanks again for this, Hervé.) Oh and if you ever thought Finnish is a hard language to learn, it’s not. Just watch this and you are pretty much fluent in minutes.
 

But back to the course.

Since 1997, 16 Students get selected each year to spend 10 challenging months studying together. Half of the group is Finnish, the other half from all over the world. Everyone comes as an individual and leaves as a member of the IWG Family. We are IWG#23, class of 2018/2019!

Ever since coming across the course schedule I knew it was something what I would love to do. I was tired of doing a 9-5 routine. It wasn’t me, it just wasn’t fulfilling me at all.

Reading about surviving in the forest with nothing than a knife, the Russia Expedition, forging a knife, learning how to fish or being able to identify hundreds of plants …. That just sounded so much more exciting. So much more me!

SIDENOTE: Since a couple of years the Finnish government cut down financial funding (the course is mainly government funded which explains the low course fee). Therefore, the course schedule had to be adjusted (e.g. the Russian hiking expedition has been replaced with a Finland based trip). Furthermore, it is now required to understand basic Finnish as some of the paperwork has to be handed in in the Finnish language. A Finnish language test is held in order to be accepted in the studies as well. But Finnish lessons are also part of the schedule now, which is quite practical if you intend to stay in Finland. But don’t worry, even with no previous Finnish language skills it is possible to get in and manage the course!! Contact me if you have further questions about this!

UPDATE 2023: The course is currently only held in Finnish. Until then the school keeps on trying to get a permit to run the course in English again. This is very sad news unfortunately. The reason for this is that the responsible department doesn’t see the need of international guides in the area around the school. Means they don’t look at the whole of Finland, but only in a 100km radius around the school. And that’s true, there are barely companies that would need foreign guides. So that’s why the school currently doesn’t hold the license to teach in English. I’ll share an update as soon as there is one!

NEXT COURSE: Unknown

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Unknown :(

Meanwhile: Check out our own IWG website!