Skills

In an outdoor education setting, communication skills are crucial for effective collaboration and the achievement of goals. Here are some ways in which communication skills can be important:

1. Clear and concise communication: When participating in outdoor activities, it’s important to be able to clearly and concisely communicate instructions, directions, and objectives. This ensures that everyone involved in the activity understands what is expected of them, which helps to keep everyone safe and on-task.
2. Active listening: Effective communication involves active listening. It’s important to listen carefully to your team members’ questions, concerns, and feedback. This allows you to address any issues that arise and ensure that everyone is comfortable and engaged.
3. Nonverbal communication: In an outdoor setting, nonverbal communication can be just as important as verbal communication. Team members learn to be aware of their body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice, as these can convey important messages to participants.
4. Conflict resolution: Conflict can arise in any group setting, but in an outdoor activity setting, conflicts may be exacerbated by factors such as physical exertion, challenging environments, and high-stress situations. team members will learn conflict resolution techniques to ensure that conflicts are resolved quickly and effectively.
5. Adaptability: Outdoor adventure settings can be unpredictable, and unexpected challenges can arise. Teams with strong communication skills are better equipped to adapt to changing circumstances, communicate changes in plans effectively, and maintain trust and confidence.

Overall, communication skills are essential in an outdoor adventure setting to ensure the safety, well-being, and engagement of participants, as well as to facilitate effective teamwork and achieve program objectives.

Interdependence in outdoor activity settings refers to the idea that participants rely on each other to achieve shared goals and complete tasks successfully. It involves recognizing that everyone in the group has something valuable to contribute and that success is dependent on everyone’s participation and cooperation. In outdoor activities, interdependence can manifest through tasks such as setting up camp, navigating a trail, or completing a challenge course. By working together and relying on each other’s strengths, participants can build trust, communication skills, and a sense of shared accomplishment.

You will learn how to use a map and compass to navigate through unfamiliar terrain. How to read and interpret maps, including understanding different types of symbols, scales, and contours. You will also learn how to use a compass to take bearings and orient yourself on a map, as well as to follow a specific course. Additionally, you will learn basic navigation techniques, such as dead reckoning, pacing, and triangulation, which can be used to estimate distances and determine their location. Overall, this basic navigation course teaches you fundamental skills for safely and confidently navigating through outdoor environments.

Campcraft is the skills and knowledge needed to set up and maintain a comfortable and safe campsite in the outdoors. The basics of campcraft include:

1. Site selection: Choosing a suitable location for the campsite, taking into account factors such as terrain, water sources, and potential hazards.
2. Shelter: Setting up a suitable shelter, such as a tent, tarp, or bivvy, to protect against the elements and provide a comfortable sleeping area.
3. Fire building: Building a safe and efficient fire for warmth, cooking, and light. This includes selecting appropriate firewood, creating a fire ring, and extinguishing the fire properly. (this may not be practiced due to fire bans that take place in france during the summer.
4. Water management: Collecting and purifying water for drinking and cooking, as well as properly disposing of waste water.
5. Food and cooking: Planning and preparing nutritious meals using appropriate cooking equipment and techniques, as well as properly storing and disposing of food.
6. Leave No Trace principles: Practicing responsible outdoor ethics, including packing out all rubbish and minimising impact on the environment.

Overall, campcraft skills are essential for safe and enjoyable outdoor experiences, whether for camping, backpacking, or other outdoor activities.

Basic astral identification involves recognizing and identifying celestial objects in the night sky. This includes identifying stars, constellations, planets, and other celestial bodies. To do this, you must first become familiar with the major constellations visible in their hemisphere, as well as their relative positions throughout the year. You can then use star maps or mobile apps to help identify specific stars and planets based on their location in the sky. Additionally, basic knowledge of the phases of the moon, the movements of the planets, and the patterns of meteor showers can enhance one’s ability to identify celestial objects. Basic astral identification is a valuable skill for outdoor enthusiasts, as it can help with navigation, inspire wonder and awe in the natural world, and provide a deeper understanding of our place in the universe.

In addition to the skills that they will pick up during the course all participants will have the opportunity to work towards and earn their FFCK pagaie blanche or jaune

You will learn the basics of first aid, giving you the skills to know what to do if the needs arise. This is not a comprehensive course, it will ensure you know the basics.

Solo Reflection Period
The Basic Outline
Participants are always briefed on Solo by their Instructors before it occurs.

Participants are separated from each other and the Instructors in order to truly fulfil the idea of being ‘solo’. Instructors are never more than a brief walk away from participant Solo sites and they will check in on participants to provide water refills, administer any medication needed, clean up any cuts and scrapes that might have come from the rigours of navigating the backcountry and ultimately check on the general well-being of participants. These checks happen intermittently throughout the Solo experience.

The ability to reflect on our thoughts and critically analyse our actions and decisions is a cognitive function that truly works best when basic human needs have been met.
A small packet of food is provided exclusively for Solo that equals the level of little-to-no-exertion that occurs on Solo.

Rest
The expeditions that make up an AdventureArdeche Wilderness course, no matter the length, are physically and mentally demanding. Participants wake up early, cover incredible distances both by foot and craft, set up and break down camp daily, experience the roller coaster of what it is to become hungry and thirsty from working hard outside from dawn until dusk, and maintain a positive demeanour through it all. Solo offers the opportunity to relax from the rigours of a wilderness expedition. We all need a rest day. With resting both the body and the mind, students return from Solo capable of accomplishing amazing feats whether it be a final summit push, the longest day of covering miles, and better yet, the hardest day to lead alongside their peers.
Reflection
Everyone has a story; how much time do we give ourselves to think about how it is being written or where the story is going? During daily life, we might devote a couple of minutes here and there, during the bus ride to school or the commute to work, a few minutes of mentally spacing out from the task at hand, eating a meal alone, or on an afternoon run. During the AdventureArdeche Wilderness Course, an emphasis is put on reflection because we believe that reflection encourages profound, long-term learning and growth at all ages. That time and purity of space without modern day distractions for reflection is not one that works into the overly packed schedule of most of us. There is no mobile phone, no television, no music, and nothing other than you and your thoughts out in the wilderness.