Gary from bearclaw teamed up with Johan from Nordic bushcraft to find a suitable instructor from the Scandinavian countries to teach a bushcraft course with a Nordic slant. As this was to be the first time such a collaboration had taken place, it was decided to run a test course for people from bcuk. We would be acting as the proverbial Guinea pigs and would provide feedback to Gary and Johan as to possible improvements for future courses. So it was with some trepidation that a dozen of us put our names forward for the course. Travel plans were made, kit was packed and we were off.

Eventually, by hook or by crook we all met up at the bus station in Årjäng. The Roll-call was as follows (Bcuk user names in brackets.)

Bill (Tenbears10,)
Des (Charlie B.C.)
Kim (Kim)
Martin (Jakunen)
Martin (Martin)
Martin (Shinobi)
Phil (bambodoggy)
Steve (MagicYfronts)
Stuart (Falcon)

I hope I’ve not missed anyone out?

After a phone call to Gary, JP, Johan or whoever had a signal on their mobile, vehicles were dispatched to collect us. Johan duly arrived in a MPV and Preben arrived in what can only be described as a Mad-Max cast off. I think it was an ex-Swedish army Volvo APC!!! I’m having a go in that I thought to myself, so I slung my gear in the back and dived into one of the seats in the rear. After an “interesting” journey, we arrived at our base for the next week. Nordmarkens kanot-center. Another string to Prebens bow is that he is one of the foremost canoeists in Sweden and has run this centre for many years with his wife Gun and the rest of his team. As well as being the chief of the local Search and rescue team.
We were then led to a room in the main building where Gary and JP had been preparing a Swedish welcome for us from foods that were to become very familiar to us over the next week. Strong coffee, Nyponsoppa (Rosehip soup,) polar bread (Unleavened bread) and caviar squeezy cheese.
After we had refreshed ourselves, we were given a brief introduction from our hosts for the week and ground rules were laid down as to what we could do and where we could go. We were then led around to where we would be living for the week and our camp was made.

Over the next four days, we were introduced to Nordic bush-craft, covering such tasks as tree-felling, fire-lighting, shelter-building, foraging, fishing, tracking and cooking methods. All tasks that could be covered on a course in this country, but with enough differences to warrant the trip to Scandinavia and yet still be applicable in this country. At the end of each day, we were free to continue practicing these skills, explore the area, swim in the lake or even take a canoe out onto the lake. A lot of people took up the offer of the canoe to explore the shoreline further than you could on foot. An added bonus was the fact that amongst our group was an experienced canoe instructor who was more than willing to pass on tips and to lead the more inexperienced amongst us out into more adventurous waters. Cheers Phil, you’re a star!!!

Is this a course that I’d recommend to other people? That’s an unequivocal yes. Of course it would be possible to learn these skills in your own country, but the mere act of removing yourself from that safety blanket of familiarity tends to sharpen your senses and makes you more aware of your surroundings and their possibilities.
The second reason would be to learn from a man such as Preben. This is an area of the world where bush craft is a way of life, not a weekend hobby and Preben is a man that has lived a life that many would aspire to. He won’t bullshit you and he won’t tolerate bullshitters. His style of teaching can be quite frustrating initially. He has a very light hearted jokey personality and what with the language differences, it was sometimes difficult to tell whether he was serious or not. However, this approach led to me having to think about everything he said rather than simply accepting every word as gospel. This man has passed through his life managing not to be affected by the hype or publicity other outdoors gurus can be affected by. He teaches the skills that he has lived his life by, not a group of methods that he has learnt from elsewhere. For example, whilst being taken on a walk around the area, we startled a couple of Deer. When Preben spotted them, he waited a fraction of a second then whistled to them. The deer then stopped in mid-flight in what was a perfect side on profile. Preben raised an imaginary rifle, aimed, said BANG, and you knew that a perfect shot would have been taken. A clap of the hands and the deer were released from their pose and took of into the trees. Meanwhile, our group stood in amazement, especially the shooters amongst us. Later on the same walk, Preben tripped on a root, executed a perfect forward roll and was back on his feet dusting himself down before anyone could offer help. All of this from a man that is now in his seventies.
Anyone that spends some time with him will realise that this man is extremely gifted and a bloody good laugh to be around

There were points where I was wondering whether it was worth travelling this distance only to have my instructor standing next to the fire socialising whilst I struggled with the task in hand. But like a good parent, Preben was always watching you make the mistakes, then rather than coming over and telling you the correct way to complete the task, he would coax you along until you came up with a solution yourself.

All too soon, the week was drawing to a close. The last full day was set aside for whatever you wanted to do. Many people took the opportunity to indulge in a little canoeing either on their own or with some comrades. In the afternoon, We were invited to make use of the sauna which is on the shore of the lake. The warmth of the sauna was tempered by the rapid chilling of all body parts when immersed into the cold water of the lake!! After a couple of cycles of heat and cold, we were introduced to another Scandinavian tradition, the hot-tub. A large heated bath right on the shore of the lake, big enough for 6 people to share and with water heated to blood temperature. After a long soak in the tub, we were summoned back to the camp for a final nights treat. Fresh Moose Cooked in a huge Finnish frying pan along with potatoes, chantrerelle mushrooms and a creamy sauce, various salads and Lingon sauce. All washed down with a cold beer or two. The rest of the evening was spent laughing and telling stories around the fire until the unusually light early hours.
The last day was filled with packing camp and saying goodbye to a very special place. This is a country that beckons to all people fond of the great outdoors. It’s extremely clean, the air is pure, people are friendly and the outdoor life is not only tolerated it is actively encouraged. Camping shops are not the preserve of the gadget freak but are purveyors of good practical functional equipment. People are free to have access to any land for camping, are trusted to look after their own fire and in return this fosters a sense of responsibility to look after the land rather than our sense of remoteness to owned land and inability to be trusted to act as adults with the result that some people will act as children.
This was a week spent in some of the most beautiful, sacred and inspiring land with a group of people that shared that spirit with me and enabled me to be myself. I consider it a pleasure to have shared this experience with you all. There’s a bit of me still in Sweden, but there’s a hell of a lot more of Sweden here in me!!

Martin Porter