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The Aim of this 7 day course is to provide you with full-on immersive bushcraft experience working at a Level 4 standard. For those who wish to improve their skills, techniques and knowledge and blend them with history and experimental archaeology then this is an alternative to the Level 4 Instructors' and Mentors' qualification. You'll look at his life in detail and replicate some of the artefacts he carried with him.
Amongst the Copper Age equipment you'll make will be yew bows, arrows, backpacks, birch bark pots, flint daggers and copper axe heads.
This course focuses on The Original Bushcrafter, namely Ötzi the Iceman. He was alive over 5,000 years ago and knew more about the skills we use in something we now call bushcraft than most will learn in a lifetime. To understand Ötzi and how to replicate some of the equipment he carried with him is to understand how people actually lived in the Neolithic and Bronze ages.
If you want to progress on your wilderness skills journey without going down the instructors route then this is the course for you. Years of research as part of a Master of Arts degree dissertation and PhD research at the University of Exeter means that you are getting original research that you won't get anywhere else. You will be taught be instructors who have specialised in specific topics in the course syllabus.
Pre-requisites: You should have completed your Level 2 Training Qualification and one of the following Level 3 Weekend Courses:
Level 3 Axe Proficiency and Charcoal Making Qualification
Level 3 Fire Lighting Qualification
Level 3 Primitive Crafts Qualification
Level 3 Applied Bushcraft Course
Course Dates and Availability
- 01/11/25 - 07/11/25 - Devon (maximum number: 10 people)
This is a 'hands on' course. The instructors will explain and demonstrate but you will get the opportunity to have a go at everything!
- Course: The Level 4 Original Bushcrafter's Qualification - The Otzi Course. Accredited by the NCFE. (CQ11962).
- Venue: Devon (Near Exeter - EX11 1LU) .
- Times: 12pm on the Saturday - 12pm on the Friday.
- Ages: All ages above 14 years welcome. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.
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This course starts on Saturday at 12pm and finishes on Friday at 12pm. You are welcome to arrive after 9am on the Saturday morning to set up your camp and get settled in.
Saturday's Itinerary:
- 12:00 Safety Brief
- 12:30 Set up camp
- 13:30 An introduction to the course, Ötzi and his equipment
- 15:30 Making Ötzi's retoucher
- 16:30 Lime bark cordage
Sunday's Itinerary
- 09:00 Making Ötzi's backpack
- 13:00 Lunch
- 14:00 Making Ötzi's backpack
- 16:30 Lime bark cordage
Monday's Itinerary
- 09:00 Making Birch bark containers
- 13:00 Lunch
- 14:00 Making Ötzi's dagger
- 16:30 Lime bark cordage
Tuesday's Itinerary
- 08:30 Introduction to Ötzi's copper axe head
- 10:00 Making blanks and preparing the kiln
- 12:00 Lunch
- 13:00 Making the axe heads
- 16:30 Lime bark cordage
Wednesday's Itinerary
- 08:30 Making Ötzi's bow
- 13:00 Lunch
- 14:00 Making Ötzi's bow
Thursday's Itinerary
- 08:30 Fire Lighting Ötzi style
- 10:30 Making Ötzi's tassel
- 13:00 Lunch
- 14:00 Making Ötzi's arrows
Friday's Itinerary
- 09:00 Finishing projects
- 12:00 All good things must come to an end. Sadly, it is time to go home.
For details of what you will be doing on the course, please click here for the Learning Outcomes Document
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Suitable Outdoor Clothing
Sleeping Bag
Bivi Bag (Optional)
Insulated Sleeping Mat
Tarp and Hammock or Tent
The course is self-catering so please bring a stove, pan, knife, fork, spoon, mug etc. You are welcome to cook over the fire and the kettle will be over the fire throughout the course.
Water Bottle (1 litre min)
Head Torch with Fresh and Spare Batteries
Wash Kit and Towel (you can warm water over the fire to use in our 10 litre water bags for a wash in the evenings)
Personal Toiletries and Medication
Antibacterial Wipes/Soap
Small First Aid Kit (plasters, bandages, headache pills etc)
Spare Change of Clothing
Whistle
Walking Boots
Fire Steel
Tough Gardening Gloves
Hanging Billy Can (not a mess tin).
Emergency Rations (Chocolate, Kendal Mint Cake)
Sheath Knife
Laplander Folding Saw or Similar
Rucksack + Waterproof Liner
Roll of Plastic Freezer Bags + 2 Bin Liners
Waterproof Coat and Trousers
Tea / Coffee / Whitener
Seasoning for Meals (Optional)
Axe
1 Litre Thermos Style Flask
Enough food to see you through the course (6 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 6 evening meals). There is a supermarket 10 minutes drive away.
Camp chair for relaxing around the campfire in the evenings.
Extra Kit
You will be living rough for 6 nights. You may wish to have some clean clothes to change into for your return home. Please note that the whole course is run in the wilderness and so no showers are available.
