The primary focus of this jungle guides course is to learn and develop the skills required to plan and lead a successful jungle expedition. In doing so, as part of a team you will navigate your own crossing of Panama’s Chagres National Park.
Under the supervision of expert instructors, team mates will plot and follow their own route through this iconic tropical rainforest. Effectively negotiating humid jungle terrain, river-crossings, and tree-clad mountain ranges will all be part of the challenge as the team navigates its chosen route through the jungle. While start and end points of the expedition phase are predetermined, what unfolds in-between is up to you.
The course is also open to people not aspiring to become guides, but those wishing to enhance their own knowledge of the jungle and of carrying out expeditions. This could be in order to prepare them for their own jungle expeditions or purely because you have an interest in jungle environments and learning new skills. Whatever your motivation, you are welcome on the expedition.
*as at Feb 2023, please note these are holding dates for the 2024 expedition on our site so please make an enquiry for an update!*
Why you'll love this adventure
- Learn skills needed to plan and lead a jungle based expedition.
- Plot a route and trek across Panama’s iconic Chagres National Park.
- Hone personal navigation skills.
- Acquire and perfect jungle skills in an expedition environment.
- Learn from Industry leading professionals and local persons.
Dates
Itinerary
This trip operator runs expeditions with framework itineraries, rather than guided tours with set daily plans. A fuller itinerary is provided in the handbook which is available on request or upon application to join the team.
What's included
- Professional trip operator expedition leaders.
- Full communications kit and group medical kit.
- Support and teaching from local jungle experts.
- All transport as outlined in the itinerary.
- Hammocks and shared cooking equipment.
- All food during the course (from lunchtime on Day 1 till lunchtime on Day 12).
- Special permits and permissions if required.
Not included
- International flights/ travel to and from Panama City.
- Accommodation and meals in Panama City.
- Travel insurance (obligatory).
- Visas where relevant.
- Tips to local guides (discretionary).
- Personal equipment (full kit list in the Handbook).
- Beverages and any costs of a personal nature.
Trip notes
Price
Min age
Who is this trip for?
Prior to departure, students must be comfortable with the following.
- Trek: up to 15 km but often less in the jungle.
- Daily activity: Expect to trek for around 8 hours per day.
- Carry: up to 12 kg per person in a rucksack.
- Terrain: expect boggy, wet and close tropical rainforest and river crossings. It can be hilly with a maximum elevation of 1000m.
- Climate: a hot, humid jungle environment.
- Swim: River crossings will be an unavoidable part of this course and as such you need to be able to swim.
- Age: 21+
Additional notes
Motivation
Learn new skills to prepare for your own adventure, or expand on existing wilderness knowledge. Alongside these learning objectives, this expedition also provides a fantastic opportunity for exploration in a varied, remote and unspoilt region of Panama bursting with life.
Course Objectives
Students will both learn about and practice skills in the field, and discuss more theoretical subjects in the evenings. Due to the course taking place in an expedition environment, lessons and exercises will take place where best suited depending on the location and weather conditions on the day. Official training objectives during the expedition will include:
- Expedition provisioning.
- Route planning.
- Navigation.
- Search and rescue.
- Campsite selection.
- Problem/conflict resolution.
- Best guiding and environmentally friendly practices.
- Survival and jungle-specific bushcraft skills.
- Jungle specific first aid.
- Maintaining health and hygiene in the jungle.
- Jungle specific hazards.
- Natural history.
Further details on the pre-requisite skills and assessment methods are available in the course Handbook.
Tour operator
When it comes to getting off the beaten track these guys can’t be beaten. They lead pioneering expeditions to some of the most remote regions on earth. The organisers are dedicated to creating imaginative experiences for adventurers around the world and their team of expert military guides are some of the most experienced in the industry. Nowhere is off limits and no idea is too crazy. They have achieved ground breaking world firsts such as mountain biking in Afghanistan and mountaineering in Iraq and their first ever expeditions to walk across Madagascar and pioneer white water rafting in South Sudan both made the headlines…. and a bit of history.
Being wild and wacky is one thing but with their background as commanders in the British Army and experienced team of specialists in every kind of terrain and environment means that all of their adventures are thoroughly planned and the safety and security of teams is always their highest priority. Expeditions can be inherently risky, but they do everything possible to minimise potential hazards and for that, and the utterly extraordinary trips they put on, we salute them.
Enquire today
Panama: Train to be a Jungle Guide
Please complete the enquiry form above with as much detail as you can and we will send you all the trip information and connect you with the operator so you can make a booking directly.
If you have queries and questions about the trip include those in your form and we’ll personally reply to you within 24 hours.
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