Program Reviews

TEL course review

I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the course, it was definitely at points one of the most challenging things I have ever done - but also hugely rewarding at the same time. The course itself was very varied and also very practical, I feel I have learnt a wide range of leadership, bushcraft and communication skills that will be of huge benefit to me in the future, whether or not I decide to peruse a career in the exhibition leader field.

Leaders review

Henry and Leo were fantastic leaders, and truly did make the course. Their enthusiasm for teaching, extensive knowledge of the course content and overall encouragement and leadership made me determined to push myself to do well, even in the most challenging moments. I really feel they got the best out of me, and I got the best out of the course because of this.

During the TEL course we have had the opportunity to go from knowing nothing about the jungle to thoroughly enjoying it and knowing how to live in it. The course was very well structure so section after section built on each other giving us a great breath of knowledge. We were very privileged to be able to spend time with Belizean's within BDARRT learning about rescue from them, also spending time with local guides who clearly knew a lot about the jungle. Within the course particular highlights were cave rescues, the final trek and teaching the cockscomb rangers first aid which had never been done before this was rewarding as we were able to give something back to a group that had helped us and worked with us previously.

The credit for everything we learned and how well we came on has to be give to Henry and Leo (our instructors). Their teaching methods were strong and useful and lessons were always to a very high standard. Throughout the course they were always available to answer questions and guide us through sections we were struggling with. It was particularly good to see how much they enjoyed the jungle environment and the course as there enthusiasm was passed on to us and allowed them to push to organise new and different things. It was also very good to see how good their relationships with locals was as this allowed us to spend more time with them and benefit from their wealth of experience.

The course was an amazing experience and I would thoroughly recommend it to others. I have to thank Henry and Leo for making it such an incredible experience.

The course was an amazing experience, starting with basic jungle skills which were then utilized and built on as we were pushed to improve our leadership abilities alongside everything else that we were learning. Particular highlights for me now that i look back were my 1st leadership assessment that was extremely challenging and everything seemed to go wrong but was actually a lot of fun, the moment that stands out as a highlight was finishing the final trek and then standing tall on top of a restored mayan pyramid in xunantunich. in summary the course was well put together with tons of things to learn and build experience from Thankyou for an amazing trip!!

Henry. a strong character that was tough when needed but always giving just the right amount of support and asking the questions that prompt you to think of the answer you were looking for. henrys wealth of obvious jungle experience was always available for consultation but would often push you to find the answer yourself, this i think is one of the things that to me made henry stand out as a leader and instructor. it was a pleasure to be taught by him.

Leo. The assistant leader on this course. Leo has his own rhythm which whenever he stepped u to a leading role becomes much more pronounced this gave him an air of exactly what was needed in that position. As we were always observed and assessed Leo was very good at picking up on the smaller details and various actions of the group that you yourself may not have realised were happening. a naturally friendly person who was always approachable and would listen to any problems that may have been presented. again an extensive knowledge of bushcraft and workings of fire that shows through on any number of occasions of basic jungle life though very strongly in the survival section of the course. once again it was an honor to be taught by him.

The TEL course run by TrekForce was one of the most beneficial training courses i have been on (and iv been on many!) it is run in a way which means people from all different backgrounds and experience levels can all learn and grow as leaders, because lets face it how many people have spent 4 months in the jungle?... not many! all the training was hands on and practical which really appealed to me, the medical training and rescue training were defiantly the highlights of my course. the instructors on the course were incredibly knowledgeable and experienced and were able to pass on that experience to every one on the course. it is both physically and mentally very challenging but with the right attitude completely achievable! i would 100% recommend the TEL course to anyone who is passionate about the outdoors, leadership and most of all having an adventure!

I am from China and study in UK. I traveled here with Gapforce from UK! This was an excellent trip when I spent one month in Nepal. Delicious food, friendly people! Chitwan national park was wonderful, wild animals and elephant riding! The experience in orphanage was memorable!! Meeting lots of children and staying with them was happy! Dan is a reliable guy who take care for one month! Many thanks

i received a lot of help from our leader , helping me in some extra activities as the making and improoving of my cv, in searching and applying to universities and making my personal statement. I also received a lot of support when bad news from home. So i'm very satisfied with the support of the program's staff.

I enjoyed a lot when instructors took us off-piste and through the forests.

To say that this trip has changed my life is a huge understatement. Within a matter of five weeks, I've been to dozens of temples in Kathmandu, went on an elephant back safari through the jungle in Chitwan National Park, worked at a wonderful orphanage and trekked to Everest Base Camp. While this trip isn't for the faint of heart, I can highly recommend it. GapForce has been a great company to travel with and I wouldn't change a thing about my time spent in Nepal.

I can honestly say that this trip is one of the best things I have ever done, the highlight being without doubt the trek to Everest base camp at the end! The trip is action packed, finding yourself riding down rapids, exploring the jungle on elephants, playing endless games with kids in an orphanage and of course seeing stunning scenery on the way to Everest base camp.
It's worth mentioning that the orphanage is actually for kids whose parents are in prison and is one of many set up by internationally renowned Indira ranamagar, a human rights activist. It is an understated but fantastic part of the trip, well worth putting your all into!
Chitwan national park is packed full of stuff to do, I didn't stop for a moment, finding myself being squirted water at by an elephant to being metres from a crocodile as we canoed down a river in the next.
The Everest base camp trek is of course the highlight. As I've mentioned the views we saw were incredible, at one point we even saw a rainbow over mount Nuptse. The bucket list moment of reaching Everest base camp is hard to beat and combined with all the other adventures this project has to offer it is one that I would happily recommend to anyone.

This was an intense but thoroughly enjoyable 5 week programme. The programme included a week exploring Kathmandu and the local area, followed by Chitwan national park. 8 days was then spent at the orthanage which was one of the best weeks spent with the children. The last 2 weeks was spent trekking to the base camp of Mount Everest which was a truly incredible experience.

Over the five weeks we spent a week in Kathmandu, a few days in Chitwan, 9 days in an orphanage and then the remainder of the trip trekking to everest base camp. I had an amazing time and our leader dan was excellent, and made the trip so enjoyable. Everything was quite flexible to allow us to have the best time possible, and I'd definitely use Gapforce again, and recommend dan as a leader.