Expedition Leader Training with Gapforce

I had no specific reason for signing up to this course other than reading the description and immediately feeling like I must.

The only hesitations I had were to do with the quality of the course (is this actually worth spending so much money on?) and the kind of people I'd find myself doing the course with.

To those who might have the same hesitations, it turns out I had no reason to be concerned at all. The course fully delivered what it promised AND teachers and peers were such enthusiastic, open, driven people that I rarely felt so supported in my learning efforts. A wonderfully motivating atmosphere.

Other than the above, it's been one of the most rewarding experiences ever, and I take back skills I will be able to apply no matter the field of work. Would do this again

Where to start on a whirlwind beginning of the year. It’s tough being away from home over Christmas while being plunged into the deep end of emersive adventure. This course taught me the value of being bold, concencoius, thick skinned, courageous and even being silent when it’s necessary. It’s been sometime since I’ve stressed about coursework, but now it’s all wound down to an end, I almost miss the rush of the stress. I’ve always had a penchant for adventure, but it was everything else that encompasses the adventure which I had no idea about, so to finally learn about budgets, itineraries and other mandatory documents was a real eye opener. The leaders were true inspirations and I hope to work side by side with such people one day. Thank you for making me a better person - I’ll be sure to go home near unrecognisable when I cook an mesmerising meal for 10 people without breaking a sweat!

The Expedition Leader program has been one of the biggest highlights of my life. Trekking jungles in Costa Rica, hiking mountains in Wales and diving in Volcanoes of Nicaragua. It wasn't all fun and games. There were hardships and pressure to perform. All lessons were taught on a hands on basis and every aspect of your performance will be graded and reviewed. It was comprehensive but achievable with the right attitude.

I would like to praise the program for the in-depth interpersonal leadership skills and soft-skills. I believe this was the best skill to take back from the course as the program emphasized on the mental training of a leader which by far is the most important and transferable skill thought throughout the program.

However, I would like to mention that I would personally like the in-house training we've received to be certified on an international basis; cave rescue training, river rescue training and remote first aid.

With everything being said, the program has proved itself to be a 'Leader competent' type of training with the technical skills to compliment.

I stumbled across this course a month before the departure date. To sign up would require quitting my job, letting my house out and a few other boring real world problems, so after 3 days of trying to talk myself out of it I bit the bullet and booked my place.

I’m writing this review sat in my office - a beach in Thailand, or at least that’s today’s view. This is my first contract working with Gapforce having graduated the Expedition Leader Training Course and it’s reaffiriming my decision to do it every day.

If you have an adventurous spirit and fancy the idea of being paid to travel to exotic locations, inspiring like-minded people in the world of adventure travel and exercising invaluable skills in leadership, logistics and interpersonal relationships then this is for you.

The course itself is fantastic in every way. Even if you have no aspiration to be an expedition leader, as an experience and for the transferable leadership skills you learn that could be taken just as easily into the field as into any corporate environment, it is a worthy investment.

For any outdoors enthusiast with a penchant for travel, a thirst for adventure and a need for a challenge I cannot recommend this course highly enough!

The Expedition leader course was a comprehensive yet mentally and physically challenging experience. We were in the jungle for at least 2 weeks at a time before coming back out for food runs. The highlights of the course we're definitely the 3am emergency medical drills and Expedition recces in Nicaragua. My confidence as a leader has improved and i learned more about myself than any other experiences I've had. After passing the course I was offered a contract to lead the Australian Expedition. My only wish was for the Expedition Leader Training is to include high altitude trekking!

Wanting to change something in my life, I found this course while browsing the internet. It took me a while to decide as it was quite expensive, but they guaranteed work if you pass the cours. I saw it as an investment into the best job possible; motivate and guide people to have the best adventure of their life. I never had any regret signing up, the team became family. It is a very intensive course but so worth all the effort and money! A lot of different topics were covered to open the door to a growing industry: wilderness medicine first aid, logistics, leadership skills, group dynamics, etc. Lessons given by experienced and professional expedition leaders. Whoever loves being outdoor and wants a first grip on the industry this is the course for you! Best choice I ever made!

The TEL course program was an AMAZING experience full of adventure, personal growth, challenges, team work and incredible instructors! I highly recommend the course for anyone interested in working in the expedition industry or if you're interested in seeing if you have it in you. It was not not easy by any measure but the experience is worth every bit of sweat and effort! It changed my life in many different incredible and enduring ways!

The hardest and most rewarding four months of my life. Expect dirt; hunger; a brutal workload; high stress; perilous wildlife; unforgiving environments and the need to find reserves of physical and mental resilience you didn't know you possessed.
Gapforce's Expedition Leader Training Program is not for the faint of heart, but provides a unique fast track into the industry with good employment opportunities for those who do well. If nothing else you will come out of the course with a host of transferable skills and the knowledge that you achieved something remarkable.
Oh, and you get to keep your machete afterwards.