CATSKILL MOUNTAINS, NEW YORK — A million things rush through my mind as I stuff my 20-pound backpack with a knife, helmet, harness, headlamp and zero-degree sleeping bag — just a few of the items I’ll need as I slog my way through the mountains.
I’m about to tackle the first 24-hour Bear Grylls Survival Academy for adults to be held in the USA (cost: $579), and I have no idea what I’m in for.
Granted, it’s the brainchild of Edward Michael “Bear” Grylls, former SAS trooper, former host of the popular Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls TV series, and extreme survivalist, so I assume it’s going to be intense. After all, this guy chows down on frozen yak eyeballs, navigates Class V rapids without a raft and drinks his own urine. All in the name of making it out alive.
Before I could contemplate too much, though, we are off. Following our two instructors, our group of nine, ranging from 20something to 50something, plunges right in, literally. From home base in Claryville, near Albany, we begin our wily trek by hiking up an icy-cold stream.
Soon after, we clamber our way through a massive rusted culvert; pick some wood sorrel, a wild edible with a lemony taste; and learn that toads are not good to nosh on if you are trapped in the wild; they are highly toxic.
Shelter is crucial
As we trek deeper into the woods, the survival lessons begin and things get a bit more dicey. First things first: If you are ever trapped in a hostile environment, seek shelter immediately.
Especially considering the fact that “where you were last seen is where people are going to come looking for you,” says lead instructor Josh Valentine. “In most survival situations, your best bet is to get somewhere safe and set yourself up for rescue.”
In our case, we needed a place to snooze for the night. So, three other women in the group join me in gathering hefty tree branches. We carefully set up an A-frame structure and then cross-hatch it with smaller, thinner branches and fill in the spaces with hemlocks, moss and swatches of birch bark. After what seems like hours it is done — and rather impressive.
Our next concern is finding water. Even though we filled our Bear Grylls-logoed canteens before we left the Frost Valley YMCA, they would run dry soon.
“For starters, you want to get fast-moving water, nice and clear,” Valentine explains as he floods a jug with stream water and plunks in several iodine tablets. “The biggest concern is a dead animal upstream.”
As a rule of thumb, he adds, “stay away from stagnant pools where dead insects could gather and all kinds of lovely things that can get you sick and dehydrate you.”
Next, someone asks, “when should you resort to drinking your own urine?”
“Some people say don’t do it,” Valentine replies, as the group chuckles. “If you are familiar with the story of 127 Hours, it kept him alive. So, if you’re at the point of nothing else, sure.”
Eat what you can
Next it’s time to rustle up some grub. Since conserving energy is key, we learn to set traps. A simple snare near a burrow and a spring-loaded trap not far from it.
“We’ll leave these out in case something happens along and makes us a nice dinner,” Valentine says.
Naturally, fire-building follows. Which will do us a world of good. You know, to ward off the bobcats, bears and coyotes that roam these parts. Plus, my boots and wool socks are still soggy.
Fortunately, the nanosecond I hold a piece of steel wool to a 9-volt battery, sparks fly. Voila! My first fire. Shortly after, I create my second fire thanks to a cotton ball, knife and flint. Maybe this mock-survival thing isn’t so bad after all. In fact, it’s extremely rewarding.
Things are going swimmingly, except for my rumbling stomach. It motivates me during our next task: foraging.
“You might find some things that aren’t necessarily indigenous to these woods,” Valentine says. “See if anything pops up that you didn’t notice before.”
Within five minutes, after turning over several moss-covered logs, I spot a salamander. Definitely not famished enough to bite into that. Turns out, I won’t have to. The rest of the group discovers two dead rabbits, an onion and a few green peppers (strategically placed near the traps by our instructors).
Then, it’s time to dismember our cute, furry creatures, and roast them over the fire. Unsettling, yes. But in a survival situation, where it’s eat or be eaten, I will choose the former. I take a few bites and opt for the alternative meal of chicken tortillas with salsa. Add to that a cup of stinging nettle tea (a wild edible we gathered earlier), and I am content.
By about 10 p.m., I crouch my way into my Hobbit-sized shelter for an uncomfortable night’s sleep, complete with howling coyotes in the distance and a symphony of snores to my left and right.
The next morning we rise around 6 a.m. to a live-mealworm breakfast. As they wiggle, I pep-talk myself into trying one. But only if it’s wrapped in a leafy wood sorrel like a little bug burrito. Surprisingly, it’s not horrible; it doesn’t taste like much at all.
Fortunately, there are more palatable options, like scrambled eggs, granola bars and coffee.
“If you are feeling particularly brave, you can add some mealworms to your eggs,” says Valentine. We drop two into the pan.
With protein in our bellies, it’s time to march out of the woods, back to civilization. This is where our helmets and harnesses come into play. We zip-line across a river, toddle across a log balanced above a ravine, jump into icy, waist-deep waters, scramble up hillsides and abseil our way back down them.
The end of the course comes all to soon. Blissfully exhausted, with certificate and badge in hand, I trot away with a wide grin plastered on my face. What this rugged 24 hours amounts to is a much-needed dose of adventure, an escape from daily life that I would welcome again and again.
Bear would be proud.
If you go:
The Bear Grylls Survival Academy offers classes in three U.S. locations for adults and families.
New York: Frost Valley YMCA, Claryville, in the Catskills
24-hour family:
Price: $678 for 1 pair of adult and child
Limited to 12 participants (6 pairs)
24-hour adult:
Price: $579 per person
Limited to 12 participants
5-day adult:
Price: $3,215 per person
Limited to 12 participants
California: Yosemite National Park
24-hour family:
Price: $678 for 1 pair of adult and child
Limited to 12 participants (6 pairs)
5-day adult:
Price: $3,215
Limited to 12 participants
Colorado: Colorado Rocky Mountains
24-hour family
Price: $678 for 1 pair of adult and child
Limited to 12 participants (6 pairs)
24-hour adult:
Price: $579 per person
Limited to 12 participants
Information: 877-742-2925; beargryllssurvivalacademy.com/united-states/