Over 70 000 people from all walks of life have been on trail with the Wilderness Leadership School since we were founded by Dr. Ian Player and Magqubu Ntombela in 1957, the first organisation in Africa dedicated to providing a pure wilderness experience for people of all backgrounds, races and nationalities. Starting during the troubled days of apartheid, this multi-racial education and experiential program spawned a global network of conservationists from all sectors of life committed to saving wilderness and wildlife.

Together, they inspired countless individuals, and walked more kilometers in the wilderness than the rest of us can even imagine.

After all of this time, the principles, the experience and the purpose of these trails remain the same. Our trails run over three days, five days and for some, even longer periods. You sleep under the stars. You experience some of Africa’s most wild and sacred places. But most importantly, the trail experience is about you, a personal journey into wilderness and yourself.

A Wilderness trail with us is not a hike. It is not a safari. It is not a personal endurance test. A Wilderness Trail is a deeply profound experience that is very difficult to articulate. It is a chance to return to your natural habitat. A digital detox. A deep experience of our own connection to the natural world. A chance to re-wild yourself and get inspired by the rhythm of nature.

Your experience is carefully facilitated by guides who are arguably some of the best in Africa. The food is beyond what you could imagine. An authentic Wilderness Trail with the Wilderness Leadership School is unlike any other “trail” experience.

The vision is to not just train nature guides, but train exceptional guides. Guides with an unparalleled understanding of our planet and her ecosystems, guides that can interpret the magic of a butterfly opening its wings with as much enthusiasm as the magnificence of a herd of elephants crossing a river. Guides who can use their time with tourists to spread the conservation message. Guides who can become future conservation leaders. Guides who can open people’s eyes to the power of mother nature and wilderness. But this course is also so much more, it’s an opportunity for personal growth, for learning new skills and and an experience of a lifetime.

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