Wilderness Leadership School Trails
The Wilderness Leadership School was founded by Dr Ian Player, a friend of Sir Laurens van Der Post and one of Southern Africa’s leading conservationists and wilderness advocates. Its purpose is to take you out of your environment and into the wilderness and appeals to the ‘bushmen’ in all of us.
On A Wilderness Trail, you will be living and walking in the African bush, with none of the trappings of the modern world - you leave behind modern accoutrements and comforts, such as radios, mobile phones, alcohol, books, playing cards and deodorant. You will be travelling light and experiencing the wild in its most purest form, essentially living off the land!
Wildlife
The objective of these trails is not to see wildlife – they provide the opportunity to embark on a journey of self-discovery and connection with the earth, so that participants may return replenished with fresh insights and newfound knowledge.
Activities
The areas in which the trails take place are in north eastern KwaZulu-Natal in the Umfolozi Reserve. The trail is not a walking safari in the traditional sense, with the objective of seeing wildlife – it’s a more holistic experience, aimed at seeing the bush from an African, rather than a Western perspective.
Eco-credentials
The Wilderness Leadership School is a non-profit organisation founded on the vision of Dr Ian Player and his great friend and mentor, Magqubu Ntombela. Their profound friendship took them along rhino, elephant and hippo paths, across the Black and White Imfolozi Rivers, and into the domain of ancient Zulu kings. Their association involved battling against poaching gangs, initiating the internationally famous translocation of the White Rhino, setting aside the first wilderness area and saw the founding of the Wilderness Leadership School.