About Mountain Shepherd Wilderness Survival School

People attend our courses from all walks of life.
Backpackers, camping enthusiasts, recreationists, search and rescue teams, entire families, corporate managers, attorneys, scientists, FBI, CIA, and military personnel, city parks and recreation specialists, university outdoor program staff, doctors, electricians, biologists, geologists, teachers and professors, engineers, nurses and EMT's, private pilots, law enforcement, forestry and park ranger personnel, hunters ... the list goes on. Our students are diverse with many different personal learning objectives. Mountain Shepherd understands this and is prepared to adapt the instruction to each individual.

“Not many survival schools can say they've trained Boy Scouts, as well as Navy SEALs.“

No wilderness experience required.
The majority of our students arrive at the training area with fears, anxiety, and some trepidation. Understandably so. Fear of the unknown, mixed with peer pressure and a dash of inexperience, is a recipe that is familiar to us at Mountain Shepherd. Fears and stresses play a significant role in the outcome of any wilderness survival situation. It is our job and duty to make you better aware of the roadblocks to psychological and physical well-being in an outdoor environment. Regardless of your wilderness experience, Mountain Shepherd welcomes you to attend our training. 

High-level, quality instructors.
They're duty-bound to share knowledge and skills. They're compassionate, professional, and caring. They've received the best possible training in all the geographical regions of our planet − temperate, desert, open sea, seashore, high altitude, arctic, jungle, and have more than 6,000 miles of off-trail experience using a map and compass. They've received training in camouflage and concealment, escape and evasion, and POW behavior and interrogation. They're experienced and trained instructors who have shared their knowledge and experiences with hundreds of civilians and military personnel. They're graduates of the world-famous U.S. Air Force Survival (SERE) Instructor School.

“Please don't think that your instructors are regimented, military-oriented, mean, and forceful. Really, they're quite the opposite. Humble, soft spoken, and love nature; dedicated to your learning endeavor. And, they like to have fun and share stories around the campfire.”

Field training area.
Located on 100 private acres in Catawba, VA, and adjacent to the Jefferson National Forest. Your training area is primitive and an outstanding place to learn the art of wilderness survival. The Appalachian Trail meanders through the training area and the Blue Ridge Parkway is minutes away. This is our headquarters and primary field training area for our full compliment of courses.