Ranch Jobs & Employment

Working with wildlife, visit to Brett camp - The Lambs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 16:51:00 +0000

After spending their days on the ranch working with our animals, the Chilcotin Team enjoyed a couple of days off at one of our Camps to observe Californian Bighorn Sheep,. Working with wildlife abundant areas means there's always chance to see one of BC's finest animals. they even found time to make a snow horse called Camilla. If you would like to be part of our team then head over to www.chilcotinholidays.com to find out more about working with wildlife or email us your cv at adventures@chilcotinholidays.com .

Snow, Silence, Mountains - Setting goals and achieving them

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 02:05:00 +0000

By Marie (from France)

Our intern Marie

A few days ago, I went for one of the most exciting adventures of my life, spending three days and two nights with five other interns at Brett Camp - one of Chilcotin Holidays' cabins located in the Shulaps Ranges. We planned the day before, setting goals to try and get there under 3 hours. It's a challenging hike but we wanted to push ourselves.

We left the ranch at 9am, loaded with backpacks full of food, warm clothes and sleeping bags we all embarked on a journey of a lifetime. We set off in one of the Ranch trucks and went on a 1 hour long drive past Carpenter Lake to reach our destination at the foot of the Shulaps Mountain Ranges.

That was the easier part of our adventure, from there on we started the steep ascent towards Brett Camp. The climb, which was more than two hours long, had not been easy for me since I am not used to hiking on such steep terrain with a huge pack on my back. Slowly but surely and with the help of my energetic and supportive friends, I managed to reach Brett Creek's snow covered valley. To discover this beautiful log cabin and the fabulous place it was settled in, was a greater reward than I could have ever imagined and was worth all that effort! I was pleased that after setting goals to get there within 3 hours we had!

Our Cabin at Brett Camp

As soon as we had arrived, our first task was to start a good and warm fire. We had no running water or electricity, and as such, collecting and boiling water from the near by creek and learning how to light the gas lanterns became one of the most important tasks of every day. It didn't take us long to turn the place into a warm and welcoming home, a home in which we all would have loved to stay in for a couple of months!!! After a short rest we started to build a funny looking snow(wo)man out of the fresh and soft snow while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate to keep us warm. Still not tired enough to call it a day, we decided to explore the area and went for a hike along on of the closer ridges. Even though it was cloudy and snowing the view of the valley was amazing. From there it didn't take us long to discover that it was much quicker to get back down by sliding than it had been climbing that ridge!

The evening brought another new experience: preparing dinner on a cast iron stove, playing card games in the romantic light of our two gas lamps, ending with six tired interns cuddling up in their sleeping bags surrounded by the smell of firewood.

The next morning started slow as we all had a lesson in patience while waiting for the water to start boiling. After we all had had our well deserved coffee or tea, we went out in search of a new adventure. It had snowed all night, and was now a beautiful sunny day, allowing us to enjoy the spectacular views of the surrounding mountains all along the way. The peak being too far away to reach in the allotted time we aimed instead for a rocky promontory standing above the valley. To reach it, we had to scramble up snow and rock covered slopes, but it was worth the sweat since we were rewarded with a magnificent view, a chance to enjoy the serene silence of the mountains and a fun slide down the steep slope on our way back.

Rocky Promontory offering a splendid view

Back at the cabin we celebrated one of our friends birthday. Especially made for this occasion, Audrey got the biggest chocolate cake she had ever seen. The rest of the day we spent relaxing and enjoying a good book in our cozy cabin.

The next day, we were ready for a new excursion and decided to climb the mountain on the other side of the valley. The scenery up there was amazing: the snow, blown by the wind, was mingling with the clouds and created a strange and fascinating ethereal atmosphere. We couldn't stay for too long as the wind chill made it unbearable and so we gladly retreated to our cabin to start packing up.

We left this magical place after lunch, heading down the trail that had given me such a hard time a few days before. The scenery had changed a lot in these 3 days - everything was now covered in snow and I, for the first time, experienced a completely silent forest. We reached the car just before dawn, returning to the ranch, tired but still dreaming about the amazing scenery and funny adventures we all had shared together during those three days that had gone by too quickly.

"The scenery up there was amazing, a fascinating ethereal atmosphere."

Williams Lake Stampede and Wagon Train Trip - Chilcotin Holidays Internship Programs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 19:35:00 +0000

By Stephanie from the US

All I could hear was the gentle clip-clop, clip-clop of the horses' hooves as they beat against the gravel road. With blue skies and green grass as far as the eye could see, I felt as though I had stepped into a bygone era, a time when lives revolved around the changing of the seasons instead of the changing of traffic lights. The Sixth Annual Xeni Gwet'in Youth and Elders Wagon Trip managed to capture the unhurried pace and the beauty of community ties that seem all but forgotten in today's hectic world.

Sina, Bebe, Lea, and I, all members of Chilcotin Holidays internship programs had the honor of joining the wagon train as it rolled along from the Nemiah Valley to Williams Lake. This was unlike anything I had experienced. Having grown up right next to the hustle and bustle of the traffic capital of the world (aka Los Angeles), I was not quite prepared for the peaceful rhythm and unhurried meanderings that are inherent to traveling by horse. Once I got over the shock, however, I realized that a slower pace had its advantages. For one, I actually got to relax and soak up the incredible panorama of lakes, puffy white clouds, and bluer than blue skies. I also got to have meaningful conversations with my fellow travel companions.

Annie, a former chief of the Xeni Gwet'in, taught me so much about what it means to live off the land. She grew up in times of extreme hardship, and she learned how to survive at a young age. Annie began riding horses as soon as she could sit in the saddle, and she was even picking wild potatoes in the mountains as a toddler. Her do-what-it-takes, tenacious attitude is inspiring, as is her mental logbook of incredible life experiences. In 1970 Annie rode in a horse-drawn wagon to the Williams Lake Stampede. At that time, wagon trips were not a novelty; they were a necessity. There were no paved roads in the Nemiah Valley, so the only way for families to get to Williams Lake for groceries and supplies was by wagon train. Annie's stories and personal history brought to life the reason why so many people work so hard to make the wagon train happen every year. The wagon train is a way to bring to life the history of the Xeni Gwet'in and to pass on the traditions and values to today's Xeni youth.

Sina, Lea, and Bebe also learned a lot during the wagon trip, but their lessons took place at the reins of the wagons. The amazing thing about the internship programs here is that there are so many different opportunities to learn more. Throughout the majority of the 6-hour journeys from one campsite to another, Sina and Lea were driving the draft horses, with their trusty teachers, Jimmy Lulua and Roy and Gwen Mulvahill, beside them. Bebe became an expert horse wrangler, leading around a black gelding that made all other horses look like diminutive ponies. These gals soaked up all of the horse-training skills and experiences that they could. With an entire wagon train full of horse-experts, there were quite a few learning opportunities. Even kids as young as six or seven were riding around like fearless, seasoned professionals. Their toughness and willingness to try and try again was a continuation of their ancestors' resilience.

In addition to all of the living lessons that surrounded us, we also experienced the beautiful and overwhelming sense of togetherness that permeated the wagon trip. Everyone had a role to play and value to add. It seemed as though the Xeni Gwet'in defined themselves not just as individuals, but as part of something greater: a united community. The people of the Nemiah Valley are so fearless in their pursuits because they know that they have an entire community to help them stand up when they fall.

Getting to join the wagon train was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and something that this city-slicker never dreamed she would get to do. Traveling and living with the people of the Nemiah Valley taught me that we possess more strength and courage than we could ever imagine. Every time we face a trial, we get a glimpse of the fortitude that has been within us all along, just waiting for a chance to shine through. I could see that strength in the Xeni youth every time a young rider was bucked off of a horse, only to hop right back on. I could hear it in the inspiring stories of the elders. Because of everything we learned on the wagon train, Sina, Lea, Bebe, and I will get to live out that courage our whole lives through.

Are you interested in getting experiences like Stephanies? Send us an e-mail about our internship programs at info@wildernessjobs.ca!

Website:

http://wildernessjobs.ca/

And don't forget to visit us on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/WildernessJobs

See you in the mountains!

HOW BIG IS YOUR FISHING BOWL? Henk, a Summer Intern

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 18:03:00 +0000

By Henk, a summer intern at the ranch from The Netherlands

I once read that a fish in a small bowl stays small, and a fish in a bigger bowl grows twice as big. I believe the same goes for humans. If you keep learning new skills, you keep growing bigger as a person.

In the beginning of July I had the opportunity, together with Melody and Island, some other summer intern students, to learn all the ins and outs of fishing during the one week fishing guide course. I’ve been fishing as a hobby most of my life, but fly fishing is something I never thought I would learn. It always seemed like a very technical form of fishing that was only for the elite fishermen.

However, during our one week fishing guide school, Randy taught us all the tricks of the fish guiding trade. First we learned about bugging, the art of finding the local bugs in the area. It’s very important to know which bugs live in what area of a lake or river, because this determines what you will fish with. Just this one lesson will probably increase the amount of fish I catch for the rest of my life.

The next day we learned about fly tying, which is the creative business of making flies that look almost real. creating flies is highly effective for fishermen, as you can imitate the bugs you find in the water where you fish. It turns out there are lots of people that spend an amazing amount of time creating these little buggers.

Our trip to Spruce lake on horseback was amazing, It’s a real adventure if you have to ride for seven hours to reach your fishing destination. Beautiful scenery along the way, as I’m sure you all know!

At Spruce Lake we learned the different fly fishing techniques. Dry fly fishing is a technique where you use an imitation bug that floats, so the fish have to come up to the surface to eat the bugs, and Wet fly fishing is a technique that imitates the bugs that live underwater.

Randy, Melody, Island and I caught lots of fish. We learned to gut the fish, and had some for dinner. I think that the skills I learned during these week will be useful during many of my adventures, as I now know where to fish, and how to catch the fish more effectively with the right bite.

Thank you Chilcotin Holidays for getting me out of my fishing bowl!

Are you interested in doing a Angling Guide Training Program just like Henk? Or looking for a summer intern program? Send us an e-mail at adventures@chilcotinholidays.com!

Web sites:

http://wildernessjobs.ca/

http://www.chilcotinholidays.com/

And don't forget to visit us on social medias:

https://www.facebook.com/WildernessJobs

https://www.facebook.com/ChilcotinHolidays

https://www.youtube.com/user/GuestRanch

https://www.youtube.com/user/chilcotinholidays

See you in the mountains!

Wira's Story - Individual Development

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 21:39:00 +0000

My name is Wira, I'm 29 years old, from Germany and currently visiting Canada on a Working Holiday visa. I wanted to come to Chilcotin Holidays since 2006 and had a lot of personal reasons for which I couldn't make it to the ranch earlier than May 2014! It seemed like I was never going to be able to come...Finally I said "alright, enough, we're booking a flight right now!" and did it. I wanted to take the 2 week Guide School ever since I first read about it because I thought it was the perfect opportunity to work with horses and be outdoors - and it was the perfect start for my internship! I wanted to also see some individual development, and grow while living independently in British Columbia.

During the Guide School I learnt sooo much, I can't even put it into words. Everything taught in the program was new to me, and there was so much individual development! Basically, the only thing I had done before during those two weeks was wash my hands before dinner! I trotted for the first time, I galloped, rode bareback, shoed, trimmed, I filed a horses teeth and de-wormed (for which I had to put my hand into a horses mouth!), I packed, rode and camped out in the bush for 6 days...

The 6 day pack trip was really great. It brought me back to basics and to nature. It made me feel the connection between myself, the surroundings and my horse, Scout, with whom I had been working for 2 weeks non-stop. My group was very special too; we had great fun together. I really wanted to know everything I could about wildlife, guiding and horses and I can really say that I've accomplished that. I achieved all of my individual development goals too. If I could turn back time I would definitely do it again; I recommend it to anyone who likes nature and is interested in horses.

Are you interested in doing a Guide Training Program just like Wira? Send us an e-mail at adventures@chilcotinholidays.com!

Web sites:

http://wildernessjobs.ca/

http://www.chilcotinholidays.com/

And don't forget to visit us on social medias:

https://www.facebook.com/WildernessJobs

https://www.facebook.com/ChilcotinHolidays

https://www.youtube.com/user/GuestRanch

https://www.youtube.com/user/chilcotinholidays

See you in the mountains!

Bebe's Chilcotin Adventures - How to build self confidence

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:14:00 +0000

Hi, I’m Bérengère (alias “Bebe”), I’m a French 23 years old crazy shy person. I studied Statistics and Business Intelligence in France and now I’m studying Geographic Information System and Sustainable Development in Québec. As I never stopped studying, I worked during every summer for different types of job since I’m 16: cashier in a grocery, waitress in a creperie, statistician in Belgian government, GIS technician in a French department, etc. I didn’t really live home as my home, my nest, is in France and I’m studying since a year in Québec but I decided to leave this beautiful province to make the most of my Canadian trip, learn more about myself and to learn how to build self confidence, in myself and in my choices.

At Chilcotin Holidays, everything is possible and I was able to practice archery, wood curving, learning about trees, hiking, riding horses, bareback riding, rest on a hammock, playing ukulele, listening to talented musicians, gardening, practicing whipping and lasso, wildlife viewing, fence running and joining the waggon train to go to the Williams Lake's Stampede! You can learn everything you want at Chilcotin Holidays, so in summary, the skills I obtained were: cooking for 30 persons, watching bear safety and chainsaw videos, logging, painting, repair hoses and washing machine, cleaning a guesthouse, gardening, taking care of horses, taking responsibility, etc.

I used to be a positive person, always smiling and wishing the best for everyone and when I arrived on the ranch and find out that everyone was like this, I was really surprised. I really like that here, you’re not alone and you can feel it: we all talk together, eat together, try to organize activities together, some take care of you and convince you to make the most of all the opportunities available at the ranch. I wasn’t confident when I arrived at the ranch (new language, new persons) but after one week, soon as I tried to speak and not just to ask questions, I really felt comfortable in this little pleasant place in Tsilqot’in (Native name of “Chilcotin”).

When I applied to work here for one month, I wanted only two things: work outside and learn many things about hand labour and how-to-make-it-by-yourself jobs (plumbing, painting, mechanic, carpenter, etc.). I didn’t expect that I’ll have to spend more than 2 weeks in the kitchen, which means inside job, and cooking or cleaning are not really the challenges that I wanted to deal with. That’s why to my mind, I grew up, by waiting and doing all my best day after day, hoping that they will figure out how to answer to my request of working in another place than the kitchen.

Every time I thought I couldn’t do that anymore, something good happened: after 2 weeks of cooking and cleaning I was wondering if I should quit the ranch, few minutes after the “nightly cleaning” Kevan offered me the opportunity to log the day after, and I finally worked as a ranch hand for a couple of days. I am really convinced that hard work always leads where you want. Especially when Kevan offered me a seat in the waggon train, the best gift a boss can make to a member who quit the ranch! That’s why in the future I’ll always do my best in every jobs or moments of my life to enjoy everything I want to live.

In the ranch, staff members are all together to eat, work and enjoy the off-moments of working days. If a problem happened in the everyday life, we had the keys to solve it and found the good balance. As we all depended of each other, I was able to create real friendships and trust people very quickly, I found the one I can rely or talk about everything. Even if it’s not what I wanted, I worked in the kitchen and cooking and cleaning were not the best moments of the day, especially when I finished at 10:00pm. But some staff members discovered this pain of kitchen workers and decided to create the “10 minutes help for kitchen friends” to help during 10 minutes or more to end the day of the kitchen workers. With this action, everyone was able to make the most of the night and we spent more time together. This is what I call friendship and respect for the others, and I will think about it every seconds of my life. Even if we are 5 or 20 staff members at the ranch, somebody is always available to help you and HELP you if you need it. You just have to say that you are in trouble and someone will jump a fence or jump from his/her chair to come and help you. That’s incredible and it’s like that at Chilcotin Holidays!

The environment of the ranch really helped me about being confident in uncomfortable situations like preparing breakfast for a lot of persons, at different time of the morning after 2 days in the kitchen. It is a great lesson to learn how to build self confidence. There is a reason for all these binders in the office: it shows that you can learn everything you want if you take the time to work on it. That will affect me on how I manage my every-day life: I don’t want to waste my time anymore by being lazy of something or doing things that I don’t need to do. In the future, I’m gonna control my destiny and not follow what the society or other persons want me to do and to be. Being at the ranch has given me so much, and the lessons that let me find out how to build self confidence shall remain with me wherever my path takes me.

Now I plan on making the most of my summer in British Columbia and meet old and recent friends over here, enjoying a come-back in France to spend time with my family and my friends, I’ll study one more year in Quebec to graduate and I’ll do all my best to come back to work in British Columbia.

John's Story - Building self confidence

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 29 Jun 2014 18:37:00 +0000

Hi, my name is John and I was an intern at Chilcotin Holiday for about 5 months. I’m 28 years old and studied nature management in The Netherlands. During and after my studies I did many uneducated jobs like metal fabrication, gardening, cocktail shaker, plant cultivation and farmhand. I journeyed to Canada in April to learn what opportunities there are for people like me that are interested in all the things the vast nature has to offer, for building self confidence and to get a break from the job applications. I worked for a local market orientated organic vegetable farm, a native plant nursery, a blacksmith/artist and a wilderness resort.

Practice riding with pack horse, Wilderness Guide Program

The grand finale of this journey was always supposed to be a job for an outfitter, so I started calling all of them from the moment I landed in Calgary. When I called Kevan he was interested enough to invite me over for a weekend so I could see that Chilcotin Holidays was more than just a diverse outfitter. Just in case I would stay I loaded all my stuff in the car and drove over here. I quickly decided to stay and we put together an internship program for me so I would be ready to guide in September. I started off with reading about a dozen binders, filling in my guide test and taking the Wilderness Guide Program. After this there was about a month of shoeing horses, assisting guides, guiding pack trips, assisting David with instructing guide school, being camp custodian and scouting for wildlife. I had many physical challenges I never thought I would be able to accomplish like getting up at 5 am every day and climbing several thousand feet a day for a month straight, and the lesson in building self confidence was unprecedented.

Climbing mountains scouting for wildlife

You see I had very little time to enjoy the social aspect of living on a ranch with about 30 other people like me looking for adventure. Especially up until mid September when I was out on pack trips pretty much nonstop. Nevertheless I never failed to get this important part of staying at the ranch in my package. I made many good friends and even found the woman of my dreams here. In fact I enjoyed the company of each and every staff member that I met here. It has always been a help instead of a hinder to have many people around me. I always thought of myself as kind of a loner, looking for peace and solitude but I found out here that I cannot function without daily social interaction. This has definitely been the hardest job I ever had to do physically, mentally and emotionally and also the most rewarding, and I completed my goal of building self confidence.

Hiking up to camp

If you're interested in an experience like John's, please visit http://wildernessjobs.ca/

Challenging yourself, gaining personal skills and taking the initiative - Chilcotin Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 01:04:00 +0000

Josh's adventure - Improving himself, and gaining personal skills

I'm Josh, a 23 year old guy from England. I recently finished five years at university studying BSc psychology & MBA Business Management. I left home because I was getting fed up with the tedium of waking up, going to work, coming home and going to bed. I needed new experiences and personal skills to really progress with my life. While I was here I accomplished and achieved more than I could ever have imagined. In terms of personal interests and recreation, I got my fishing and gun licence, I did some bush-craft, riding, fishing, hiking, hunting, animal tracking and wildlife viewing. With regards to new personal skills I learnt welding, mechanics, horse shoeing and packing, chainsaw usage and a little bit of learning how to pan for gold. Even if these personal skills don’t get used in my ever day life (like gold panning!). They are all personal skills and any skill that you can pass on to another individual is invaluable.

The environment here is something that I had never experienced before in my life. The chance to do whatever you want when you want to is not something we have back home. I’m used to going to work, being told what to do, doing it and going home. The whole concept of you telling management what you want to do was very alien to me and it took some getting used to but it is something a lot of businesses should facilitate and implement.

A lot of the new experiences I had while I was here at Chilcotin Holidays were ones that I never can do at home. Yes, I often have new experiences at home but these are not ones which could be called life or death! Being put into life or death situations really makes you appreciate how important it is to enjoy every day and make the most of life. My personal skills have been improved immensely too. In terms of growth and development, the experiences I have had here have taught me not to be afraid of trying anything; even after just three months I have learnt enough about myself to make some life changing decisions which I never would have contemplated before I got to Chilcotin Holidays.

Another thing that I learned was that although independence is an important aspect of anyone’s life, it is also vital to have other people around you that you can depend on and vice versa. People depended on me to be fed, to stay warm and even the dogs depended on me for some reason. I depended on people to, I depended on people for the same reasons they depended on me. I also depended on them to keep me safe in the bush, they helped me to find myself, they helped me with new experiences and they helped me to keep safe. This really did teach me a lot about accountability which I didn’t really have a lot of experience with before I got here. It took being put in certain situations to really experience how it feels to be depended on, to be dependable and to be accountable. For this I am truly grateful to myself and others.

Somewhat related to this dependability and accountability is the independence and self reliance that I have experienced here. The independence that you can have here is overwhelming and something that, much like the environment, took me some getting used to. Nowhere in the world and never before have I been put in a situation with the same level of independence and opportunity. I admit that I may not have taken as much advantage of this as I could have, but I did have the independence, guts and tenacity to drop everything at home and fly out here. This was up there with the best decisions I’ve ever made. It has taught me that independence and tenacity are among the greatest things that one can possess. It has taught me to truly grab life by the horns and take it where you want to, and to take advantage of all opportunities rather than letting life lead you. This is what I would define as being self-reliant. I depended and relied on myself to make sure that I had the best three months that I could.

And finally...my plan. The last three months have taught me a lot about myself. The philosophies adopted here at the ranch are nothing more than logic and ideas that a lot of businesses, societies and groups seem to lack. I want to take these philosophies with me and use them to live my life to the fullest. I`ve already made plans for the next couple of months that I never would have been able to make before coming to the ranch.

I didn’t think it was possible for an individual to change but I no longer feel as though I am the same person I was when I landed in Vancouver on the 18th of August 2013. In short, my plans are now to get home and make big changes. I can't even contemplate sitting on the sofa playing video games all day. I want to do something that makes a difference. I want to take initiative, be dependent, be tenacious, be assertive, be self-reliant, and self sustainable. I will live my life the way I want to, and not how the “big city” thinks I should. I have had the time of my life here. Not only do I need to thank every single one of my friends here, but I also need to thank myself for taking the opportunity.

See you soon....

Josh, England

Melanie's leadership training

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 19:26:00 +0000

Staff Story of Melanie - Leadership Training at Chilcotin Holidays

I am Melanie (29) and I left Germany including my job as project assistant in environmental consulting to fulfill my life-time dream of exploring West Canada's beauty on horseback. In 2009 a good friend introduced me by coincidence to the website of Chilcotin Holidays. There it was, my dream in real pictures. The only thing I had to do was to go there. But this action should take me 3 years until its realization due to I wanted to finish my bachelor degree in environmental sciences first. But the dream never vanished and instead of keeping it as one, finally in summer 2013 it was the right moment to go for this adventure. Although I felt ready to settle down I had that inner impulse of going abroad just one more time. And the more I got in contact with Chilcotin Holidays via email correspondence and running through the unique application program of defining purpose, interests and goals there was no way of not going. Even after my first disappointment of not being able to afford the Guide Program at the Ranch I was already too curious to explore the ranch environment including its philosophy and lifestyle beside the natural environment.

Melanie at Chilcotin Holidays

My arrival at the ranch was full of surprises. Coming here during the high season of back country trips means the place is very busy, international, cultural and full of activities and of course work. I didn't expect so many young people from all over the world working here and fulfilling their purpose, interests and goals. I had to work on my though, especially since I dropped my goal of doing the Guide Program. I wanted to use my time at the ranch as time for leadership training, to grow and become a better person. Grown up in Germany with a different cultural background and mentality than the ranch offers I had a hard time to adopt the ranch's philosophy in the beginning. So I cleaned, did basic ranch hand work. But I got more and more opportunities and challenges at the same time like driving the skidder, cooking for more than 30 people. And with everyday and every task I understood more how to become the master of my own destiny. Thanks to the Julie Witness Program and Kevan's review of staff's interests I and the ranch manager kept track on defining and fulfilling my goals. This lead to the offer to join the guide program and with a bounce of happiness I agreed of course. And there I was: Leading guests into the beautiful Chilcotin Mountains on horseback for some days. I accomplished my dream and so much more than expected. My stay at the ranch showed me my strenght, discovered even some like doing the coordinator job which requires leadership skills I learnt during my leadership training. When I say leadership training, I do not mean I had a textbook and studied that way. Every day you have the chance to be a leader, and gain from each moment. I never expected to have these skills since I was really shy until my teenager time and worked on that very hard in the last decade. But even better self-reflection and workstyle showed me my weaknesses and how to work on them.

Edyta and Melanie

I still want to work as a coordinator, I still want to be a (hike) guide and spent time with horses and my desire for nature will never stop. All this make my purposes, interests and goals I carry around no matters where I am. I only have to stay the master of my own destiny. It is time for the next step in my life. Thanks for everything dear Chilcotin Holidays!

Personal Development Training on the Ranch

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 19:14:00 +0000

Ella`s Adventure - Personal Development Training

So, in life a lot of unexpected things appear to happen. I left Sweden for Canada in early September 2013 and four months later going back my whole way of seeing the world is different.

I just turned twenty; I am in the middle of experiencing the world with a traveling heart and a wish to learn something about everything. I was going to a ranch in North America mainly to work with horses and develop a little bit as a person hopefully, that was the plan. And here I am, have been working a bit with horses, yes, but mostly with other things, new things. And have developed as a person, yes, but not just a little bit, I would more describe it as a huge bit. An amazing bit!

Before I went to Canada I finished a three years education in agriculture 2012 and then spent one year working at a couple of different places, a riding stable in Ireland during the fall, a restaurant in a ski resort in the north of Sweden during the winter season and a bed & breakfast/travel agency/café during the summer.

With my education I got to do a lot of working practice so I had quite a bit of experience of different working environments already and I got to go working on Iceland in the summer of 2011, so it wasn’t my first time going alone to an unknown country either. But with that behind me I sort of knew that you never know how things are going to turn out, whatever picture you have in your head before you go, it can show up to be completely different.

Chilcotin showed up to be almost as I pictured it actually, on the surface anyway. Pretty soon I started to discover something else though, after some talks, some digging, some paperwork (!). The actual search for personal development training in everything, the open-minded thinking, the endless possibilities to learn new skills. The genius combination of being in the wilderness, in an environment full of risks, living a lifestyle on the edge and letting people into this, get them challenges way out of what they’d ever dreamt of. For me it has become obvious that nothing is more developing than this, if you’re ready for meeting the unknown, if you can handle it.

Ranger and Ella

And I must say, this is what I think has been most valuable for me. The change of thinking and the view of possibilities I have now that I didn’t see in the same way before. Not that I didn’t live a happy life or had goals and dreams before, but the feeling is different now, the importance of keeping focus is more centered and I have a way more clear picture of life, what I want to do and sort of the way to accomplish it.

My learning process, my challenges started during my second week at the ranch when I got thrown into the logging work. I had a small experience of driving heavy equipment before from driving tractors at school and I enjoy it, but to suddenly be out in the real world, doing real high-risk work in the forest was different. Scary and challenging, being aware of all dangers and people working around me, soft, fragile people that wouldn’t have any chance of protecting themselves from a huge, heavy skidder if I did something wrong.

But I got the chance to choose if I wanted to do it or not, and I decided to keep going, because I enjoyed and wanted to master it, be able to do it and feel confident with it. The best choice I could do, when seeing it now, afterwards. It was a whole new field of skills.

Getting an identity with the logging, being “the loggers” together with Randy, meant a lot to my self-confidence and opened up my eyes for everything I could do even though I had no experience of it. The maintenance work of the skidder was a certain part from the beginning, but that’s when I started widening my horizon with doing all kinds of mechanics and maintenance work on the trucks, the backhoe, the snowmobiles.

I felt important; I had a role and hungered to get more. Without really reflecting at the beginning I searched for things to be responsible for, projects to lead. And the ranch environment provided it all for me, I just had to understand it myself.

With all this came the challenge of balancing my time as well, since my interests wasn’t all about logging and mechanics after all. The will of learning new skills had grown bigger since coming to the ranch and I tried to make sure I got to try everything new when a possibility showed up, or I made it happen myself. So the whole new field concerning the hunting became one of these things, from knowing nothing I went to study the CORE, get to go out scouting, handle and shoot with a rifle and tracking.

Other new things was de-shoeing the horses, tracking and herding home horses from the mountains and training Ranger, the little foal of the wild mare Cheyenne. I have never been training such a young horse before, but it has been wonderful to work with him and see his huge steps forward, he is an amazing, cooperative little horse and he managed to steal my heart totally. With training him I learned the skills of roping as well, which sure is cool as hell!

To develop and learn more about the managing part I got thrown into do coordinating my last month at the ranch, which was a light introduction to any leader/manager role. With the full time logging at the same time and the little horse to train it became an even bigger personal challenge trying to handle the pressure of keeping track of everything, being aware of everything happening at the ranch and of everybody’s work and interests. A tough one, but sure a well needed one as well.

To try and summarize it I had a totally outstanding time at Chilcotin Holidays, counting all different sections, from the people I met to the skills that I learned and the way I developed on an intellectual and emotional level. I got inspired and motivated in so many ways from the environment and from the other staff members.

Edyta, Melanie, Ella and Ranger at Lover`s Bluff

I will always keep this experience with me and I hope I will return to Chilcotin to work again, dig deeper into the knowledge of running a business and take part of the endless stream of possibilities this place provides. Maybe after half a year, one year, two years, I don’t know for sure. First I’m going back to Sweden, working a winter season at a completely different place where I’ve been before, where I already am someone, to see how it affects me, and how I affect it. My personal development training in literally everything I did has changed me and made me a better person. How my changed way of seeing life is going to be in an environment I know from before my Chilcotin experience.

Two of our international student interns go "horse hunting"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 19:23:00 +0000

Ashley's "Horse Hunting" in the South Chilcotin Mountains

I`m Ashley 25 years old, and I'm an international student in the internship program at the ranch.

On Halloween Ella (another international student)and I went for our second day "horse hunting". We wandered for hours weaving around the Ponds and ridges near larnie camp looking for signs of the horses we had seen there the day before. We couldn`t find the horses or any trace of them. We decided to try looking closer to the camp where we had lost them the day before. We saw very questionable traces of them but it was our best lead. We cut through thick brush and all the dead and burnt trees made it hard to stick to their trail. We continued to weave our way along some marshy areas that looked like favorable horse territory but no horses were there. Finally we had to cross the road and there we saw clear signs the horses had been there within the last 24 hours. We followed a logging road up and away from larnie camp. We kept on this logging road for hours constantly checking known areas for signs of them. Each area we passes showed more questionable signs that they had been there and since this was our best lead we carried on. Finally we got tired chasing ghost horses and stopped for lunch. We saw a hunter driving down the road and Ella jumped up from her lunch and chased after them. She took a long time to get back and I was getting concerned when I suddenly saw her running over. The hunters had seen the horses! In fact they were just on the other side of the trees where we had stopped for lunch. We had found them and the chase began. After following them up a steep hill I tried to cut them off while Ella chased them from behind. They turned and took a logging cut that lead right back to the ranch. We persued them driving them down the trail. Then I lost my stirrup and yelled at Ella to keep up with the chase while I fixed my tack. After some adjustments I followed suit. I had been watching the tracks of Ellas horse all day and it was the only clear sign witch trail they had taken. I found a few stray horses while tracking Ella and the herd and knew I must be on the right trail. We managed to chase all 10 horses back home. There's always something new in the life of an international student intern all the time. It was a very successful day!

Summer abroad programs with horses

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 19:17:00 +0000

Annika's summer abroad programs adventure at Chilcotin Holidays

My name is Annika, I'm 21 years old and I'm from Germany. This year I finished my education as kindergarten teacher, but I wanted some time off after this, and I found the summer abroad programs website for Chilcotin Holidays. I had a dream to go to Canada since I was 15 years old. It was important for me to see the Canadian wilderness and learn more about the culture from this country.

One year before I came to Canada I took Western Riding lessons because I really want to work on a ranch with horses. And this wish came true! The first day at the ranch was, for me, a big challenge. I had to read a lot of procedures. I was tired from the 6 hours drive and I was full of emotions. In the evening when I had the first Dinner at the ranch I forgot all the stress, that I had before. We were sitting together on a big table, talking and laughing. It was like in a big family and I felt really comfortable.

For me it was a great experience to live and work at the Ranch. I had first time experience as employment manager and I learned everything about how to engage new workers. After few weeks I worked as the 5*Star Manager. That was so crazy for me, to write with guest in English, to answer phone calls and to do the calculation and bookings from guests.

I am really happy to have learned all the new things. When I finished the office work in the end of the day I helped chasing up the horses, in the kitchen or went for a walk with the dogs.

I worked with the horses and I have a big knowledge about horses now. I learned to shoe and deworm them, I trained the wild horses and the foal. I rode a lot in the Canadian wilderness and I feel really comfy and safe on the horseback now.

One time I felt really down, I was in a bad mood and I was really sad. In this moment I couldn't describe what it was, but I am happy that I didn't give up and stayed at the Ranch. After few days my bad mood went away and I was happy to be a part of the Chiolcotin family.

I had this great chance to work at the Ranch. I had a lot of new experiences and it's for sure, I will never forget this great 3 months at the ranch.

For me now is the time to leave the ranch to see more of Canada. It's really hard to say goodbye and to leave this place. It was great to work together with all the amazing people and to learn from Kevan's philosophy. I'll never forget the words: “You are the master of you own destiny.”

I met a lot of knew people and I have found new friends from all over the world.

Internship Opportunities - Be the best version of yourself

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 16:34:00 +0000

Amazing Story from Alison - Internship Opportunities at Chilcotin Holidays

My name is Alison Neasham I am 29yrs old from the North of England, I left home when I was 16 to pursue a career in Horse racing. So I attended Askham Bryan University were I studied Equine Management and Racehorse Care and Training after that I became a work rider and I worked for a busy racing yard for 10years. In 2008 I had a serious riding accident and I lost all my confidence in riding, so instead of riding I was based on the yard taking care of the out of training horses and 40 in training Colts and Fillies. I was doing all the hard work prepping horses for races, doing all the veterinary work and even though I was getting a lot of success I started losing interest, the only thing keeping me there were my friends and the fact it paid really well. I left home to seek new goals and challenges, why I chose Chilcotin Holidays? It was something different something I have never done before, my boss used to have a quarter horse so I was used to the western riding as I used to lead the Yearlings up the gallops, but doing the same thing day in day out was getting a little boring for me so I needed a new start in life a wakeup call. I arrived at Chilcotin Holidays and I attended the 2 week guide program in July, it was very challenging. The riding was easy for me but we had to Pack and Shoe horses but here in the middle of knowhere you need to be able to shoe your horse and perform Vet care, so it was very tiring at first and then we rode into the mountains for 1 week, that was incredible and the most beautiful scenery in BC. After the Guide program I decided to give it a shot to see if I could do it, eventually Kevan started throwing challenges at me every time he would raise the bar higher and higher the challenges he gave me I could not do at home, I drove the Skidder, Loader, Backhoe, the Stock truck and a Trailer, I was operating the Chainsaw, riding the Snow mobiles and riding in the dark in Grizzly bear country. Kevan sent me on yet another challenge rescuing wild horses out of the mountains so we picked up two horses, (Apache and Cheyenne) Cheyenne later to be found pregnant and we saved another two in January (Marshall and Navajo) breaking them in was challenging, there we very sharp and the moment your back is turned there have kicked you in the head. The next season I was leading the Pack trips I had an amazing time getting to know a lot of people and getting to know the territory in which we guide, I still remember Kevan referring to me as one of his horses Calm, Stable and Reliable I didn’t take it as an insult but as a complement because I was calm and stable I preferred the more relaxed method of guiding, the worst thing you can do is stress people out. I had taken trips out from April 29th all the way through to August and teaching as many guide programs as possible. So on September the 1st Kevan decided to send me and John (best guide student ever) to Connell scouting for Mt Goat. Connell was one of our most strenuous hiking camps on the South side, it was all grey granite so it was hard on the horses feet and most of it was too dangerous for the horses so most days we just left them in the meadows and hiked up the mountains, it was an unforgettable experience and knowing you could die any moment was exhilarating we were rock climbing and hanging off rock faces at 9,000ft and then we got stuck on top of the mountain in a hail storm and it was thundering and lightening, despite all this it was one of the most beautiful areas to go full of beautiful Alpine, wildlife and wildflowers and I really enjoyed the challenge. I accomplished so much whilst at Chilcotin Holidays! I obtained my Wilderness First Aid certificate, Food Safe, Possession Acquisition License, the C.O.R.E, Equine First Aid and completed the 2 week guide program. It is always a friendly environment here at the ranch, everybody is always happy and willing to help others I had an amazing experience here and I will not forget the people that made this happen. Kevan believed in me right from the start and I enjoyed all the challenges and do or die moments it’s like being in your own action packed movie, except my movie was real. I read all the messages my guests left for me their describe me as a Leader, hardworking, strong character, cheerful and an amazing guide, their felt safe with my presence and will all have wonderful memories. I now feel more Independent, Outspoken and I am definitely a stronger character and I will be taking it all back with me when I return to the UK, while I was out in the mountains I trusted every single one of those horses with my life and I thank them for giving me my confidence back. I am not finished with Chilcotin Holidays I will hopefully be back next year to finish up my Interests and Goals!

To find out more about the internship opportunities on offer, just send us an email at adventures@chilcotinholidays.com!

Log Cabin Building Course

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 22:47:00 +0000

The overall objective of this Log Cabin Building course is to provide participants with a solid base of combined knowledge and practical skills to built their own log cabin.

This Log Cabin Building course is for those wanting to build their own log cabin in the wilderness, be one with nature and teaches the fundamentals with minimal equipment and materials. By using materials at hand, you'll learn how to construct a durable four-season cabin, build a solid foundation, incorporate bear-proof walls and build a roof that can handle the snow load.

The Program is also comprised of a safety course on how to use a chainsaw safely and then obtaining practical skills and techniques when building a log cabin.

The Program is taught under guided supervision, where the students have first hand experience building the "real thing". At the End of the program a certificate confirms the student successful completion.

Brodie started his adventure by transporting all the tools and food into camp - on the back of a horse across a fast flowing river. He spent time preparing the logs for the building work - delimbing them, cutting them to length and then notching them so that the logs will connect together. All this was done with a chainsaw, and of course with the help of horses to move the logs.

www.chilcotinholidays.com

adventures@chilcotinholidays.com

Experience and Adventure of a lifetime - Stewardship, nature and more.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 18:42:00 +0000

My name is Henri, I am 28 years old and I am from Germany. I have been working and travelling for around three years. The last seven month of this exiting time of my life I spent at Chilcotin Holidays as intern. "Some people have to travel the world to find themselves;"

The last seven months at Chilcotin Holidays were different, somehow more intense, and with a deeper experience of myself. Probably, because this environment is a very special and natural place, that reflects it's people in a stronger way and puts them into a certain system of natural development; a hero's journey, based on the laws nature and stewardship.

Part of this unique experience are all the special people at the ranch, be it guests, student, interns, staff or the owner Kevan. I was lucky enough to not only experience this unique environment, the pure wilderness, and the special people that share this lifestyle. Kevan sharing his home, his time and extraordinary life experience was very valuable to me and I am very grateful and proud of that.

This place makes you take serious responsibility, for others and yourself. You can learn a lot about business in general, the tourism industry, people, nature, ranch operation, stewardship, farming,etc.

If you feel ready for an experience and adventure of a lifetime, to face yourself and to bring your self-development and consciousness to another level, then I can highly recommend this challenge.

All in one, this feels like a deep commitment to life- to live by the laws of nature and life to it's fullest.

adventures@chilcotinholidays.com

www.chilcotinholidays.com

The Orchard Adventure - Learning what is stewardship

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 16:40:00 +0000

On the 19th of September a truck packed with four excited people and a trailer packed with horse manure left Chilcotin Holidays to go for a three day working trip at Jim’s organic orchard near Lytton, about three hours drive from the ranch.

Melanie, Therese, Josh and myself got to spend the days doing lots of different work, and since we went there in September we got to take part in a lot of harvesting like picking apples, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, grapes, lemon cucumbers, cabbage and red beets.

We also got to learn about organic farming, how to defeat pests without chemical substances, we collected seeds for the coming season and had a great time working and listening to Jim’s endless stories. He taught us about what is stewardship, and how we can enforce it in our own lives back home. And, not to forget, of course we got to try out the fantastic variation of fruit and vegetables we harvested during the day. They had the most amazing flavors, colors and shapes and clearly showed the great products we can get from good organic farming.

With us back home to Chilcotin Holidays we brought all the fruit and vegetables we could manage together with a huge load of damaged apples, filling almost the whole trailer, for our horses here at the ranch! I learnt so much and I am so grateful to Jim for letting us come. If you want to learn more about what is stewardship truly, get in touch!

Ella, 19
Sweden

http://wildernessjobs.ca/

Juliette's Staff Story - Leadership Development and more on the ranch

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 18:22:00 +0000

May 31st – August 29th 2013

My name is Juliette, I am a 23 year old girl from France. I graduated in 2012 from an Engineering School of Chemistry and worked until December for a few months in the company where I did my final internship. I have a huge passion for horses and nature and I have been riding horses English style since I was 6 years old. I come from the countryside and had to live in a city for the last 5 years for my studies, even though I would rather have stayed in a small town.

Four years ago I went to work for 1 month on a cattle ranch in Colorado, USA, and I discovered the western style of riding over there. I spent the last 3 years studying in France and was always thinking of coming back to the western part of America, where all the open spaces and big ranches are, to keep on riding western and to speak English.

Last year while finishing school and working I have thought a lot about this project, and even if a lot of people in France were sometimes 'against' it because of the economic context (finding a job right after school would be easier than after a 'gap year') I kept on following my dreams and organized my journey thanks to my savings. I started in last February and spent 3 months in the United States, working on farms and ranches, sometimes gardening but mostly working with horses. My next step was Canada where I arrived at the end of May in British Columbia and discovered the Chilcotin Holidays ranch that I found a few months before on the internet. I applied to come as a volunteer, loving the idea of discovering the Canadian wilderness, how a guest ranch works and being around horses again.

I loved the place right away, in a remote area as expected, surrounded by mountain tops, and always busy with people coming from all around the world, staff and guests. The first week I worked in the kitchen. I have been challenged by a new environment and I loved new experiences: cooking for 40 people, sometimes the stress of having to be on time while nothing looks like it is going to be possible and a few times the barrier of the English language... But I loved it anyway, being busy, and seeing the results of your work. Guests coming to the kitchen to thank you for the good food is one of the most rewarding things I have ever experienced!

After this introduction to the kitchen department I finally moved into the office where I started with the Guide School department, taking care of the new enquiries by email, setting up contracts and processing payments for instance. After a few days helping out the Guide School department I was introduced to the 5 star department which does the same for the guests coming at the ranch for pack trips, guided trail rides, hiking or biking, ranch-stays, cabin rental, etc. After a couple of weeks I became the Program Manager of the 5 star department and was in charge of all aspects involving guests coming to the ranch, which was a new challenge to me but it taught me how to take charge. It was a full on leadership development experience! I had to help to do the room and menu plans and make sure everything was ready before guests get here. Then I started to be more involved with guests staying at the ranch and I had to welcome them and show them around. During this first month I was enjoying the horses company during my time off, but they became part of my work time quickly after that when I started to guide some guests on ranch-based trail rides. I had to give map and riding orientations and it helped me to gain more confidence in myself: even though I am not a native English speaker, I can teach people in English and explain riding to them.

Living and working for 3 months at Chilcotin Holidays helped me figure out about my strengths and weaknesses. I had some surprises! I had some issues handling pressure sometimes but I tried to work on it as much as I could. My stay helped me to become more self confident. I gained so much in terms of leadership development. I can clearly see the difference between my first days at the office when I was a bit afraid of picking up the phone, and the last month when I was calling people to sell them pack trips, for example. I also know now that I am a people person, and that I really want to spend my life close to nature and animals. Being in such a place has been different from all the places I have lived before, and I loved working and living with the same people and made some wonderful friends. Furthermore, because we are in the wilderness, we have to be aware at all times where everybody is – for instance when some people are on a pack trips they call us at least once a day so we make sure everything's fine, and whenever a group is going out of the ranch even for a short hike we need to make sure they are back as expected. We have to look after other people in this way and it builds solidarity between everybody. This is completely different from being in a big city: it is crowded with people but nobody cares about anybody in a way.

I also had the opportunity to go out on pack trips where I first helped as an assistant guide and then even led a group of 6 guests myself. In order to experience this I would prepare myself beforehand, learning at the ranch how to pack horses, how to shoe and what to do when we put the horses away in the meadows for the night. My experiences in the bush have been amazing. I felt so small when I was out there, riding mountain tops and experiencing indescribable 360 degree views. It made me think a lot and one thing is for sure, I would do anything to go back into the bush! Seeing wildlife was amazing as well: a lot of deer, mountain goats, marmots, a few black bears, and I even ended up face to face with a grizzly when I was leading a group of 6 guests up to a camp. He wouldn't move and we couldn't turn away so I had to run after him to chase him and clear the way. I will sure never forget such a experience...

Undergraduate Internships at Chilcotin Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 17 Aug 2013 17:04:00 +0000

Staff Testimonial of Experience at Chilcotin Holidays

My name is Britt de Roij, I'm 24 years old and born and raised in the Netherlands. When looking for a undergraduate internships for my study course 'International hotel & event management' I came across Chilcotin Holidays on the internet. I was immediately intrigued. After working in hotels for previous internships I wanted something different, something that would challenge me, an experience that would test me emotionally and physically.

During my 4 months at the ranch a lot of my interests where fulfilled and my goals became reality. I went logging, got the opportunity to go to a rodeo in Williams Lake and learnt a lot about the Sales and Marketing department of the business. I learnt the Western way of riding, got the amazing opportunity to join in on the guide school course followed by assisting and even guiding pack trips out in the Chilcotin wilderness.

Who would have thought that a girl from a country without any hills would ride the ridges of the Chilcotin mountains! All of these new experiences and adventures made me more independent and able to make my own decisions. I became more sure of my abilities and skills and my self confidence has grown.

Living and working in the wilderness has taught me many things. I have learnt about wildlife, bushcraft & survival and was lucky to spot black and grizzly bears during my time here.

Now my time at Chilcotin Holidays is almost coming to an end I'm sure I'll leave the ranch as a different person. A person who has learnt to become master of her own destiny and is no longer afraid of failure but sees it as new challenges and ways to increase self-development.

I will carry this experience with me and I'm sure I'll often look back on the amazing time I had at the ranch, and I am so grateful I did my undergraduate internships here!

Survival and Bushcraft Canada Survival

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 19:07:00 +0000

Our head instructor, Nick Buck (Bushcraft Canada), has traveled the globe observing native indigenous and military people practicing and using survival and primitive living skills in environments as diverse as Norway's frozen mountains to India's Konkan coast; Kazakhstan's steppe to Morocco's deserts; and the Metis lands in Saskatchewan to the Great Bear Rainforest.

Nick has a military background, is a keen hunter, an avid hiker, works in forestry and has spent his lift in the bush. He practices his outdoor skills 12 months a year in the mountains around his home on Vancouver Island.

Since coming to Canada, Nick has studied Forestry at Vancouver Island University becoming deeply knowledgeable about our local trees, plants, animals, and ecosystems. Upon graduating, Nick worked in a remote logging camp having almost daily encounters with bears, and honing his bush skills. He still works in the forest, spending weeks at a time in some of the remotest logging camps in British Columbia.

Nick is an experienced teacher who loves sharing his knowledge. "When I meet somebody for the first time who has no bush skills and no experience, it gives me enormous pleasure to be able to see them return home a couple of days later with the knowledge and skills to survive outdoors with nothing but a pocket knife. I'm almost excited as they are!"

Our philosophy at Bushcraft Canada is simple "Mother nature is not out to get you. You just have to speak her language, show her respect, and listen to what she's telling you and what she's showing you. Time in the bush need not be a hardship. If you have the right knowledge, the right skills, and the right mindset, time in the bush should be a rewarding, spiritual, and fulfilling experience." Here at Chilcotin Holidays we ensure that you leave with all of those things.

Alex's Story - Management skills and taking initiative

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 15:48:00 +0000

My name is Alexandra, I am 25 years old and I am from Germany. I just finished my studies in Tourism and Event Management a few weeks before I came to Chilcotin Holidays. I decided to come to the Ranch to take a time off after 13 years of school and 3 years of studies. I felt like doing something different, adventures before starting to work. I wanted to take a time off to figure out what I really want from life and where my way will be going. When I finished my studies I fell in a 'hole'. I felt lost and I didn't know what I wanted from life and how to proceed. I needed the distance to over think my life and to figure out my life-goals and -values, and learn some important stuff like management skills. Also I wanted to experience nature and a life without the comfort of a big city. And last but not least I wanted to do something without knowing exactly what to expect.

When I first came to the Ranch I started off being responsible for the sales department. But I found my real passion in being responsible for coordinating the employment department after a few weeks and that is what I was responsible for during most time of my stay.

Being responsible for the employment department helped me a lot to improve my leadership skills. It helped me to gain more confidence, improve my management skills, to take initiative and charge and to speak up myself and others.

Alex (Back Left) and other staff at the Rodeo

The Ranch also gave me the chance to make a lot of experiences I would have never dreamed of. I went into the Bush 2 times to participate in the bushcraft and survival course and to go on a horse pack trip for 3 days. I got to be a horse-based guide (without having done guide school or giving a riding orientation once before). I got to drive and operate the skidder and went logging for a whole day. I went to help out at Jim’s Orchard and got to go to the Williams Lake Stampede Rodeo for 5 days which was probably one of the best experiences I ever had. I got to go out on hunts and after 2 ½ months finally got to see my first black bear with 2 cubs. It would fill this page if I would write down all the activities I got to do while I was at the Ranch. Its amazing how many opportunities the Ranch offers to you and how much you will get to accomplish if you speak up for yourself and take initiative. I learned that it only depends on yourself how much you will get out of your stay.

Through out my time at the Ranch I was challenged quite a lot and I got to face one of my biggest fears, the fear to fail, on a daily base. It was not always pleasant but it helped me a lot to learn how to handle failure. I learned to trust myself and my judgment and that you sometimes just have to overcome your fear of failure and do things... otherwise you will miss out on many great opportunities and life lessons. I feel like my management skills were really improved, and I can use them later in life.

An other lesson I learned was that you need very little to be happy. It is amazing how small things like a warm fire, the sounds of nature at night or a field of wildflowers can make you unbelievably happy when you are out in the Bush. You don't need any thing out there besides yourself, some food and your horse to be happy. Going on the horse pack trip might have been the most exhausting time I have had at the Ranch but it taught me once again that you can handle exhaustion or stress when you do what you love to do. And the sight of the mountain tops and the beautiful nature up there made all that bet again.

Bareback Riding

Chilcotin Holidays exceeded all expectations I had. I learned a lot about myself and my strengths and weaknesses. I found my inner balance and learned how to deal with pressure and failure. And I found myself again. The ranch changed my expectations in life. I know now that it takes very little to be happy if you do what you love to do. And I don't want to settle with anything less anymore. I loved the work I did at Chilcotin Holidays. And I know that I will be able to find something like that back home as well. Maybe not quite as special as Chilcotin Holidays. But I know now that you don't have to settle with a job that only makes you semi happy. The work at Chilcotin Holidays never quite felt like work for me cause I loved doing it and that is exactly what I want to find back home as well.

When I left Germany 3 months ago I thought the Ranch was going to be the last time I was going to travel for a long time before starting to work long term. I thought that I would not be able to travel like that anymore once I committed myself to a job. Now I believe getting a job does not prevent me from traveling more. My plan is to earn enough money and then take one year off to travel around the world. I feel like coming to Chilcotin Holidays was just the beginning of my travel and there are a lot more stories and adventures to come.

Being happy in the mountains with a horse and little else

Yihaaa, I went to a rodeo! (ok, we can use another title ;) ) Summer abroad internship

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 02:28:00 +0000

Juliette's adventures on her summer abroad in British Columbia.

Last week I had the chance to go to the Williams Lake Stampede which is the 2nd biggest rodeo in British Columbia. I went there with other staff members for a few days. We had a great time! For me, coming from France, rodeo rimes with western movies and I never thought I was someday going to be able to see such an event so it was a great opportunity.

During 3 days we saw different trials like calf roping, cattle sorting, bareback bull and horse rodeo, barrel racing for the women, mountain racing, and so on. The atmosphere was very nice and we talked with several friendly people from the area. It was fun to exchange about the cultural differences between Europe and West America : almost everyone over there has been used to go to rodeo since they are kids whereas it was the very first time for all of us. Almost everybody was also dressed up with boots, jeans, checked shirts and cow boys hats. This is the norm over there, while you would never walk around in France like this without having everyone staring at you.

Of course I also liked a lot seeing all those beautiful horses trained to work with cattle. They form a real couple with their rider and it is amazing to see them moving and reacting so fast according to where the calves are going for instance.

Moreover, going to Williams Lake gave us the opportunity to travel a bit more north in British Columbia and we saw different landscapes than the ones we are used to at the ranch : it is not in the Chilcotin Mountains anymore but in the Cariboo Mountains so it is still a high altitude but it is more flat and there are less pine forests. We really enjoyed this change of environment but of course we were glad to be back at the ranch, surrounded by the mountains, and to see again the people and horses we are working with! It was awesome, and I am so lucky to have had this summer abroad in the gorgeous British Columbia!Fbri

Juliette, 23 (France)

Silas' Staff Story - Leadership Skills

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 02:08:00 +0000

I'm a 21 years old guy from Denmark. My previous experiences and occupations before Chilcotin Holidays are school, college, night-time work, military and travelling.

During my stay here at the ranch, I have been offered many amazing opportunities, challenges and experiences, planned and spontanious, every single day of my stay. That is the surface-level recognition any intern, who comes through the ranch, will quickly come to. However "amazing opportunities, challenges, learning leadership skills and experiences" is a very general term, so let me tell you in more detail why my stay at the ranch is one of the best things that ever happened to me – or as I learned to think; one of the best things I made happen to me.

When I left Denmark for Canada, back in September 2012, I didn't really know exactly what I was going to do with the year I had in front of me. The only reason why I went, was that I was getting sick and tired of falling back into old habits of inactivity, not in the sense of not adding value to society but in the sense of not adding value to my life. This inactivity was comfortable as everything I did do was known and safe, and was satisfying my basic needs. However as I have come to believe there is a big difference between physical, basic mental needs and spiritual needs. The physical/basic mental needs are food, sleep, safety, material pleasures, recognition from other and more. The spiritual needs on the other hand is at a much deeper level. I think it is these latter needs that does so that no amount of safety, food, sex, power, sleep or material possession, widely known to wealthy people, can't satisfy their deepest needs for contentment with- or happiness in life. So how does this fit in, in my story? It fits in because the need of spiritual development is fed so healthely here at the ranch. I don't think I have ever grown this much as a person, in 6 months as I have during the 6 months at the ranch. I could tell you about all the amazing things I experienced, but I'd rather tell you about the result of them – the experiences themselves I will leave youto be overwhelmed by. I have grown much more confident in my leadership skills and dealing with both people and practical tasks. I have far from mastered, but still evolved a lot, the art of getting the job done. I have learned to keep to "keep my eye on the ball" in the sense I feel much more focused in everything I do. I don't let my feelings interfere, as much as before, with my interests and I generally feel a greater sense of accomplishment as a result.

If I were to write about all my thoughts and experience about and at the ranch then this would be a very long story. I think the most important point I can make is that if you are looking to develop your character-traits, whether it is leadership skills, confidence, focus, courage or other related traits, then I would really recommend you to give the ranch a chance. If you are looking for work just because of the money or just to have a place to "feel safe", then the ranch is probably not for you. If the ranch-environment falls anywhere near your interests – just do it. It has been one of the most valuable experiences in my life.

Leadership development at Chilcotin Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 22:06:00 +0000

My Story in the Chilcotin Mountains

Hey my name is Manuela. I’m 19 years and come from Switzerland.

I found the Chilcotin Holiday Ranch in the internet. I came together with my friend Noemi to the ranch. I came to the ranch because I wanted to learn English, I wanted to have some leadership development and I wanted to go riding. And I wanted see how it is to work on a ranch.

The first month we did the ESL School. At school learned we a lot about the ranch and made a lot of experiences. From Monday to Friday I had school in the morning from 9 am to 12pm. I learned in the lesson a lot we had grammar and we read a lot. The great thing was that we read text from the ranch and the wild animals around the ranch.

In the afternoon we had every day an activity. We learned to drive the tractor, skidder and loader. I was in the beginning really scared because I can’t drive. But after few minutes I had a lot of fun. Or we shout a gun. We were a lot of time riding and I love the horses. The horses are grate and really different to the horses at home.

By riding I learned a lot about the area from the ranch and the horses and western riding.

I had a grade time in the ESL school and I don’t will miss one second from this experiences.

In the next two month I worked on the ranch and I came a lot of time out of my comfort zone and learned a lot about myself and the work on the ranch.

In the working time:
On begin of May I go out in a tent and slept there. In the first time I don’t really liked in the tent. But now I’m really happy that I can be in a tent. That was the first time out of my comfort zone.

We worked five days in the week and had two days of. In the off day we can make a lot of things. I was many time riding. The area around the ranch is beautiful. I saw a lot of different trails.

In the first 3 weeks I cleaned and sometimes I was helping in the kitchen. After this time I was in the kitchen.

I love to work in the kitchen. For me it was the first time to cook for so many people and the first time for guests. I learned fast then I made a lot alone and learned many things about to cook and cleaning in the kitchen. After two weeks in the kitchen I was happy to go out one week and made a little bit ranch hand.

In ranch hand I made many different things. Fixing fences help to build a garden, clean the ranch outside and change the wheal from the skidder. The work in the ranch hand was the hardest work that I did in my time on the ranch but one from the funniest work what you can do.

After this week I was again in the kitchen and helped to show new staff what is important in the kitchen how you do the things. It was great to see how the people learn and to see how they are every day better.

Two weeks before I leaf the ranch I was lucky and can go with Joe on a pack trip. This pack trip was so amazing. On this trip was Joe, two guests (Thomas and Olga) and me. That the horses can eat grass at night we hobbled and stick them. We cooked all and made lunch. In the day we were riding. I saw so many different places. All this places are so amazing.

I learned a lot about the area, the horses and the camp and for me important about myself. When you are out in the bush you are different. You feel you self so free out in the bush.

What I learned of this ranch:
I learned a lot about myself. I learned to be myself and make what you can and if you can’t do something just try. The important thing for me was that I learned that the live out of the comfort zone is so much more fun.
And when you will make what be not shay and ask. When you are open for new things then you can learn so different things.

I meet so many amazing peoples form all over the world. From my leadership development I learnt to be a better leader, guide etc. And you learn so many things from this people and after you stay here you have good friends. Here on this ranch we are a little bit like a big family.

After this 3 month at the ranch I go home. I love this ranch and think every time good back.

New Arrival!! Perhaps you can meet him as a one of our guide horses in a couple of years!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 17:05:00 +0000

Yesterday we woke up with the exciting news that a new foal had been born! One of our wild mares, Cheyenne, had a stomach which was getting bigger and bigger, but we were not sure of the due date. So when one of our ranch workers went to check the horses in the morning he was greeted by a damp baby horse, wobbling on its feet. We have not yet been close enough to check if it is a boy or a girl, but already naming debate has begun - we will let you know once a final decision has been made!

It was very nice this morning to sit at the breakfast table in the main ranch house and watch the mother and her baby walking around the front pasture in the sun, see how fast the baby was gaining strength and developing its balance when walking and trotting. Maybe in the future, one of our interns will train it to join the ranks of our guide horses! There's always the chance to learn more, whether it's ground work or how to bake a delicious apple pie!

To hear more about our guide horses, give us an email at adventures@chilcotinholidays.com

Natural Bushcraft

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:57:00 +0000

Natural Bushcraft Course

Eight of our staff members went into the Bush to participate in the first Natural Bushcraft course this week. After three days in the bush they returned to the ranch on Tuesday in the afternoon. Including other things they built there own shelter, learned how to make a fire and how to live of the food nature provides.

“It was truly an amazing experience. “

“Staying and living in the Bush for 3 days was different form anything I have ever done before. It is amazing how small things like a fire at night, a try place to sleep when it's raining or some self made bread can make you unbelievable happy. It makes you realize that it doesn't take a lot to be happy. I really learned a lot during these 3 days. Most of all I got to know nature from another perspective and became more conscious to nature and all the benefits it contains. It was truly an amazing experience. (Alexandra - Germany)

Alexandra baking "dandelion" bread in one of her natural bushcraft course