About Bondringo
Hi, I’m Matt. I teach people not to fear getting lost.
Bondringo exists for one reason: quality outdoor instruction shouldn’t only belong to people who can afford days with a private guide. Since 2016 I’ve been putting 15+ years of professional instructing into online courses anyone can take, at their own pace, for a fraction of the cost.
15+ yrs professional guide
10,000+
People taught in person
2016
Bondringo founded
30-day
Money-back guarantee
Qualifications
The tickets, and what they actually mean.
Award, awarding body, year. No certificates to squint at, nothing dressed up as more than it is.
- Mountain Leader (Summer)
Mountain Training UK · 2011 - Rock Climbing Instructor
Mountain Training UK · 2011 - DofE Expedition Assessor
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award · 2011 - Outdoor First Aid
Current to December 2027
Also qualified in
- Level 2 Coach
British Canoeing (BCU) - 4 Star White Water
British Canoeing (BCU) - White Water Safety & Rescue
British Canoeing (BCU) - Level 2 Mountain Bike Instructor
MIAS
The navigation courses draw on the mountain awards. The paddling and biking ones are why I can tell you which skills are worth learning properly and which you can pick up as you go.
The story
The route so far.
Scouts, and getting lost on purpose
I started in the Scouts and, honestly, I got lost a lot. Eventually I started getting intentionally “lost” to sharpen my skills, because I’d worked out the most important lesson: confidence isn’t never getting lost, it’s knowing exactly how to get back on track.
Professional instructing, UK and worldwide
Years of guiding and teaching in every condition the mountains can throw at you, from sunny Lakeland ridges to full Scottish whiteouts, and hundreds of students who arrived convinced they were “bad with maps”. They weren’t.
Bondringo begins
Not everyone can afford sessions with a quality instructor, so I started building the courses I wished existed: plain English, real-world skills, no jargon-flexing, priced so anyone can learn.
The relaunch
New courses, interactive lessons, a free Digital Safety Net course for every walker, and a donation to mountain rescue services across the UK from every Emergency Protocol Course sold.
What we believe
Three things we won’t budge on.
🗣️
Plain English, always
A bearing is just a precise direction. Every piece of jargon gets explained the moment it appears. You don’t need a maths degree or a beard to read a map.
🛡️
Confidence over fear
Safety content should reassure, not scare. We replace the fear of getting lost with a process you can trust, taught calmly by someone who’s been there.
🎓
Honest teaching
Online learning can’t replace every hour with an instructor, and we say so. What it can do is make you a far better student of the hills, for a fraction of the price.
🚁
We support mountain rescue
A donation from every paid course goes to mountain rescue services across the UK, the volunteers who turn out in any weather to keep us all safe. Learning what to do in an emergency and supporting the people who respond to them felt like the right pairing.
“Real confidence doesn’t come from never getting lost. It comes from knowing exactly how to get yourself back on track.”
— Matt, Founder of Bondringo
Join us
Start your journey today.
The free Digital Safety Net course is the best place to see how we teach.