Book a therapy session today.
Wilderness

5-Day Wilderness Solo with Encouraged Fast

With the support of experienced wilderness guides and therapists, you will journey alone into a wild place to spend days there, without the distraction of food, conventional entertainment, and human company. Just you and the land.
Book Today

About the course

What does it actually mean to “know yourself?” 

We throw this term around often, but we so rarely get to spend unfiltered and undistracted time alone.

Across cultures, our ancestors have spent intentional time alone in the wilderness in order to gain clarity, seek a vision, come of age, or cross a threshold. We have almost lost this sacred art of becoming, and here in front of you is an opportunity to reclaim it. 

Though solitude may inspire fear in modern minds, the chance to court the unknown might also be your calling song to the sacred. Do you long to touch what your ancestors knew to be an act of great importance? Are you hungry to gain intimacy with your physical body and the body of nature? Is something ready to die or be born but requires something “big” to do so? 

Are you ready to invite deeper purpose into your life? 

Join us for an opportunity to undertake a “wilderness solo,” with encouraged fasting. This 6-day, 5-night, offering on Nov 13-18th in the beautiful deserts near Durango, CO is a potent contemporary adaptation of an ancient ceremony that exists in many forms in nature-based cultures around the world. It is not for the faint of heart, but for those that feel the call, it can be utterly transformative. 

We will cohere as a group in the months leading up to our journey over Zoom, deepening our intentions and preparing our psyches. We will spend a day together landing in the wilds before separating for a 72 hour solo and fast. The final two days of our time together will be spent integrating our experiences in a group space. All safety measures and precautions will be taken. 

And who knows? You just might find that you are never truly alone…

Come see for yourself. 

Meet our team of certified instructors

Danielle Friedenson
Guide
Learn More
Chase Colley
AMGA Rock Guide
Learn More
Rowan Waller
Rock Guide
Learn More
Loren Copp
Rock Guide
Learn More
Brian Phelps
Guide
Learn More
Deer Ponzi
Guide
Learn More

What our friends say

Kind words from
our clients.

“Before starting with LifeWays, I felt completely stuck — therapy had always felt like talking in circles. My therapist here helped me reconnect with myself in ways I didn’t think were possible. The combination of compassionate guidance and time outdoors changed everything. I feel grounded, confident, and finally moving forward.”

- Sarah, Durango, CO

Explore more Wilderness
Courses

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact

Your standard backpacking kit: A 50+ liter backpack, rain gear, layers, headlamp, hiking shoes/boots, 2 liters of water carrying capacity, cup and spoon, and a shelter of some kind (Tent, tarp, etc.). If you do not have any of these items, please connect with a member of our team. We do provide rented gear as needed.

Yes. We will provide transportation from the Fairground Parking Lot: 2500 Main Ave Durango, CO 81301. This does not include transportation to and from the Durango or Cortez airports. That transportation can be arranged, but it is not included in this price/purchase.

LifeWays is registered as a Travel Trip Camp in Colorado: 1780374. We are also insured as a business to provide commercial, guided adventures anywhere in the world where we have public land permits. Each LifeWays staff member is a registered Wilderness First Responder; all staff have over 200 professional days of field experience; all of our staff are intimately knowledgeable of our “backyard.” All staff spend their professional and personal time backpacking, climbing, rafting, biking, and recreating on our nearby public lands. Nearly all of us are licensed therapists. You are in great hands.