Wilderness Leadership Trails – re-connecting man and nature

Wilderness Leadership Trails – re-connecting man and nature

With The Life Adventure
Introduction

When you combine a magical location, an inspiring teacher and nourishing food, travel has an almost alchemical power to it. Special journeys can irrevocably change us and many of us at one time or another have experienced this shift.

Our vision is to help people live richer, more fulfilling lives. This occurs when we begin to increase our self-awareness, understand how to be more conscious citizens, improve our feelings of self-empathy and empathy towards others and experience living in harmony with each other and with nature.

The Wilderness Trail

“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit” ~ Edward Abbey

A trail is not a hike. It is not a safari. It is not a personal endurance test. A Wilderness Trail is a deeply profound experience that is very difficult to articulate. It is a chance to return to your natural habitat. A digital detox. A deep experience of our own connection to the natural world. A chance to re-wild yourself and get inspired by the rhythm of nature. Your experience is carefully facilitated by guides who are arguably the best in Africa. The food is beyond what you could imagine. An authentic Wilderness Trail is unlike any other experience. Those who have been on this trail return again and again. You simply have to experience it to fully understand the power it can have on you, your team and your relationships.

This wilderness trail was pioneered by Dr. Ian Player well over half a century ago. After all of this time, the principles, the experience and the purpose of these trails remain the same. It runs over five days with a few days either side organised for you in a hotel. You sleep under the stars. You experience some of Africa’s most wild and sacred places. But most importantly, the trail experience is about you, a personal journey into wilderness and yourself. This is an experience that inevitably creates environmentally conscious leaders and ambassadors for our wild spaces.

Developing Wild Leaders

Wilderness Leadership helps nurture an understanding of what a leader is. The trail experience helps develop self-reliance, improves judgement, decision making, respect, and a sense of responsibility that helps leaders thrive in today’s rapidly changing business landscape.

The benefits of a wilderness experience

  • Chance to destress and reconnect with who you really are
  • Amazing bonding, team building and relationship building
  • A Digital Detox, no cell phones, social media
  • Detox – healthy food, no alcohol or artificial stimulants, exercise and personal space
  • Tranquility – solitude and meditation. Stimulates flow of creative thinking
  • Different stimulus of adrenalin and responsibility in looking after and working with peers
  • Test personal boundaries and comfort zones
  • Learn new skills- flora, fauna, bush craft, astronomy, ecology, tracking
  • Become ambassadors for a cause – protection of wilderness areas, anti- mining and anti-poaching lobbyists,
  • Rewild yourself and develop a language of wilderness and wild spaces
  • Explore the spirituality of wilderness
  • Wilderness immersion has a significant psychological healing properties
  • No hierarchical pressure
  • Leadership quality development
  • Provides neutral space in which to explore company issues
FAQ’s

The trip is all inclusive, meaning you do not need to worry about anything. We include transport from Durban (or the nearest airport) and all your trail equipment.

Q: Special Dietary Requirements & Allergies?
A: Our guides are master cooks and we have catered for all sorts of allergies and special dietary requirements. Just let us know prior to trail if you have any special requirements and we will get it arranged for you.

Q: How many people can go on a trail? (if not booking as a bespoke group)
A: Each trail accommodates between six and eight trailists.

Q: Are the trails guided and safe?
A: Two experienced, armed guides lead each trail. These guides are highly trained and in over 60 years we have never had a trailist hurt by an animal.

Q: Where do we sleep?
A: You set up camp in an area chosen by your guide and sleep under the stars, a once in a lifetime experience in its own right. Each trailist is expected to also stand night-watch and guard the fire while others sleep.

Q: How fit do I need to be to do a trail?
A: You do not need to be especially fit, provided you are over 15, healthy and can carry a rucksack and manage a few kilometers walking each day you should be fine. The duration of the daily walks are customized for your comfort. A trail is NOT an endurance test, in fact, it’s rather relaxing.

Q: Is there mobile phone reception on trail?
A: No sophistication (including mobile, watches, music or liquor) is allowed on trail. Trust us, you’ll love the experience of being away from that for a few days anyway.

Q: Is this a malaria area?
A: Although we do recommend mosquito repellent, our trail venues are not malaria risk areas, with the exception of Okavango Trails in Botswana.

Guides & facilitators

Our guides are some of the most experienced in Africa, specially trained not just for your own safety but to also facilitate your wilderness experience and give you deep, meaningful insight into Africa and the wilderness area. For many, this experience inevitably also opens up a deep insight into yourself. Reconnecting with nature at such a profound level changes the way you see the world, changes the way you see yourself and your experiences in the modern world.

Our guides have a vast amount of experience, they spend over 2000 hours a year in the wilderness and they are arguably some of the best in Africa.

Your guides are also highly trained to ensure your safety during encounters with wildlife such as Rhino, Lions, Elephants, Buffalo and other when on foot, something few people ever forget and fewer ever experience.

For bespoke groups from individual organisations who wish to travel as a team, we have a range of facilitators such a business leadership experts, psychologists and wilderness survival skills experts who we can also arrange to join your group.

In mid 2019 we’ll be linking this Wilderness Leadership Trail with our our Soul Safari, so you’ll begin your trail from one of the lodges we feature from uMfolozi Big Five.

Included:
  • Group sizes range from 6-8 people – organised as either a bespoke group or bookable as an individua
  • All trail equipment provided.
  • Transport from Durban, airport pick up and drop off
  • All meals, seriously good food, catering for any dietary requirements.
  • Experienced guides to guide you and ensure your safety.
  • All camping equipment including ground sheets, foam mattress, sleeping bags and rucksacks, cooking utensils, eating utensils, toilet-paper, spade, water containers.
  • Transport from a designated meeting place to the wilderness area.
  • Trail fees cover all gate fees, overnight fees etc… no hidden costs
Locations

iMfolozi, iSimangaliso, Pilanesberg, Okavango, Wild Coast and Drakensberg but we predominantly off this in iMfolozi.

Presenter The Life Adventure

For individuals and organisations who want to feel and think better, both emotionally and physically, The Life Adventure is a wellbeing consultancy and online platform that offers you practical tools and techniques in the form of talks, workshops, programmes and online video. We teach you how to live your life more fully, how to be more present and how to operate at your best, both at work and play. We give you clear, practical takeaways on unique subject matter that will change the way you, and your organisation, sees the world, forever.

MORE »

What’s included

Group sizes range from 6-8 people – organised as either a bespoke group or bookable as an individual
Flights if required
Transport from Durban, airport pick up and drop off
All meals, seriously good food, catering for any dietary requirements
Experienced guides to guide you and ensure your safety.
All camping equipment including ground sheets, foam mattress, sleeping bags and rucksacks, cooking utensils, eating utensils, toilet-paper, spade, water containers.
Trail fees cover all gate fees, overnight fees etc (no hidden costs)

Price contact us to discuss your requirements

Presenter The Life Adventure

For individuals and organisations who want to feel and think better, both emotionally and physically, The Life Adventure is a wellbeing consultancy and online platform that offers you practical tools and techniques in the form of talks, workshops, programmes and online video. We teach you how to live your life more fully, how to be more present and how to operate at your best, both at work and play. We give you clear, practical takeaways on unique subject matter that will change the way you, and your organisation, sees the world, forever.

MORE »

What’s included

Group sizes range from 6-8 people – organised as either a bespoke group or bookable as an individual
Flights if required
Transport from Durban, airport pick up and drop off
All meals, seriously good food, catering for any dietary requirements
Experienced guides to guide you and ensure your safety.
All camping equipment including ground sheets, foam mattress, sleeping bags and rucksacks, cooking utensils, eating utensils, toilet-paper, spade, water containers.
Trail fees cover all gate fees, overnight fees etc (no hidden costs)

Price contact us to discuss your requirements