Joy is not a reward at the end of the path. It is how we walk it.
The circle
Each journey holds ten guests and two hosts. That is small enough to learn every name by the first evening, and to sit at one table.
We open and close each journey in circle. In between there is walking, cooking, resting and a lot of laughing. Most people come alone, and that is what the circle is for.
How we play
These are the games on our first journey. Every one is optional. You can always watch, laugh and cheer.
Everyone gets a playful name by the end of the first evening. By the end of the trip, nobody remembers their real one.
In leopard country we play trackers. One pair leaves signs along a stretch of path, and the rest read them to find the way.
A new partner each morning and one question to share along the way. Small questions first, bigger ones later.
A jar of folded questions goes round the table. What did you want to be at eight? What is your terrible talent?
At the waterfall, each of us names one thing we will happily carry less of for the next ten days, and gives it to the river.
On the rest day, each person tells a three-minute story from their life. Props from the trail allowed, and encouraged.
After the hardest walk, we move however we like with the whole valley as the dance floor. No steps to learn.
Each of us quietly looks after one other person for the ten days. The big reveal comes on the last evening.
These are our starting ideas. The circle will add its own.
What we hold dear
Local guides walk with us, local families open their homes, and we eat where people gather.
We keep our groups small and walk lightly. Journeys that honour the places and communities that host them.
This is a walking journey with a lot of play, not a wellness programme. Every activity is optional and nobody needs to believe or practise anything.