Do I have to fast?
Fasting is recommended for all participants and it is up to each individual to decide this for themselves. Programs support each person to fast and do not require fasting. Many people have chosen not to fast for medical reasons and still received an enormous amount of benefit from their wilderness quest. Persons with medical or other concerns should contact us to discuss these before registering for a program.
Do we drink water during the quest?
Yes. Fasting without water poses additional risks and stress on the body. This type of fast would need additional preparation and most contemporary people are not hardened to endure this rigor.
Why don’t we sleep in tents during our solo time?
The quest experience is designed to bring the individual into the most intimate contact with the Natural world. We give up food, shelter and company to experience our truest form of aloneness with wild nature—our own and the world’s. Participants are trained to make simple shelter with tarps and rope and are expected to be able to keep themselves dry and warm.
Is it dangerous to fast? To live alone in the wilderness?
According to many traditions and medical perspectives, fasting is a healthy and sacred endeavor. If you have any concerns about it, we encourage you to consult with your doctor before fasting, especially if you have never done a fast before. The first day of your fast will start in basecamp, which enables you to seek any support you need and allows the guides to see how you are responding. Regarding being alone, before heading out for your solo time, you will be thoroughly prepared by your guides and will show the guides your solo site. You will also take a basic first aid and will have a buddy in a nearby site. Although you will not speak with or see your buddy during solo time, you will be taught a form of communication so that you both know you are safe.
Are there dangerous animals out there?
Your guides will prepare and educate you regarding the types of animals you may encounter. Depending on the site location and time of year, there are some animals to be informed about, but in none of our sites is there any animal that “has any use for people” or tends to seek out and harm people. As a result, with a little training from our guides, you should have little difficulty keeping yourself safe from the local fauna in any of our chosen quest sites.
What if I can’t stay out for my full solo time?
Before your solo time, your guides will address scenarios of coming in early. If you were to come back for a physical reason, the guides will tend to that need (guides are trained in Wilderness First Aid) and help you assess whether to return to your solo time. If you were to return for an emotional reason, the guides will offer you support and guidance, as well as offer ways to continue to engage the solo time.
I want my best friend to come on the Quest with me. Is that a good idea?
We encourage you to talk with the guides for your Quest before deciding on having your best friend join you. There are aspects to weigh out and consider that not only take you and your friend into account, but the group as well, so we would like to be involved in this decision.
