About this Retreat
Thoralf has lived in Nord-Østerdalen, Norway, amid extensive wilderness lands for two decades. The rough Norwegian nature is his omnipresent companion, teacher, challenger and healer in everyday life.
It is his aim to share these benefits and to pass them on to others: to immerse into a fresh natural world, to connect with nature, to experience true community and to grow personally.
With over two decades’ experience as a wilderness guide, nature mentor and outdoor trainer, Thoralf has proven expertise in creating safe spaces for reflection and personal growth.
He founded ChangeWild and initiated The Human-Nature Quest. Over the years, he has brought Manuel Sturm and Leon Nijenhuis on board the team.
Leon is a wilderness guide and natural-born navigator, devoted to simple living. His skilled talent for listening and reflection helps people find the essence of their inner voices.
A career change and a longer stay in the wilds made him realise the need to bring the lessons of nature back to modern society.
Details of this retreat
In the rush of daily life, it's easy to lose touch with what truly matters. The wilderness retreat is an opportunity to take a break and more: to find clarity, direction and momentum.
The week in nature invites you to slow down, to get quiet and to reconnect: with yourself, with others - and with something greater. Guided by wise mentors and the rhythm of nature you will remember who you are and what you live for.
You will spend seven days in the wilderness, alone and with others. Media, phones and time are left behind. We sleep under tarps, cook over open fire, and move through a balanced program of reflection, nature-based practices, physical activities, rest and shared rituals. x It all creates space for insights, transformation and meaningful connection.
This journey is not about performance and you don’t need any special skills. Through personal guidance and a warm, supportive setting, you’re invited to let go of what no longer serves you and tune in to what’s truly yours to carry.
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*How it works*
The retreat is not just an escape into nature. It’s a return to yourself, a search for the deeper truth of your life. It boils down into two questions:
- Who am I? – What is my human nature?
- What can I do? – What is my gift as a human to the world I live in?
In the stillness of the wild, free from distractions and expectations, space opens up to sense what truly matters. With nature as a mirror, through simplicity, silence, and skilled guidance the answers will come to you.
So you will return with more than just memories. You will return with clarity of purpose and trust in your own path. With the energy and power to change your life according to your self. Committed to make a positive impact on your world.
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*Structure*
The 7-day wilderness retreat takes place in the unspoilt nature of the Norwegian highlands. Start point and meeting place is Tynset railway station, 4 hours north of the Norwegian capital Oslo and its airport.
In the afternoon of the arrival day there will be a shared taxi transfer from the meeting point into the wilderness. There we set up our first camp.
The retreat is held as a nomadic wilderness camp. This means we’ll be camping outdoors and moving on to new campsites several times over the course of the week. The route is not fixed and depends on the situation, composition and dynamics of each group.
Living in the wilderness is an integral part of the personal development programme. Embedded in this framework are nature-related exercises, physical activity, rest periods, shared rituals and reflections alone, in pairs and in the group.
On departure day, we’ll take down the last camp and erase our traces. Still in the morning, a taxi will take us back to the starting point, so relevant trains/buses will be reached.
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*Prerequisites*
No prior knowledge is required to join the retreat, no previous outdoor experience or athletic fitness needed.
What is important is your willingness to embark on an extraordinary adventure in nature and your ability to move under your own power in rough terrain.