The Human-Nature Quest
A Wilderness Journey Exploring Your Gift to the World
A Wilderness Journey Exploring Your Gift to the World
Self-Discovery & Personal Leadership
Why not step away from the demands of everyday life for a wek and come on a nature therapy retreat in the Norwegian Fjells?
The Human-Nature Quest is a 7-day personal leadership retreat and a wilderness journey for self-growth, offering an opportunity for personal reflection in the wild. Shedding the layers of modern life, you’ll step into nature’s wisdom and find courage, purpose, and transformation in a small group setting.
In this week you find clarity through wilderness meditation, guided practices, individual reflection and sharings, to grow both personally and spiritually.
And maybe most important: You will experience the freedom that comes with a simple life outside.
Are you ready to answer the call for change?
Read more on the practical details and mentors below.
■ TIMELESS ■ OFFLINE ■ COMMUNAL ■ NATURE RESPECTING ■ AUTHENTIC ■ PERSONAL LEADERSHIP
Get to know us
Do you have a question or want to get a better impression of the retreat before making a decision?
Fill out the form and we reach out to you for a non-binding info call.
★★★★★
“The facilitators, Manuel and Thoralf, have both an eye and a heart for this type of course, where the outer landscape becomes a mirror of the inner landscape and vice versa. A very healing format for these disorienting times!”
The Practicalities & Details
What is included
Pre-Course
✓ Detailed packing & gear list
✓ Document on arrival
✓ Availability for questions on gear & arrival
During the Course
✓ Full board: breakfast, lunch, dinner
✓ Local & organic food where possible
✓ Tarp & sleeping mat for each participant
✓ Group gear; tarps, axes, cooking gear, etc
✓ Two experienced nature mentors
After the Course
✓ Follow up call with the group online
What is not included/ extra:
✗ Travel to and from Tynset/Vågå, Norway
✗ Individual gear, e.g. sleeping bag
✗ Personal insurance, e.g. health, cancellation, etc.
Time until the next course starts:
0Months0Days
Questions and Answers on the Details
Dates
SUMMER 2025
June 8-14
7 Days
Tynset, Norway
1275 EUR
AUTUMN 2025:
September 7-13
7 Days
Vågå, Norway
1275 EUR
Course Prerequisites and Requirements
If you’re interested in this course, be prepared to spend 7 days immersed in wild nature.
You’ll need to carry your own backpack and some group gear for half a day, when we move to our next camp sites. No previous outdoor experience is required, and you don’t need to be super fit to join—just bring a willingness to engage and explore, within and without!
How you will sleep
You will sleep under a tarp, which we will provide, along with instructions on how to set it up for yourself. We will set up a big tarp for the whole group, where we will gather, cook, and stay dry and comfortable around the fire in case of wind & rain.
Travel & how to get to the meeting point
The meeting point for the course in June is in Tynset (2500), Norway, at Tynset train station (stasjon).
Tynset is located on the Røros railway line, connecting Oslo and Trondheim. The journey takes approximately 4.5 hours from Oslo or 3.5 hours from Trondheim.
The meeting point for the course in September is Vågåmo (2680), Norway, at the bus station (rutebilstasjon).
Vågåmo is located half way between Oslo and Trondheim, close to several national parks.
It is a 4h train ride with the F6 train to Otta and with a local bus from Otta to Vågåmo.
Check entur.no or vy.no for timetables and tickets
For traveling by train from abroad, see providers like db.de, dsb.dk, or sj.se.
Long-distance buses, such as FlixBus, operate routes to Oslo from cities like Hamburg.
The closest airport is Oslo-Gardermoen.
More detailed information will follow upon registration.
Price, Registration, Payment, Cancellation
- Pricing
Fixed Price: €1,275or
Pay what feels right* (Choice Price Option)
Let’s trust that when we give, we also receive something. Therefore, we invite you to contribute what feels right to you. The amount – more or less than the fixed price – should reflect within your financial means what the course means to you and how you would like to support our work. Whatever you give, we accept as acknowledgment.Includes program, organisation, food, tarps, transfers (see full list above)
- Course Registration
You register for our courses by filling out the booking form.
Once we received your registration, we will send you a confirmation, if a place is available.
We will also send you more information (Documents on Arrival, Travel, Gear/ Equipment) and the Invoice, along with our General terms and conditions as well as a Liability waiver that we will ask you to sign.
Further, we will ask you for additional information in a questionnaire on health/ food preferences/ emergency contact/ allergies/ rental options and contact sharing consent for travel coordination. - Payment
Currently we only take payments by bank transfer to our Norwegian bank account. You will find all the details on the invoice. - Cancellation and Course Confirmation
The course will be confirmed when at least 4 participants are signed up or latest 6 weeks before the course starts. Should we cancel the course due to a lack of participants, you will get a full refund. For the detailed cancellation terms (what happens if you cancel your participation), see our general terms and conditions. We recommend you to take out a cancellation/ travel insurance.
On the food, Diets and Menu
- Menu & Meals & Cooking
We provide ingredients and recipes for the all meals during the course. The cooking/ preparing is with a few exceptions done by participants with our instructions upfront. (Everyone gets to cook, and never alone.)
A typical menu day could look like:
Breakfast: Oats with nuts, seeds and fruit toppings
Lunch: Bread/Crackers with spreads, cheese, local salami, peanut butter
Dinner: Vegetable stew with dear or moose meat with rice - Food preferences and dietary requirements
Some meals we provide contain fish and meat. However, it is possible to eat vegetarian or even vegan (or/ and gluten free), please let us know well in advance and we make sure you are well taken care of.
In a questionnaire we send you upfront, we will also ask you about requirements and preferences around food. Please tell us any food allergies there too. - Local, Organic and Wild Foods
Where possible we buy local, organic ingredients. The meat we bring is from local hunters, usually deer, moose or reindeer. - First and Last Meal & Snacks
The first meal is Dinner on day one and the last one is breakfast.
We ask everyone to bring their own snacks for in between.
Due to the nature of our courses, meals might be at different times every day although we try to keep a routine in eating times. It’s good to always have some snacks on you, especially on (day)-trips.
What to Bring & Packing List
- We will send you a detailed packing list with tips and ideas after you register. The most important items are a good 3-season sleeping bag, hiking boots and a rain jacket.
Group Living & Phone Free Time
- In this course, we will all pitch in together, whether it’s cooking, transporting equipment, keeping watch over the fire or collecting wood. We work together as a team.
Of course, there will also be time to rest and enjoy the enchanting landscape. - You should be willing to actively contribute to daily tasks in the camp. You should also be ready to face challenges together with your group and support each other.
- We invite you to a media- and clock-free time. We want to do without phones during these days together, even though they will be with us in our luggage for safety reasons. Course leaders carry phones and satellite emergency transmitter, and take care of photography.
- On the first day everyone will be invited to seal their phones and watches turned off in seal bags.
We support you in seeking ways to meet the dual responsibility – for yourself and the world. Discovering the meaning in your life and growing into your true life’s purpose.
Course Location & Area
★★★★★
“In the community of the camp, one thing became clear to me: how important it is to allow ourselves to connect and to let ourselves be human. How much we can learn from each other for our own life paths… and unconsciously impart to others… an enrichment at the right time…”
“In the community of the camp, one thing became clear to me: how important it is to allow ourselves to connect and to let ourselves be human. How much we can learn from each other for our own life paths… and unconsciously impart to others… an enrichment at the right time…”
★★★★★
“Thoralf and Manuel blend knowledge from leadership, nature, change management, and mind-body topics. In doing so, they create a trusting and open atmosphere, infused with humor and valuable guidance.
Learned a lot, laughed a lot! Thanks for that!”
★★★★★
“One of the best weeks I’ve ever had—pushing me out of my comfort zone while still feeling completely at ease. It was a simple, easy life surrounded by space and quietness.”
★★★★★
“Living in the wilderness for a week under guidance of Thoralf and Manuel opened up all my senses and truly let me connect with nature, with myself and others. It allowed me to deeply reflect on my life and how I want to move forward. The combination of comfort and discomfort of nature and the powerful sharings and lighthearted moments within the group enriched my personal journey.”
Meet the Main Course Leaders
Thoralf Rumswinkel
Thoralf Rumswinkel (DE, 1965), Tynset, Norway
Extensive experience as a nature mentor and wilderness guide in Norway and internationally.
More information:
www.changewild.earth
Manuel Sturm
Manuel Sturm (CH/AT, 1989), Vågå, Norway
Dipl. Wilderness Mentor Scandinavia (Sjövik /Wiks FHS Sweden), NOLS Wilderness First Responder, Study of Social Entrepreneurship
Founder wildernessvision.no
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