GoWild: Dartmoor

You'll arrive at 12pm on day one, and leave (around) 2pm on the final day.

Yes. The retreat includes breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks while you are there. The food will be simple, wholesome and delicious and we will come together to cook over the campfire. Most major dietary requirements will be catered for. If you have very specific requirements please let me know.

You don't have to be a die-hard outdoorsy person to enjoy and benefit from this retreat. In fact it is designed for those who wouldn't necessarily go camping or out walking on their own, but who feel drawn to nature and would like to experience something a little more wild and adventurous than you're used to. This will be a safe compassionate space for you to explore what it is like to be truly out in the wild, with the support of Jen and other like minded women.

That said, this is not for the faint hearted! This retreat will challenge you - indeed that is one of the reasons it is so transformational. You may well meet your "edge", so you must be prepared for that. A certain level of self-reliance is needed, however if you are willing to explore courage and are willing to be a little bit uncomfortable in the name of connecting with yourself and nature even more profoundly, then yes, this retreat is for you. Of course I highly recommend (and in fact insist, if I don't already know you) that we have a conversation to check you understand what is involved and whether this retreat is right for you.

Ideally, yes, although I do have a couple of small tents and hammocks that you can hire for the retreat (£20), which will be available on a first-come-first-served basis. There are a couple of spaces in the cabin for those that wish (must be willing to share), and these are also available on a first-come-first-served basis. If you bring your own tent it MUST be a small 1-3 person tent (not a big family tent) as whilst all of our gear will be transported up by 4x4 we may need to do a small amount of ferrying to get to the camping site. You will need to bring your own bedding/mattresses etc. More information about what you need to bring with you will be provided when you book, but if you have any questions do feel free to email me to ask.

There is a compost toilet but no showers. This is truly back to basics! We are however very lucky to have a very beautiful, natural and refreshing bath right on site....in the form of a series of pools in the stream! It's fresh, but there's something incredibly invigorating about bathing in a stream-fed pool. Many women think they will find the lack of showers one of the most challenging aspects of the retreat but it just becomes part of the adventure.

We'll dance in it! 😉 Rain is just another adventure.

Yes, it will change some of our activities slightly however we have a beautiful wooden cabin in which we can gather, which even comes with its own wood burners if the weather gets really awful. If you've ever been under shelter in a rain shower you'll know how heavenly it can be....imagine sipping steaming mugs of tea or hot chocolate, feeling the fuzzy warmth of the fire on your face, listening to the pitter patter of raindrops on the roof and in the trees.....

This is my one retreat where you really do need at least a certain level of mobility, if not fitness, to take part fully. Whilst all activities are optional - including the walk up to and back from the hut at the beginning and end of the retreat - your experience will be greatly enhanced if you can take part fully. Being Dartmoor, and given the nature of river valleys in that region, there will be some scrambling over rocks, tree roots and undergrowth, and some climbs up slopes, however nothing should be too strenuous that it is out of the realms of someone with a basic level of fitness. The area around camp and getting down to the stream (e.g. to bathe and to collect water) is uneven and can be slippery, so if you feel this may be a problem for you please discuss with me in the first instance so we can check that you will be able to manage.

Bonuses include two group circle calls (online) in advance of and following the retreat, and for those who pay in full more than two months before the retreat you also get a bonus 90 minute 1-1 session with Jen.