If you cancel with 45 days of the retreat (by March 13th, 2024), you may receive a full refund minus the $500 deposit.

After March 13th, Wild Minds is unable to re-sell your reserved space. Therefore, we cannot make exceptions for personal emergencies.

For this reason, we strongly recommend you consider purchasing a travel insurance plan.

Please see next question about travel insurance.

We strongly recommend you protect your adventure retreat by purchasing a short-term traveler's insurance policy which covers baggage loss, accidents, and trip cancellation. Wild Minds accepts no responsibility for lost, damaged or delayed property.

Trip cancellation insurance can reimburse you for any nonrefundable air and land expenses should you have to cancel your space due to family illness. It may also cover any emergency evacuation expenses should you become ill during the trip. Although every effort is made to ensure a safe trip, you should realize that in the event of illness or injury evacuation can be expensive. Please check your medical coverage to ensure it is adequate.

There are many travel insurance companies to choose from.

We recommend purchasing travel insurance when you purchase your air fair, but no later than a week before the trip. Purchasing early enough will provide you with a waiver of pre-existing conditions. Insurance acquired typically does not provide protection for pre-existing conditions.

This is our most physically strenuous trip.

What does this mean?

We will have 6 days where we will pack up camp and hike between 4-8 miles a day, with weight and significant elevation change.

This is also a technical trail with river crossings. The river is low but it makes the days longer.

Leading up to the trip it is a good idea to go on some longer hikes (10-15 miles) with a weighted backpack to get your body ready for the trail. We will offer suggestions for how to train if you don’t live somewhere you can easily access hiking.

If you have any questions or concerns, book an interest call here, and we can talk it through together.

We provide backpacking meals that are lightweight and easy to cook in a group.

Once the group is formed we will work together to pick meals that are within different peoples food requirements.

Have restrictions? No worries. We can work with you to accommodate gluten free , vegan, or any other adjustments you might need to feel good on the trail.

The following backpacking gear is included upon request. Make sure to have your requests in by the deadline.

Backpacking Gear

• backpack

• tent

• sleeping bag

• sleeping pad
  

The rest will be your personal gear which you will be responsible for. We will share a packing list that will include things like hiking clothing, a hydration pack, and warm jacket. The most important thing will be making sure you have footwear that is broken in.

Hiking Shoes/Boots

• One of the biggest medical issues that shows up while backpacking is blisters.
  

• This can be reduced by breaking your shoes/boots in early and going for hikes with weight before the trip.
  

The great outdoors! Don’t worry though, we will teach you everything you need to know in order to have a 5-star bathroom experience.

There will not be service where we are going.

Part of this experience is going completely offline. During our group calls we will talk about the value in going offline and ways to prepare for the trip and integrate back to cell service and email after the trip.

For safety we will have a gps tracking device which we will send and receive messages on in case of an emergency. Included in your welcome packet is information about safety and communication.

The group calls are a really important part of this experience.

In your welcome e-mail will be a link to fill out your availability so we can try and find a time that works best for everyone.

On these calls you will get a chance to

• Connect with your new adventure friends

• Practice mindfulness and self-compassion techniques that you will use during our trip

• Plan how you would like to prepare mentally and physically

• Ask questions about packing and gear

This is a substance-free trip. There is a focus and emphasis on deepening your relationship with yourself and the land. It is also an opportunity to expand your capacity to be with the ups and downs without turning to substances.

TRANSPORTATION / ACCOMMODATIONS

If flying, you will want to book your flights in/out of Los Angeles Airport (LAX) which is about a 90-minute drive to Ojai where we will gather.

We can arrange to have a shuttle to/from LAX once we know how many folks are interested in this option.

We have a BNB booked for the evening before and after our time in the wilderness where each person will have their own bed.

We take transitions seriously and want to make sure you have time to settle and feel supported before heading out on our adventure.

Accommodation pre-and post our backpacking adventure are included in the cost.

The beautiful thing about these trips is that it draws people from all walks of life and from all over the country that have a shared interest in backpacking, being in nature, and personal growth.

This a women’s trip and we put a lot of emphasis on creating an environment that feels supportive and where we are deepening mindfulness and collective care for ourselves, each other, and the planet.

If you are an introvert, don’t worry, we got you. The great part of being out in nature is that there is a lot of space!

You will have time to be in silence, to go find a rock to sit on, and to cozy up in your personal tent at night.

In April, the average daily high temps range are in the high-sixties and low temps in the high-forties with minimal rainfall.

We hope to have access to an abundance of water flowing in the river (& hot springs!)

Nope! We will all have our own tents, unless there’s someone you know that you want to bunk up with 😉.

This trip is for those over the age of 18. There is no age limit on who can come on this trip.