The Village At The Edge Of The World
A one week mountain adventure in the UK wilderness for young adults who want to discover their potential, leading to a Dawn-to-Dusk nature solo.
Dates: 2pm, Thursday 31st July – 2pm, Tuesday 5th August 2025
Basecamp: A wild mountain campsite in the Southern Lake District, near Grizebeck, Kirkby-in-Furness, LA17 7XN (exact location will be provided)
Age: 18-30 years old (A note on age range – This camp is designed for people who are embarking on a new phase in life, whether leaving school, college, university, home, preparing to travel, start new work or adventures, or seeking guidance on where to go or what to do next. It is geared for an 18-30 age range, but if you’re on either side of this range and feel like this camp might be for you, please get in touch to inquire and we can have a chat!)
No. of participants: 12 (+ 4 staff)
Join to discover what happens when we tune in to the wisdom of nature, when we choose to put our phones away and give ourselves time to notice our bodies in the present, our stories of the past and our dreams for the future.
ARE YOU?
- 18-30 years old and hungry to discover more of what life has to offer.
- Seeking guidance as you move into new phases in life?
- Up for a week-long wild mountain adventure with up to 12 others, living off-grid (no electricity), immersed in nature?
- Available 31st July - 5 August 2025
Participant Testimonials
- Want to develop your relationship and connection to yourself, to others and to the more-than-human environment
- Want to connect to new people and feed your imagination and creativity
- Want to learn new skills and practices to support your wellbeing
- Want to slow down
- Want support with your ongoing self and personal development journey
- Want to acknowledge your dreams, speak, embody, share and support other people's dreams
- Want to hear the voices of other people with different stories and dreams than you
- Want to be part of a community on a hill, tending to the fire and to the dreams of each other
➤ Community living – you’ll be getting a chance to live, work and form real human connections with like-minded people. Shaping the way you want to live and coexist for the week.
➤ Space to grow and be yourself – Together we’ll journey through three distinct phases: Severance, Threshold and Incorporation. These three phases are found in Rites of Passage traditions the world over and throughout time. Traditionally these are used in marking significant moments in one’s life. This flow support you to let go of what no longer serves you (old identities, old stories, old habits…) and step into the life you wish to lead.
➤ Resourcing and sustaining your mental health – Navigating modern life can take a toll on our mental health. During this one week adventure we’ll provide you with guidance, tools and practical ways to maintain your mental wellbeing in your daily life.
➤ Connecting with nature – Whether its a mountain walk, the nature solo (see below), wild swimming or sitting round the fire, you’ll get a chance to be closer to nature than ever before, learning about the environment we inhabit and the best ways to take care of it.
➤ A ‘Nature Solo‘ – We’ll equip you with the skills needed to embark on a ‘Nature Solo’, an ancient practice of sitting with just yourself and the land without distractions – no phones, books, music or technology. The solo creates space to notice, be present and connect more deeply with life. You’ll head out at dawn and be welcomed back at dusk, and then together we’ll hear each others’ stories and celebrate with a co-created closing ceremony.
This is an ancient practice that has existed in different forms in almost every human culture throughout time. We will spend the week preparing for this experience and feedback tells us it’s often the most transformative part of the week (see Nadège’s quote below). You can also read more about the WHY and HOW of nature solo’s here.
➤ Develop ideas for the future – As part of this adventure we would like to encourage you to step into your visionary self: exploring the edge of what we know by developing ideas that’ll positively help the world, and figuring out how to execute them.
What might you wish to mark with this experience? We will invite you to write ‘a letter of intent’ before you arrive, telling us what has called you to this journey: what is it within you that has received the call to nature, to stillness and to community?
IMAGE GALLERY
BASECAMP
Our basecamp is nestled in the mountains with scenic views over the Southern Lakes. There are two compost toilets on site and a beautiful fire-powered outdoor shower. We will set up and outdoor kitchen and social space.
We can walk directly into the mountains from the campsite as well as being a short drive from some of the bigger mountain climbs and lakes. The campground is large enough for each person to find a quiet spot away from the group or to camp together.
The camp is delivered by two Lead Guides with support from two assistant guides, from our network of trained and trainee facilitators.
All guides are DBS checked and are experts in taking groups through deep transformative journeys in the wild. We ensure the diversity of the group is represented in our guiding team as much as possible.
LEAD GUIDES
Rowan Salim
Rowan is a geographer interested in how our learning systems find balance, harmony and dynamism, like a healthy forest, desert or coral reef. After an initial career in humanitarian work and mainstream education, she walked out, until she got to the edges. For the last ten years she’s been collaborating with parents, children, neighbours and radical educators experimenting on how we may re-find ways to live in harmony with the more than human world, with each other and with ourselves. Rowan likes to work local, small and slow. Though sometimes fast is fun! She loves to play, and uses amongst other things, storytelling, art, writing and making in her practice.
Mica Sinclair
Mica is a musical storyteller, a good vibes co-ordinator that brings playfulness as a balm to calm the heart. A seasoned performer and lover of life. Their work weaves together story, nature connection and creativity to create spaces of transformation, connection and self-discovery. She see’s storytelling as a way to deepen and explore how we see the world, each other and ourselves. Her own path has been one of deep inner work, healing, and remembering, and it’s from that place that she is supporting others to step into their power with courage, tenderness, and authenticity. She has been sitting with the land the last couple of years and has done three solo vision quests herself and is exicted to bring what she is learning and discovering to the camp. She can’t wait to meet you and co-create something extremly beautiful together.
Tickets are available at different four price points. Please be mindful that if you purchase a ticket at the lowest end of our sliding scale when you can truthfully afford a higher ticket price, you are limiting access to those who truly need a bursary place. Thanks for your help promoting economic justice!
! Figure out how much to pay by using our sliding scale guide !
➤ Pay it Forward : £695 (pays for you & funds a bursary place thus widening access to those in a less financially privileged position)
➤ Standard : £600
➤ Supported : £350
➤ Bursary* – £50 (To apply, see here)
🎫 Bursary Tickets
We believe nature belongs to everyone and making it more accessible is one of our main priorities.
Spending time in nature is proven to significantly increase our mental and physical wellbeing. But those who stand to gain the most from nature are often systemically deprived of it.
More must be done to overcome barriers to nature access – and financial barriers are one place we can start. Our aim, by providing these funded places, is to help support an urgent transition to a more nature-connected life, for everyone.
If you’ve experienced marginalisation and want to reap the benefits of spending a week immersed in nature, please apply today!
ABUNDANT TICKETFor those who can pay-it-forward
- I never struggle to meet my basic needs*
- I own my home or property OR I rent a higher-end property
- I own a car
- I am employed OR I do not need to work to meet my needs
- I have access to savings
- I have expendable income**
- I regularly buy new items
- I can easily afford more than one holiday a year
STANDARD TICKETFor those who can pay the cost of the service
- I am comfortably able to meet all of my basic needs*
- I may have some debt but it doesn’t prohibit the attainment of basic needs*
- I own my home or property OR I rent a higher-end property
- I own a car
- I am employed OR I do not need to work to meet my needs
- I have access to savings
- I have expendable income**
- I can afford to buy new items
- I can afford an annual holiday, or to take time off work
SUBSIDISED TICKETfor those in the middle of our sliding scale
- I may stress about meeting my basic needs but still regularly achieve them*
- I may have some debt but it does not prohibit my attainment of basic needs*
- I rent a mid-level flat/property and have stable housing
- I own or lease a car
- I am employed
- I might have access to financial savings
- I have expendable income**
- I am able to buy some new and second hand items
- I take a holiday annually or every few years without financial burden
BURSARY TICKETfor those at the bottom end of our sliding scale
- I frequently stress about meeting basic needs + don’t always achieve them*
- I have debt and it sometimes prohibits me from meeting my basic needs*
- I rent a lower-end flat/property or have unstable housing
- I do not have a car or access to a car
- I am unemployed or underemployed
- I qualify for government assistance
- I have no access to savings
- I have no or very limited expendable income**
- I rarely buy new items because I’m unable to afford them
- I cannot afford a holiday or to take time off without financial burden
❓- Frequently Asked Questions
🙋🏽♀️ Erm, will I be able to do this?
➤ Yes. Doubt is a totally normal, healthy and human response to any new opportunity. This course has been designed with beginners and those early on in their environmental and education careers in mind. You will get all of the support and time you need from us and your peers. We believe anyone with an open mind and a collaborative attitude can easily complete this training.
➤ Consent is key for us – we will never make you to do anything you don’t wish to and you will be supported to meet any challenges gently and in gradual stages .
🚅 How do I get there?
We ask participants to organise their own travel, and to meet us at Ulverston train station at 2pm on the start date of the camp. We will travel to the campsite from the train station together, which is about a 15 minute drive.
Travel is at your own cost so we advise if you to book early if you are getting the train, and to use a railcard if you have one!
If you are travelling by car, please meet us at the train station at 2pm and let us know if you have space for others as this may be helpful to the group!
🐌 What if I’m not an experienced outdoors person?
➤ Great, we’re here to help you get experienced!
➤ We have camping gear that we can lend as necessary and will teach you how to use confidently.
➤ The things I feared most going into the camp and thought I would find most challenging, like the rain and cold, bats, slugs and bugs, and using an outdoor shower and toilet, ended up being the things I most appreciated. I faced my fears in a gentle and supported way, which has enabled me to see myself in a different, more capable way. So grateful to The Visionaries team for allowing me to be a part of this life-changing experience.” – Nadege Rene, past participant with The Visionaries*
🆘 Is the countryside safe for people like me?
➤ We recognise that camping and the countryside can feel less familiar and sometimes daunting for many. AND all of our ancestors, no matter who we are, lived closely to the land. This is an opportunity to reconnect with that lineage.
➤ We know it can be challenging. As an organisation, The Visionaries have been successfully leading diverse groups on positive trips into the wild for 4+ years. As a course Faculty, we have 80+ years joint experience. We’ve got your back 🙂
👨🏽🦽 What if I have mobility issues?
➤ Everyone should be able to enjoy the outdoors, no matter what their experience or ability. If you have limited mobility, or are a wheelchair user, you will know that outdoor access can present challenges. We are committed to partnering with anyone in this position to try to maximise inclusion, and we will make necessary adjustments and do whatever we can to help you to participate.
➤ Wherever possible, the course takes places in fully accessible venues with disabled toilets – please see the course dates section for details. Please feel free to contact us to discuss specific details of the sites we will be using: hello@thevisionaries.org.uk
➤ If you are a wheelchair user who has never previously camped we would advise you against applying to this course this year. But please do feel free to contact us to discuss – and to come on one of our public camps to start your journey.
🌚 Can you tell me more about the ‘wilderness solo’?
Absolutely! This is a practice we are deeply passionate about. You can read what it’s all about here. There are different ways of holding it, but at it’s core it’s a three phase process – preparation, threshold, return. The intention is to provide a ceremonial container within which all kinds of magic can stir up within and around you. It creates space to tune into questions such as ‘What are my gifts? What is the world asking of me? Who am I?’
We prepare you, physically, practically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually to spend 24-hours alone in a spot of your choice in a wild place. The invitation (adn we do mean *invitation*) is to fast, to be with stillness and to go with as little distractions as possible – no phones, no notepad, no music, no food. Simply taking what you need to stay physically safe (e.g. a tarp, sleeping bag, some water and warm clothes). Tuning out of all of these things allows you to tune in to the wisdom in nature, something we rarely do.
Check out our testimonials
💰 How are the bursaries funded?
We can provide subsidised places to those who need it thanks to generous support from the Ramble Worldwide Outdoor Trust, who are also committed to getting more young people engaged in the outdoors.
🏕️ What happens before and after the camp?
Pre-camp – It’s important to us that you feel prepared and well supported arriving at camp. So we will have a pre-camp onboarding call with you so you can meet one of your guides and ask any questions you might have. This is also a great chance for us to hear your intentions for joining.
Post-camp – we have a growing calendar of events, taking place across the country. Villagers often get together at our events or they organise their own meetups. We also offer a post-camp 1-2-1 debrief with one of the guides, to help integrate the experience back into your everyday life.
🤙 Any other questions?
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch:
Still can’t decide? Why not check out our Instagram to see more photos and videos from previous Village camps.