10 Apr THE WILD SELF TRAIL - South Africa 30 août au 6 septembre 2025
The Wild Self Trail
South Africa
30 août au 6 septembre 2025
Can you hear the call of the Wild?
This trail is an exceptional experience, as there are few, a collective adventure of simplicity, intimacy and humility. Walk, journey, on the land of Africa in the kingdom of large wild animals. On foot in the territory of elephants, lions, zebras, buffaloes, rhinos... Walking there, in connection with the wild beauty.
Remember that every step is a step on the sacred ground of ancestors, present and future.
It is a great joy and an honor to be able to offer this program together with Sicelo Mbatha and Wiebke Nedel .
Sicelo is a man of great wisdom and an exceptional voice that reminds us to listen to the sky, the animals, the world, with more attention and respect. We look forward infinitely to accompanying you in this slow and deep time of the natural world and the memory of who we really are.
"Good humans" humble inhabitants of the earth.
Limited spaces.
This trail is an exceptional experience, like few others, a collective adventure of simplicity, intimacy and humility. A walk, a journey, on African soil, in the kingdom of the great wild animals. On foot in the territory of elephants, lions, zebras, buffaloes, rhinos... Walking there, in connection with wild beauty. Remembering that every step is a step on the sacred land of ancestors, present and future.
It is a great joy and an honor to be able to offer this program in the company of Sicelo Mbatha and Wiebke Nedel.
Sicelo is a man of great wisdom and an exceptional voice who reminds us to listen to the sky, the animals, the world, with greater attention and respect. We look forward to accompanying you on this slow, profound journey into the natural world and the memory of who we really are.
Good human beings" humble inhabitants of the earth.
Limited seating.
This program is in English (contact me if in doubt).
The Wild Self Trail is a proud partner of the Alive in the Wilderness Project supporting Sicelo Mbatha vision to regenerate our humanity through wilderness exposure, while ending poaching and hunger in the Imfolozi region of KwaZulu-Natal.
"Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate.
But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond."
Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass
Imfolozi Wilderness Area.
The Hluhluwe/Imfolozi reserve is renowned for its efforts to save the white Rhinos from extinction.
The 99 000 hectare reserve supports the 'big five' and a huge variety of fauna and flora. We share wild spaces with a thriving community of wild animals, from elephants to dung beetles, as we re-connect with our own wild selves.
Nature Journey.
This 8 days wilderness journey is a unique opportunity to reawaken the wild animal within our souls. We leave schedules, watches, and cell phones behind, and follow the rhythms of nature, moving across the hillsides as the clouds drift through the sky. We rest when we are tired and eat when we hungry. We follow the tracks of wild dogs, bathe in rivers where buffalo drink, sleep beside trees where baboons are resting. We tread lightly, carry out everything we take in, and leave no traces of our presence.
We sleep under the stars and take turns for Night Watch
We open our hearts to any encounter we might have with the creatures and plants of this unspoilt wilderness...
Ubuntu - Umuntu ngumuntu ngabuntu.
"We can only express our humanity in community with each other."
This spirit infuses so many relationships in nature... the red oxpeckers keep the rhinos free of ticks while warning them of predators; the elephants dig water holes in dry river beds that many animals will drink from.
The Wild Self trail is a collective adventure and unique occasion to unlearn separation, taste the spirit of Ubuntu and rediscover the deep connection between self and all living beings.
Your Guides
Sicelo is an expert Wilderness Guide and Facilitator, book author of "Black Lion: Alive in the Wilderness" with over 22 years experience in the field and a lifetime steeped in traditional knowledge, gained through the teachings of his Zulu elders and direct contact with land as the son of a wilderness ranger. His ecological studies and training in deep ecology have further developed his passion for sharing the spiritual power of nature.
Carine Roth (she/they)
Carine is a Rite of Passage guide and ecotherapist, she studied with the School of Lost Borders and is still assisting programmes with Meredith Little. She carries her passion for this work with great integrity and bridges her animist practices with nature based rite of passage. She believes "Deep Listening" and "Nature based Rite of Passage" are central to today's major transformation. Based in Switzerland, she has been working in USA, Europe and South Africa.
Wiebke Nedel (she/her)
Wiebke's work -both global corporate and local community work- is personal development and systems change - and the intriguing intersection of both. She is a Vision Quest guide trained by the School of Lost Borders/USA and has 18 years of experience running Rites of Passage programmes in South Africa with Educo Africa. Her passion lies in creating deep listening & thinking spaces - often to find out who and what we are truly capable of being and doing.
Logistics
Arrival - Day 1
Meeting at 10am at Durban's King Shaka International Airport.
Our first night will be at a simple eco-centre resort where we will get ready for our adventure.
If you come in directly from overseas - please make sure you arrive at least a day early to avoid delays and give you time to "acclimatise" in SA before starting the trek.
We will pick you up from your accommodation if it is near Durban airport.
Community Immersion and global Context.
At the beginning of our trail, we will spend time with local perspectives and possibly a local community immersion to gain more understanding of the concerns and wisdoms of the people living right on the border of the park.
Departure - Day 9
On our last day, please book your return flight no earlier than 8pm from Durban's King Shaka International Airport.
Our maximum group size is 12 + guides.
We will split into two smaller groups during the days and reunite for lunch and camp.
We will walk approximately 4 hours a day and you will carry a pack of of 15kg-18kg.
Morning & evening circles will frame our days
There will be a group call once registrations have closed to cover logistics and prepare ourselves for this big adventure....
Costs
We offer a sliding scale both for South Africans and Internationals (Difference between local & International determined by Hluhluwe -iMfolozi Park)
Local (South Africa)
sliding scale: ZAR 22 770,- (minimum price, for people needing some financial support) to ZAR 28 500,- (True costs, including full facilitators costs).
Any amount on this scale is welcome, we trust you will pay what is fair for your situation.
International
sliding scale: CHF 1 800,- (true price, including full facilitators costs) to CHF 1280,- (minimum price for people needing financial support)
CHF 2080,- (you want to support a local participant!)
Included in the costs
- Specialist guides & facilitators.
- Transport between Durban and iMfolozi.
- Accommodation in Ecocentre before and after the trail.
- Village homestays.
- All food including meals, teas and snacks.
Registration closes once all 12 places are taken.
Your spot is confirmed only once we have had a call,you have filled out the registration and health form and we have received a 50% deposit.
SICELO MBATHA'S BOOK
we highly recommend you read Sicelo Mbatha's newly released book:
"Black Lion: Alive in the Wilderness
There couldn't be a better preparation for our Wild Self trail!
Calculate the carbon footprint of your flight
Use the myclimate flight calculator to calculate the carbon footprint of your flight and thereby make a contribution to climate protection. In this way, you support high-quality myclimate carbon offset projects worldwide that meet the highest standards (Gold Standard, Plan Vivo and VCS (incl. CBB resp. SD-VISta)). The projects help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and have an immediate impact on climate protection. Climate protection projects not only reduce climate-impacting emissions, but also contribute to sustainable development in the project region. In this way, not only the climate benefits, but also the local population.
*Many thanks to Noah Schlosser and Koen Marichal for the photos - Wild Self Trail 2022
"Someone from ubuntu is open and available to others, devoted to others, does not feel threatened because others are capable and good because he or she has his or her own self-esteem - which comes from the knowledge that he or she belongs to something greater - and that he or she is diminished when others are diminished or humiliated, when others are tortured or oppressed." - Desmond Tutu
