‘Pilgrimage’ denotes both an inner and an outer journey.
- Being in nature slows us down and returns us to our own natural rhythms
- Journeying by foot allows us to appreciate things we otherwise miss
- Arriving at a shrine / holy place after a challenging journey, gives us a real sense of achievement
- Walking with a guide means you can totally relax
- Walking with a group brings up different challenges
An Outer and Inner Journey
Through Guided Pilgrimage, there is a chance for you to step out of your normal everyday life and spend some quality time in nature, walking to your destination as pilgrims have done for millennia. We undertake an outer journey together and there is every chance that an inner journey will show itself of its own accord as so often happens when we give ourselves time. It is recommended to simply step out with an open heart and mind and you may be surprised with what insights appear as you slow down. And if nothing does, then at least you have had a good walk!
Spiritual Health
At Guided Pilgrimage, we are not just about walking. Each evening we will have a stimulating video extract from a current spiritual leader to give us food for thought about our own spiritual approach or health. Or perhaps we will get a local speaker to meet with us and tell us about the area. Or some of our trips might even be accompanied by a spiritual leader. We also include an opportunity for stretching / meditating either pre- or post- walking (or possibly both if it has been a challenging day!).
Is It For Me?
A Guided Pilgrimage is for open-minded, relatively fit people (ie can walk the required length each day) of any faith or religion, who are up for change in their lives. People who want to give themselves some space (and a lot of fresh air) to allow new insights to appear. Nothing is guaranteed but if you don’t give yourself the opportunity, you will never know!
It is also about shared experiences. We can take much of the hardship out of the walking by transferring your luggage each day so you only have to walk with your personal provisions (small supplement payable). Each pilgrimage is different but we provide food where required and hope that participants will muck in with the preparation as we share our mealtimes together.
Accommodation is comfortable, if not luxury! We use shared dormitory style bunkhouses where possible to keep costs reasonable and be in tune with the nature of a pilgrimage. Warning, in many parts of Wales, phone signals are patchy! That said because we are on the move, you will often go in and out of phone signal areas.
If this sounds the kind of trip you would enjoy, do come and walk with us!
Chris beautifully and thoughtfully opened the mind of the students for this experimental and experiential approach to heritage and dealt in a marvellous manner with language barriers and cultural differences.
What an incredible three days walking from the woods of LLanerchaeron to the tranquil ruins of Strata Florida Monastery! Chris thank you so much for this guided pilgrimage
In the planning stages:
- One day pilgrimages
- North Wales
- Tintern Abbey
- Religious Pilgrimages
Further details will be posted here soon.
Your Own Private Pilgrimage
At Guided Pilgrimage, we are happy to design a guided walk (multi-day or single day) around a destination of your choice. Just let us know your group size, preferred destination (or we can help you choose a suitable one) and walk duration and we will be happy to put something together for you.
This might be particularly suitable for someone who wants their own private experience or a spiritual leader / personal development coach or facilitator who wants to explore more with a group in the outdoors but does not have the required qualifications / insurance to do so. With us looking after the walk and living arrangements on the trip, the leader is able to concentrate on the rest of the content.
We can also include speakers or demonstrations from craftsmen/women en route from many walks of life to enable you to offer something uniquely different to your group. Do get in touch if this is of interest.
CONTACT US
(Please note that we will only respond to your enquiry and will not use your provided details for any other purpose.)
Celtic Routes
Celtic Routes is a new initiative focusing on the whole breadth of what the Irish counties of Wexford, Wicklow and Waterford and the Welsh counties of Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, have to offer. And it is nothing short of stunning. Away from any madding crowd and steeped in history, natural wonder and sheer, breathtaking beauty. There is so much to do.
I am delighted to say that all the routes we walk at Guided Pilgrimage fall within the remit of ‘Celtic Routes’. We are steeped in the natural world of land and sea and sky. If you want to find out more about the project, visit their website using the link below.
