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Fall Wilderness Quest

November 14 - November 22
$2550

This nine-day Fall Wilderness Quest is set in the beautiful wilderness of the Black Mountains of Death Valley National Park.  A four wheel drive vehicle with higher clearance is required to access the site for this program.

Rites of Passage has offered the Wilderness Quest, with its roots in pan-cultural ceremonies and teachings of the vision quest or vision fast, for over 40 years. With a focus on reconnecting with nature, finding authentic depth and meaning, healing old wounds, and  marking significant life changes, the program will appeal to adults in any life stage.  It is open to people of any sexual or gender identity.

DAYS 1-3

The first 3 days are Severance or preparation time for the solo.  Meeting in Council sessions, the group will explore a range of subjects related to the Wilderness Quest solo, including safety-related issues: flora/fauna, weather-related concerns (heat, cold, lightning), essential first aid, our buddy system, and tarp-tying.  The group will also explore eco-spiritual tools that can be of great value in preparing, such as the Medicine Wheel teachings, exploration of Intent and purpose, self-generated ceremonial practices, and teachings from the Death Lodge. Group members will have several hours to follow their calling to find a solo site to hold them in the wilderness for 3 days and nights.

DAYS 4-6

You will have three days of time in the liminal world or Spirit world, between your old life and the birth of the new. This is time to let go, heal, reflect, write in your journal, sing, dance, laugh weep, call in the life awaiting you, mark your passage with ceremony.

DAYS 7-9

The final 3 days, following the return from the solo, will be devoted to taking the necessary steps of return or Incorporation in a fully conscious way. This process begins with a Council session where each participant has the opportunity to tell the story of their Wilderness Quest solo and to receive essential feedback and confirmation from staff regarding what has been achieved.

Dates and Logistics

The program will begin on Saturday, November 14 at 1 pm.  We’ll be spending the first night at a campground in Shoshone, California.  The next day, we’ll move to the back country for 6 nights, returning to spend one last night in Shoshone before the program ends by noon on Sunday, November 22.  We’ll schedule an online pre-trip meeting about a month before the quest begins to discuss gear, logistics, and transportation and a follow-up online meeting about a month after it ends, to support participants on their journeys.

Transportation

Transportation to and from the program is the responsibility of each participant and is not included in the program fee.

The quest location requires only a good clearance vehicle (not 4 wheel drive). For those flying, Las Vegas, Nevada (approximately a two-hour drive from our meeting location) is the most convenient airport. We encourage participants to coordinate rides or share rental vehicles whenever possible.

I was ready. And still, I was astonished, awed, and humbled by the way I was cracked open, made fuller still, and given a bigger life to go home to.
–Jonathon B., Fall 2021

It was a sacred experience, all that I hoped for and more than I could have asked for or imagined.
–Gretchen V., Fall 2018

The quest echoed so much of my life, in ways that allowed me to see it and understand it in new ways.  I will always cherish it and I believe it will enrich and deepen my world for many years to come.
–Bob E., Fall 2018

Fall Wilderness Quest: November 14-22, 2026

Program Fee*

To make this quest more accessible, we’re offering it on a sliding scale of $1,450–$2,550.

When you register, you’ll be asked to indicate the total program fee you intend to pay within that range. We invite you to consider both your financial circumstances and the value of this experience to you. If you are able to pay the full fee, we encourage you to do so, helping us extend this opportunity to participants for whom cost would otherwise be a barrier.

We warmly encourage anyone who has felt called to quest but held back by finances to choose an amount that makes it possible to answer that call.

To reserve your place, please submit a $600 non-refundable deposit at registration. The remaining balance is due 30 days before the program begins.

Please see our Policies page for information about deposits, refunds, and payment options.

Scholarships

Rather than offering a limited number of scholarships for this program, we’ve chosen to make the quest available on a sliding scale so that greater financial accessibility is built into the registration process.

Meals

All backcountry dinners are included in the program fee.

Participants are responsible for their own breakfasts and lunches, as well as up to two restaurant dinners during the program.

Staff

  Larisa Blum is a psychotherapist who has engaged in many practices of self-discovery.  Her life has been a quest to find meaning, healing, belonging and connection. She went on her first quest in 2008 and trained to become a guide with Rites of Passage in 2010-11. She continues to be amazed at the capacity of the soul to flourish in nature—alone and in community. She loves guiding and helping others recognize the call of their wild.

  Steven Encinas has been an active proponent of wilderness rites of passage since his first wilderness fast in 2008. Having had such a profound experience, he quickly realized his love for this work. He has trained with Mike Bodkin, Executive Director of Rites of Passage, Inc., and apprenticed and mentored with Scott Eberle, MD, of School of Lost Borders. Steven has been a guest speaker at local colleges to educate students of child psychology about the importance and impact of pan-cultural models of rites of passage for youth.

Please read The Rites of Passage Wilderness Quest for a detailed explanation of the elements and stages of the journey.

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