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Ayuna Mountain Expedition — Spring
The mountains are calling — and you've just said yes. Two nights at basecamp, then three days on the trail with everything on your back.
Hosted by OTRO Elements
- Duration
- 5 days · 2 nights basecamp, 2 nights bivouac
- Location
- Rassa → Alpe Selvaccia + trail, Monte Rosa area, Italian Alps
- Group size
- 8–12 people
- Intensity
- Demanding
- Best season
- spring
- Languages
- English, Dutch
The experience
Step outside the known and into the wild. In the mountains, there are no walls and no routines.
The expedition blends basecamp life with trail nights. You start in the village of Rassa and walk up to Alpe Selvaccia's secluded valley basecamp — fire circles and meadows beneath Monte Rosa — to ground yourself before going deeper.
Days begin with yoga, breathwork, or a refreshing dip in mountain water. Meals are simple and nourishing, prepared with local, organic produce. Then you head into the Alps for three days carrying only essentials, sleeping under tarps or open sky, cooking together and following the rhythm of the day.
Days 1–2
Basecamp at Alpe Selvaccia
Walk up from Rassa into the secluded valley. Two nights in simple huts, grounding into the place with yoga, breathwork, mountain water, a sweat lodge ceremony and pizza from the stone oven.
Days 3–5
On the trail
Three days and two nights deeper into the Alps carrying only what you need. Bivouac under tarps or open sky, cook collectively, and take solo reflection time along the way.
Who this is for
Said plainly, so you can rule it out as easily as rule it in.
- You want real mountain days, not a soft version of them
- You are content sleeping under a tarp and carrying your own kit
- You want the inner work — solo time, sweat lodge, fire circle — alongside the walking
- You need a bed and a shower every night
- You would rather not carry a full pack for three days
What's included
Included
- Basecamp accommodation in simple huts at Alpe Selvaccia (two nights)
- Three days and two nights trekking with bivouac camping
- Yoga, breathwork and mountain water activities
- Local, organic meals, including a pizza-baking evening with the Italian hosts
- Traditional sweat lodge ceremony
- Guided hiking with local experts and small-group facilitation
Not included
- Travel to and from Rassa, Valsesia
- Personal hiking and sleeping equipment
- Personal and travel insurance
Meet your host
OTRO Elements
Netherlands · basecamp at Alpe Selvaccia, Italian Alps6 years hosting
OTRO Elements run “nature-based expeditions designed for reflection, deep connection, and the art of letting go”. Their basecamp is Alpe Selvaccia — 22 hectares of alpine meadow and pine forest above Rassa in the Valsesia, with rustic huts, a fire circle, a tipi and a yoga platform looking out at Monte Rosa. They call the facilitator team the Tribe: Quirine, Fenneke, Tjeerd, Marit, Kalijn, Fernanda, Raymond, Robert-Jan, Benny and others, working alongside local Italian hosts and mountain guides.
Verified credentials
- Local IFMGA-affiliated mountain guides set and lead every alpine route
- Groups capped at 8–12 people, with several facilitators per expedition
- Winter routes finalised on snow, avalanche and weather conditions shortly before departure
Why you can trust this listing
A person reviewed this listing
Every listing is checked by our curation team against a quality bar before it goes live — the photos are the host's own, the logistics are confirmed, and the credentials are verified. Nothing is published automatically.
We hold your payment until your experience starts
Your payment is taken at booking but stays with NatureTreats. We release it to your host the day after your experience begins. If it doesn't happen, you are refunded in full, automatically.
Practical details
Including the cancellation terms — visible before you book, not buried at checkout.
Meeting point
The mountain village of Rassa in the Valsesia. The group walks up to the Alpe Selvaccia basecamp from there.
What to bring
- Broken-in hiking boots — three days on the trail is not the time to break in new ones
- A sleeping bag and mat for the bivouac nights
- A 40–50 litre pack you can carry all day
- Warm layers, rain shell, swimwear and towel
Accessibility
Physically demanding. Multi-day trekking on alpine terrain with a full pack, and two nights sleeping out under tarps or open sky. Not suitable for wheelchair users or anyone unable to carry their own kit over long days.
Cancellation — Moderate
Full refund up to 30 days before the start date.
- More than 30 days before: full refund.
- 30–14 days before: 50% refund.
- Less than 14 days before: no refund.