Expedition Joy
With Joy into the mountains. Six days in the Italian Alps. Come as you are. Leave as more.
Hosted by OTRO Elements
- Duration
- 6 days · 5 nights
- Location
- Albagnano Healing Centre → Alpe Selvaccia & Val Gronda, Italian Alps
- Group size
- 10–12 people
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Best season
- autumn
- Languages
- English, Dutch
The experience
This expedition is about returning to joy. It begins at the Albagnano Healing Meditation Centre above Lago Maggiore for preparation and grounding, then moves up into the mountains.
Cold exposure, breathwork and stillness are used the way the research supports them: to settle the nervous system and build emotional resilience. Multi-day hiking through Val Gronda terrain asks nothing of you except presence.
Deep Ecology practices, following the Spiral of the Work That Reconnects, run alongside guided group processes designed to build belonging. The programme weaves these elements together with love — in one of the most humbling landscapes on earth.
Who this is for
Said plainly, so you can rule it out as easily as rule it in.
- You want nervous-system work and mountain walking in the same week
- You are open to group process, not only solo time
- You can manage several consecutive days of alpine hiking
- You want a purely physical trekking holiday
- Cold exposure and breathwork are not something you are willing to try
What's included
Included
- Cold exposure, breathwork and stillness practices
- Multi-day alpine hiking in Val Gronda terrain
- Deep Ecology practices using the Spiral of the Work That Reconnects
- Guided group processes and interactive sessions
- Yoga and reflection sessions
- Facilitation by Tjeerd, Marit, Kalijn and Fernanda
Not included
- VAT — the price is quoted excluding it
- Travel to and from Italy
- 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
Albagnano Healing Meditation Centre, above Lago Maggiore, for the opening days before the group moves up to Alpe Selvaccia.
What to bring
- Walking boots suitable for multi-day alpine terrain
- Warm layers, hat and gloves — early October is cold at altitude
- Swimwear and towel for cold-water practice
- A daypack of 30–35 litres
Accessibility
Several consecutive hiking days on alpine terrain, with nights at a basecamp reached on foot. Not suitable for wheelchair users. Dietary requirements can be accommodated — tell the supplier at booking.
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.