Armeniș, Romania·8 - 13 August 2023
Wilderness Trail, August 2023
Reconnect to nature with a unique group along an an organic path of endless exploration.
COMING SOON
Overview
SOLD OUT: Contact us to join a waiting list - Join wilderness guides Georg Messerer and Sam Lee for a unique 5-night journey into the iconic Southern Carpathians rewilding landscape tracking bison, bear, and wolf and learning about this last vestige of European wilderness. Come and be part of one a boutique groups to trek far into the Southern Carpathian’s mountains allowing us to meet true wild-ness in both the land and deep within ourselves. Dates: 08th - 13th August
Highlights
Reconnect with nature
Train your observation skills, immerse in storytelling and activate your sense of adventure mentored by experienced nature guides.
Learn by doing
Discover more about birding, tracking, trailing, rewilding, European natural processes, sleep-outs, observation, listening, bird language, night walks.
Impact for rewilding
Contribute to a local rewilding fund, support traditional local agriculture and contribute to the local economy, ethical conduct in nature.
Hosts
Whether it's in the wild or at the table, our experienced and knowledgeable hosts are conscious to create a welcoming space of comfort where each participant can relax and enjoy nature.
Georg Messerer
Georg is a German-South African certified wilderness guide, tracker and trainer who spent over 4 years in the Bison Hillock discovering the bison's way of life and designing the first bison tracking safaris in Europe. Georg will lead you on a journey of transformation and guide you to experience wild nature like never before. He speaks fluent English and German.
Sam Lee
Apart from being an enthusiastic rewilding advocate and wilderness guide, Sam Lee plays a unique role in the British music scene, too. Sam is a highly inventive and original singer, folk song interpreter, passionate conservationist, song collector and successful creator of live events. Alongside his organisation, The Nest Collective, Sam has shaken up the music scene by breaking boundaries between folk and contemporary music and the assumed places and ways folksong is appreciated. Sam's helped develop its ecosystem inviting in a new listenership interrogating what the messages in these old songs hold for us today. With his latest critically acclaimed album, Old Wow, he’s summonsed up a truly compelling and emotional album that takes his work to yet another level. Likewise in 2021, Sam releases his debut novel 'The Nightingale, notes on a songbird' telling the epic tale of this highly endangered bird and their place in culture folklore, folksong, music and literature throughout the millennia.
Schedule
Previous
Next
DAY 1
Schedule in a nutshell
Day 1 - Midday arrival - lunch - trail brief & packup - transfer to mountains in 4x4s - set up camp - dinner - Nightwalk
Day 2 - Wilderness trail
Day 3 - Wilderness trail
Day 4 - Wilderness trail
Day 5 - Wilderness trail daytime - afternoon return from mountains to Campus - dinner with the locals - overnight in beautiful rural hub - last night fireside
Day 6 - Farewell breakfast - mid-morning departures
What's Included
What's Included
Accomodation in a twin sustainable tiny hut on campus grounds, with breathtaking scenery.
Experienced wilderness and nature interpretation guides throughout
Local transport, including 4x4 transfers from the campus to the mountains and back
Dehydrated trail food produced and sourced locally by WeWilder's community kitchen
All locally sourced meals and produce prepared by WeWilder chefs during the stay at the campus
What's Not Included
Specialised field gear
Binoculars
Airport transfers
Gallery
Bison Hillock rewilding area
Where bison roam free & wild
We are based in the Southern Carpathians near the Bison Hillock rewilding area, where now over 145 bison roam freely, in one of Europe's most bio-diverse natural landscapes. Experience wilderness for yourself and activate your everyday nature awareness, thus contributing to this rewilding project by engaging the local community and supporting local green services.
Trip Tips
Sleep out under the open sky
We will sleep around a comforting campfire along the trail with only a bivouak and a sleeping bag. We will replace the heavy canvas from the tents with the seemingly endless starscape above and feel the strong group bond and trust that is nurtured along the trail.
Take only photos, leave only footprints
We stay true to the wilderness philosophy of taking nothing but photos, leaving nothing but footprints, killing nothing but time and creating nothing but memories. Your guide will ensure that this experience unfolds on the highest possible standards with regards to ethics, both within the group and the environment.
Fitness level required
For the Wilderness Trail, a high level of fitness is required. Participants will need to be able to walk in a mountainous region for up to 4 hours during an activity with a heavy backpack, as we are carrying all our supplies for the days of the trail ourselves. Following bison and other mammal tracks can lead us into difficult terrain, including steep slopes, crossing mountain streams, or thickly vegetated areas. The usual altitudes covered lie around 600-1000 m a.s.l. Although the activities are not aimed at hiking and covering distance, participants may have to hike to reach hotspots of wildlife activity. Please get in touch, should you have questions regarding the itinerary and your level of fitness.
Conscious of your comfort zone
Although we operate in a mountainous area and this trail includes hiking with a heavy backpack, we are conscious to not overload you with weight, exhaust you along the trail or to push you far outside your comfort zone. We are conscious to provide you with a meaningful, well hosted wilderness experience and emphasize that the moment we arrive, we have already reached our destination. There is no urge to reach any summits, and no time pressure to do so. While part of the experience may challenge the boundaries of some participants' comfort zone, such as sleeping under the stars without a tent, we are highly conscious about this and strive to recreate that space of comfort for each participant to relax and enjoy nature.
What to bring
Day backpack, sleeping bag, head-torch, water container (min. 2 l) e.g. a Camelback, camping crockery (bowl/plate & mug) and cutlery (Spork and knife), isomat warm clothes, rainproof gear and shoes, binoculars, camp shoes (e.g. sandals), personal medicines, some snacks from home if you like, small field notebook and a sense of adventure. Should you not own a sleeping bag and/or an isomat, please contact us as, as we can provide a minimal amount of sleeping bags and isomats.
10% of revenues are dedicated to creating a community conservation fund
This is an instrument that keeps giving back to nature by funding small conservation projects to help maintain the wildness of the area. The fund is managed by WWF involving locals in choosing and implementing the local projects. From small river restoration projects to reducing pressure on certain habitats, we give back 10% of what you pay to nature.
Reviews
You'll Be Staying Here
WeWilder Campus
The three, easily accessible tiny houses on the WeWilder campus are embedded in nature and offer unique views over the campus orchard and the Armeniș commune. Following high sustainable standards, the architecture is modern with roots in local tradition. Each unit provides integrated, private bathroom facilities and a kitchenette. The tiny houses are ideal for couples, small groups or individual travelers looking for an immersive, meaningful and unique local experience.
Wild Nature
We will sleep each night under stars around a fire with night watches to keep the group safe, and create a strong group bond that will allow for a unique night experience surrounded by untamed nature only.