Earth Solo – 24h Vision Quest in the forests – 12 to 14th of September 2025

For thousands of years, natural peoples have created valuable ways to celebrate the most important transitions in a human life. At a time when our contemporary culture lacks meaning, remembering these ceremonies offers tremendous opportunities to make sense of the most profound changes in our lives.

The Earth Solo is a contemporary version of such a rite of passage or Vision Quest. Spending time alone in nature brings you back to the essence of what you want to stand for in your life, who you really are and what path you would like to walk.

A Solo like this can be done at any time in your life. It is ideal if you want to give a big change more space in your life (e.g. within your relationship, your family or your work), take on a new role, face a personal challenge or get clarity on an issue that has been bothering you for a long time. A Solo aims to give personal growth and transformation an extra push, in the gentle maneir. During the journey, Nature’s Mirror and Community support will be your guide to greater self-insight and clarity about your life path.

What to expect during the Solo

During the Solo, you will spend 24 hours in a remote forest of Chamai in the Ardennes, alone, with no contact with the outside world and no distractions.

On the first day, we meet at Chamai, get to know each other and begin initial preparations for your solo time in the forest. On the second day, we will delve into Steven Foster and Meredith Little’s Four Directions model, which will become the guide for your solo time in the forest. We deepen your intention together, until it is crystal clear to you and you feel empowered to take the necessary step. On the third day, you will be prepared for your Solo time.

Then you step over the threshold, into the ceremony.

You spend an afternoon, a night and a morning alone in the forest, with only the essentials. This is a time to become intimately receptive to your own life and take your place among the other nature beings in the forest. You will be supported during the ceremony by the guides waiting for your return to the nearby basecamp in the forest. We welcome you back to the community of humans with a delicious brunch.

Then there is time to rest, after which we share the stories of our Solo time in circle. This is one of the most moving and heartwarming aspects of the journey together: witnessing and being affirmed of each other’s essence as human beings. Our last morning together we spend integrating the Solo experience into your daily life and the Solo succession process.

Stay

During the preparation and integration of your Solo, you will stay with in the private forests of Chamai. You sleep in your own tent or we can provide a hammock if you haven’t got a tent. We prepare delicious vegetarian meals with herbs and vegetables from our own garden every day. If you like regular snacks in between meals, be sure to bring the necessary for yourself, or possibly to share with the group. Tea, coffee and water are always provided.

Registration and prices

Standard price: 590 euro
Supporter & business price (if you want an invoice for your company): 690 euros

Your registration is complete as soon as you have completed the following registration form and transferred the full registration amount to the following account: BE12 7340 4886 7292 – Sophie Vandenkerchove, mentioning ‘Earth Solo 2025’.

Guidance

Sophie Vandenkerchove

Sophie feels deeply connected to inner and outer Wild Nature. She has practised Zen meditation in the Korean tradition for many years and received several ordinations in Druidism and Celtic Shamanism from her own region. She also trained as a Wilderness Rites of passage Guide at the School of Lost Borders in California. Most of all, Sophie can be found in the woods or hiking the pilgrim routes in the Ardennes, where she received her most profound insights about life. Sophie grew up in the forests of the Ardennes, where, as a child, she knew a strong connection to the land of her ancestors. After wandering through wild places in the cities, she moved back to her ancestors’ village. There she founded Chamai, a retreat centre where she leads trainings, Vision Quests and weekends in nature.