What's It Like?
Thank you for taking an interest in Wilderness Pilgrimage! Grace Church has been taking and leading wilderness trips for over a decade now, and hundreds of people have braved the wilderness with us. We are excited to provide you with this information to help you on your journey. For some, just deciding to go on the Wilderness Pilgrimage is a major challenge, so we will give you a little taste of what a typical day is like.
A typical (dare we say typical!) day in the wilderness will involve many things. First, we pack up and leave the campsite to start our day of travel. The following equipment will be issued to us for the duration of the trip and is already included in the price: backpack, canoe, paddles, Personal Flotation Device (PFD), tent, sleeping bags, cooking supplies, food and more. We pack all of this up and step out into the water with our canoes (yes, your feet will be wet), hop in, and start paddling our canoes to our destination. Eventually, we will come to land and have to carry all of our equipment across the body of land to the water on the other side. This is called a portage. We carry on in this pattern from big lakes to rivers to little lakes to streams and most anything in between. We'll grab some lunch somewhere in between breakfast and dinner, and, at some point, it is time to stop and set up camp anywhere from 0 to 20 miles away from the last campsite. This leads us to some great food, campfire, group discussion, worship, and other possibilities during the evening.
This style of camping is termed "stress camping". Most people find this a new and unique experience because they have only participated in leisure camping in the past. The difference between the two is purpose and perspective. Stress camping is oriented around stretching an individual outside their typical comfort zone. Once the trip begins, the group becomes a team, and they discover the importance of communicating and depending on one another in various ways. As the week continues, the wet feet, sore arms and shoulders, and other difficulties of "stress camping" help to make us aware of areas in our lives that need growth.
Many people find the benefits of these trips are numerous, but the focus upon growing relationships with one another, growing in a deeper relationship with God, being physically challenged, and learning more about yourself top the list. Come prepared to be challenged in mind, soul, and body and you will reap the benefits of this life-changing experience!
