Basque
Experience I : Spirit Running
If you are a long-distance trail runner looking to explore the meditative and spiritual dimensions of running, this journey is for you. Traverse mountains, caves, cold streams, and stunning coastline…while exploring the terrain of your inner nature with the help of locally grown psychedelic fungi and cacti.
This is the land of Zegama-Aizkorri, Camino de Santiago, and the countless trails of the Pyrenees. This will be an immersive experience, challenging and rewarding in ways that resonate with our deepest ancestral past.
Project : Mountain Habitat Restoration
In the mid 1960’s, when industrialization first arrived en masse to Basque Country, most farmers left off tending to their latxa sheep in search of the reliable income factory work provided. Thanks to strict zoning laws, that land remains largely undeveloped to this day, but it has been planted with a monocrop of pine that now, after 60 years, has taken its inevitable toll; forests are being decimated by an onslaught of insects and infection with no solution in sight.
We work with local farmers and forestry experts to revive ancestral forestry techniques such as coppicing and pollarding and replanting neglected land with the autochthonous species necessary to sustain native wildlife populations and eliminate the erosion that threatens local waterways.
Registration : Opens Soon
Due to the unique and sometimes challenging nature of our journeys, we require a preliminary interview to ensure that each of the groups is as cohesive and robust as possible.
If you’re interested in participating just send us an email and we’ll be in touch to set up a call.
Next Journey : February 2023
Photo credit: Pep Cuberes/Lymbus
It is better to light a match than to curse the darkness.
José María Arizmendiarrieta
Experience II : Cooperation & Profit
Basque Country is home to the largest cooperatively run business in the world, with €5.9 M annual revenue. The region is full of cooperative enterprises of all sizes, dedicated to everything from bus manufacturing to banking, wooden bicycles to insurance. The impact on the quality of life here is palpable - even for those who don’t work for the cooperatives directly.
We will explore the many dimensions of conducting internationally competitive businesses ethically, meeting with the C-Suite and production workers, historians, university professors, and community leaders. We will visit factories and offices, and of course workshop our own ideas…all while enjoying the stunning natural beauty and world-renowned cuisine that combine to create an unforgettable experience with Europe’s original inhabitants.
Project : Cooperative Innovation
This project is somewhat unique in our offering, as it is directed at a highly specific audience, i.e., established businesspeople looking for practical tools to do things more ethically and entrepreneurs who want to do things right from the start. We facilitate ongoing relationships between participants and local initiatives, though the nature of these agreements is obviously specific to the organizations involved.
NB: You can find a recent NY Times article on Basque Cooperatives here.
Registration : Open Now
Due to the unique and sometimes challenging nature of our journeys, we require a preliminary interview to ensure that each of the groups is as cohesive and robust as possible. Our requirements here require an additional filter, considering not just personal characteristics but the nature of your professional involvement as well. Each experience is highly tailored to match the needs and interests of participants.
If you want to explore matters further, send us an email and we’ll be in touch to set up a call.
Groups are formed on a rolling basis in accordance with demand.
Photo credit: Daan Kolthoff