The moment you have an idea, you identify a goal, or you encounter a new desire, you have already been set on an adventure. When Joseph Campbell mapped out the Hero’s Journey, he began with the Ordinary World—this is the status quo, the known, the predictable, the life you have lived for many years. This […]

The Climb Is Yours: Finding Meaning in the Ascent Comparison steals joy. Presence creates it. Here’s why. The most important climb of your life isn’t about the summit, the top is a fleeting moment in the entirety of the experience, but the moments you spend in preparation, on the wall, in partnership, and on the descent? We […]

Do you ever feel the urge to pull away from something, even when it has brought your joy or satisfaction in the past, because it seems too hard or overwhelming? You’re not alone – I am with you on this.  Full days. Commitments. The hours of email. Meetings that create more deliverables but no time to […]

Adventure as the catalyst for resetting our lives.

Understanding the Challenge of Modern Comforts I frequently see it with my clients: they struggle with any uncertainty because they are so used to having specific solutions to meet their every need. Feel cold? Simply turn the thermostat up a degree. Crave a particular type of food? Get it delivered any time. Today, our needs […]

My go-to gear for 2024 – gear tested and favorited through expeditions and adventure.

When we our lives feel heavy and insurmountable – adventure offers us a pathway forward.

Life moves fast. Insanely fast. And we all struggle to keep up with the deluge of input and conflicting demands on our time and energy: personally and professionally. An adventure mindset offers an immediate, and directly tangible, solution. The Five Elements of Adventure are the foundational philosophy and the filter through which we can reflect, […]

It is all too easy to let life’s chaos reign and control our time and as a result, sadly, our relationship with our children. Adventure offers a catalyst for change: deepening bonds, creating indelible memories, and developing character. In the heart of every father beats the yearning for connection, a primal drum that calls him […]

“I am exhausted. This is exactly what I needed.” These are the words Andrew said at the end of the second day of our traverse through the Superstition Mountains outside of Phoenix, AZ. As the sunset over the desert, painting the towering Weaver’s Needle in a bath of pink light, over a gentle warm evening […]

This post was originally written for, and published by, Oars and Alps. Matt Walker spends 100 days a year in a tent. As a psychologist and international mountain guide, he spends much of that time leading men on climbing expeditions, helping them reconnect with a sense of adventure. While nearly all of his clients find these […]