Five days towards the high passes.
Five days on one of two roads: north through Naran and Kaghan to the top of Babusar, or into Swat through Madyan and Kalam to Malam Jabba. Either way the road rises, the air thins, and two full days are spent in one place with nothing to do but sit, walk and look. The region is announced with the dates.
The journey.
The road north
Leave Islamabad. Silent hours on the road, a riverside sitting, the first night by the water.
A day of stillness
One place, all day. Sunrise, walks, the science hour, time alone by the river, dialogue, the fire.
Higher
The drive to the high valley or the pass. A sitting at the top, where the air is thin and the mind goes quiet by itself.
A day of stillness
A second full day in one place. Long sittings, a meadow walk, who am I?, the stars.
The road home
A last sunrise, the sharing circle, and the long quiet drive back to Islamabad.
How the days feel.
Two of the five days are travel days with silent hours and sittings at the stops; two are stillness days in one place, like a small retreat; the last is the road home. Sleep is early, food is simple, and the mountains do most of the teaching.
For you if
- Those who have done a retreat or the 3-day tour
- Anyone who wants the mountains without the noise of a tour
- Families with teenagers, by arrangement
Not for you if
- Those with heart or breathing conditions that altitude would stress: talk to your doctor first
Included
Travel from and to Islamabad · Stay · All meals · Every sitting and session · A tour notebook · 21 days of WhatsApp practice after you return. Arranged with our partner tour operator.
The few rules
Phones are kept with us during silent hours and sittings. No intoxicants. Keep the group’s times. Tell us at once if you feel unwell on the road or at altitude.
What to bring
Please bring your own personal things. We provide the stay, the food and everything for the practice.
Always
- Loose, comfortable clothes for sitting and yoga
- Comfortable shoes and slippers
- Your own medicines, with a note of the doses
- Toothbrush, toiletries and a towel
- A small torch for the paths at night
- A yoga mat or your own cushion, if you have one
Winter
- A warm shawl or blanket wrap for the sittings
- A jacket or sweater
- Warm socks and a cap
- Thermal innerwear for the early mornings
- Lip balm and moisturiser
- A hot-water bottle, if you feel the cold
Summer
- Light cotton clothes
- A cap or hat
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- A small hand towel
- Sunglasses for the outdoor sittings
Leave at home
- Books and laptops
- Valuables and jewellery
- Anything you will miss your phone for
Health and the mountains
Meditation is not medical or psychological treatment. If you live with a serious physical or mental health condition, are pregnant, or take regular medicine, please talk to your doctor before booking and tell us on the health form. Do not stop any medicine for the retreat. Altitude on some routes reaches 4,700 metres. Read the full notice
After you return
For 21 days you get a short practice on WhatsApp each morning. Once a month you can sit online with everyone who has come before. And three months later, a letter arrives: the one you wrote to yourself.