Let's explain a little about how everything is organized.
For us, passionate hikers, the ultimate experience is wilderness backpacking. These are longer, more remote journeys where we carry all of our equipment and supplies on our backs. Such trips offer the deepest immersion into nature and create some of the most powerful and unforgettable experiences.
Of course, not everyone is ready for that right away. Some people would love to join but may lack experience, confidence, or the necessary equipment. And beyond that, it's a good idea for participants to get to know each other before setting off on a demanding adventure together.
That's one of the reasons we organize easier hikes as well. They allow newcomers to gradually gain experience, while experienced hikers can get to know us—and we can get to know them—before joining a more challenging expedition together.
That said, not everyone is interested in wilderness backpacking, and many people have no intention of doing it at all. And that's perfectly fine. Shorter and easier hikes are wonderful in their own right. That's why we organize trips of varying difficulty levels.
First, you complete the one-time Via Nature Participant Form. After that, you simply let us know whenever you'd like to join a particular hike.
Every participant receives detailed information about the trip, along with personal support from the organizers. We answer questions, help with preparation, provide guidance, assist with transportation arrangements, and make sure everyone is ready.
About one to two weeks before a hike, we begin more active preparation. During this stage, the organizers carefully review all important details and check that every participant is properly prepared.
Our typical weekend hikes are organized like this:
Day 1 (evening):
Day 2 (morning):
There are occasional exceptions, but this is the format we use most often.
For weekend hikes, dinner on the first evening is provided by the organizers (although you're welcome to bring your own food as well). Breakfast and lunch on the second day are usually brought by participants themselves.
For multi-day wilderness backpacking trips, all meals are organized and provided by the organizers.
In both cases, we do our best to accommodate participants' dietary preferences whenever possible.
We do have safety rules and procedures. However, nobody will be constantly monitoring your every action.
We expect every participant to use common sense and take personal responsibility for their own safety and conduct during a hike. As organizers, we provide guidance, reminders, and important safety information, but responsibility must come from both the organizers and the participants.
If someone behaves appropriately and follows the rules, they're welcome with us. If they consistently ignore the rules, then this community simply isn't the right fit for them.
This is another reason why we usually won't place a new participant directly into a demanding wilderness trip, even if they already have hiking experience. If safety rules matter 100% on an easy hike, they matter 200% on a challenging one.
Strong teamwork is essential. Everyone needs to be able to rely on one another. Nobody should put the rest of the group at risk. A positive attitude and good group dynamics matter too.
So that's how it works.
If it's your first time hiking with us, join one of our easier trips first.
Let's meet, get to know each other, and start the journey from there.
