PRESENCE IN THE WILD 2026
An Advanced Awareness and Transformation Program in the pristine Mountains of Romania with Walter Bertolini and Din van Helden.
DATE:
27.08-06.09.2026
VENUE:
Valea Dambovitei/ Southern Carpathian Mountains/ Project Area of Carpathia.org
PARTICIPANTS:
Small group of 6-8 people.
For those who are drawn to a deep nature quest/awareness training/ solo time in nature.
People on their 'Inner Journey', engaged in transformational work and 'inner' capacity building.
This awareness retreat, inspired by the tradition of 'Sacred Passages' (John P. Milton / The Way of Nature), offers a rare opportunity to slow down, enter the stillness of the wilderness and immerse yourself deeply in nature — including 7 days and 6 nights of solo time in a truly remote region of the Southern Carpathians.
In this simple and quiet setting, many people experience a renewed sense of presence, connection and inner clarity. These experiences often create a reliable foundation for greater alignment with your true intentions and your authentic nature. The retreat offers space to listen more consciously to what life is asking of you and offering you — and to cultivate a deeper attunement with your Self and the living world you are part of.
Our journey takes us into the Valea Dâmbovița in the Carpathian Mountains and to a beautifully located shepherds’ cabin.
This cabin, part of the Carpathia Conservation Project, has been restored and adapted carefully as our basecamp for the preparatory awareness training, before we move to the individual solo locations in the surrounding mountains and meadows.
Once well prepared — mentally, emotionally and practically — we begin 7 days and 6 nights of solo time in nature, with sharpened senses and a quieter mind.
ABOUT
These 10 days in the seclusion of Poiana Tămaș — a particularly pristine part of the Southern Carpathians in Romania and one of the last large, largely untouched forest and mountain landscapes in Europe — invite you into a deep experience of self-reflection and self-awareness.
CREATING AN INSPIRING SPACE
How do we access a different quality of being and a deeper kind of knowing — what many describe as a state of presence? As we enter this space, we often rediscover something we have always known deep inside: that nature itself is one of the most powerful teachers of all — the intelligence of life in its purest form.
The unique quality of this environment supports you in refining your senses, re-orienting from within, releasing inner blockages, and re-focusing your personal and professional life at its very roots.
OUR INTENTION
Drawing on our many years of experience as long-term practitioners, coaches and guides, we offer simple and practical tools — such as mindset work, intention practice, contemplation and counselling — to support you, both individually and as a group, throughout this process of deep transformation. We encourage reflective practice and hold a secure and supportive space for your learning and growth, enabling you to connect more fully with your three natures: inner, outer and true.
In honour of the traditions we are inspired by — and the wonder of the natural world — our hope is that each of us leaves this retreat with a joyful heart, a grounded sense of clarity and a renewed intention to act in new and life-giving ways.
The conceptual background of this work is rooted in ancient wisdom traditions as well as contemporary whole-system approaches to deep transformation (Way of Nature, U-Process, Contemplation, Trauma Work, Awareness-Based Systemic Change, etc.).
PRICES
Private: € 2,200 — including 20% VAT
Corporate / Professional: € 2,400 — plus 20% VAT
For self-paying participants, a discount may be available upon request.
This fee includes training and guidance, overnight accommodation in the basecamp at Poiana Tămaș, transport to and from the basecamp, and food during the solo time.
Not included: travel costs to Romania and food/accommodation at the guesthouse (3 nights).
Limited group size: 6–8 participants
Please register below or send us an email:
COACHES & GUIDES
WALTER BERTOLINI
has been working many years as a systemic Organizational Consultant and Leadership Coach, founding partner of werk4 and the inspirational Leadership Project Essenz der Führung. He has reconnected with the power of being in & one with wild nature years ago, which brought him to found Way of Nature Austria (www.wayofnature-austria.at) as part of Way of Nature International. His transformational work incorporates powerful systemic approaches and is at the same time nurtured & deeply inspired by core practices of ancient wisdom traditions as well as contemporary awareness practices.
Walter, originally from Western Austria, currently lives in Vienna and is working internationally.
DIN VAN HELDEN
is a guide and advisor pioneering a new generation of development programmes, with nature. Her work combines renewed ideas about leadership and change, deep reconnection to nature, and wisdom from ancient cultures to support positive, systemic change. She leads a learning and reconnecting enterprise Grounding. Din, being a Nature Guide herself will provide her wealth of experience. She guides together with Walter the participants during this retreat. Din, originally from the Netherlands, lives in Austria and is working internationally.
There will also be nature guides from Carpathia on site.