Tag Archives: Adventure

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

The Trek to El Mirador Video Series

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This year, I made my 6th trek to El Mirador and Nakbe. I have put together stills and video to give an idea about what it feels like to make this journey. I tried to capture the flora and fauna, as well as the archaeological sites. If you feel inspired by these videos, you may be interested in the journey I am organising for next year. You can find the information about the Junajpu journey here: https://thefourpillars.net/the-junajpu-journey/

Here are links to each of the videos on YouTube

Day 1 – Carmelita to El Tintal, entering the otherworld

https://youtu.be/I48TerRzlG8

Day 2 – El Tintal to El Mirador, deeper into the forest

https://youtu.be/8rd9Ug59d8A

Day 3 – The Milky Way, Venus rising and El Mirador exploration

https://youtu.be/i5JJcLRlrwE

Day 4 – El Mirador to Nakbe, the parting of the ways

https://youtu.be/gbUk8mhhfjk

Day 5 – Nakbe to La Florida, entering the royal tomb at Wakna

https://youtu.be/fLu94hehAqw

Day 6 – La Florida to Carmelita and a return to Flores

https://youtu.be/X0rI06BDoEQ

A big thank you to the Cooperativa Carmelita for such wonderful guides, cooks and mule handlers. If you want to make your own journey to El Mirador, you can get in touch with them here to organise it for you. https://turismocooperativacarmelita.com/cooperativa-carmelita/

Another big thank you to Luis from Musica Maya Aj for permission to use his music in my videos. Their music is made with traditional Maya instruments. If you want to hear more, you can find them here on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/5fJ9oEsJca8MTM9guMSvoK

My comfort on this trek was greatly enhanced by Craghoppers Insect Shield clothing. I’m really happy to give this my seal of approval and confirm that their socks, trousers and shirts are indeed jungle tested by me. If you want to try their clothing, you can use this code ELMYCHGUIDE to get a 30% discount on their US site https://craghoppersusa.com/

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

The Rebirth of Adventure Journey

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We started with the questions “What are our favourite Guatemalan experiences?” and “How can we make these experiences accessible?” In doing so, we have designed our Rebirth of Adventure Journey. We hesitate to call it a retreat. It is not about withdrawing from the world but fully entering into the experience of it. Our aim is to bring you to and remind you of the adventure that exists in all realms. From the physical journey through lush jungles and beautiful mountains to the spiritual journey to ancient temples and the vortex of Lake Atitlan, we have curated some of the most moving experiences of our time here in this beautiful country which we call home. All of these activities are achievable for those with a moderate level of fitness. However, those with mobility challenges may find them unachievable.

As you can imagine, timing is one of the most important guides for us. This journey coincides with the end of the rainy season. It gives the lushest, most beautiful time of the year and usually abundant sunshine. We have chosen the thirteen days in the Maya ritual calendar which signify a time of rebirth, with the intention of rebirthing the spirit of adventure within all of us.

The journey has its own separate page here where you can also find a contact form for enquiries.

Rebirth of Adventure 2024

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

The Junajpu (One Hero) Retreat

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We have finally done it! After many people have asked for it we created a retreat, an adventure on the physical and spiritual levels.

On 26th February 2020 (1 Aq’ab’al) we begin a 13 day journey in Peten, including the 6 day hike around El Mirador, Nakbe and La Florida, to find your inner hero. Using the hero’s journey as a template, and the nawales as guidance we will take you through various shamanic journeys to help you to find and recover the highest aspect and purpose within you.

All the details are here: https://fourpillarsretreats.com/

We look forward to welcoming you on to this journey!