“Joshua Tree is of the most beautiful desert landscapes in America, dotted with blooming cactus, majestic Joshua trees and massive granite outcroppings.”

At night, the sky comes alive with stars and the air cools to the perfect temperature for night time adventures.

Not only is Joshua tree an amazing wilderness experience, but has been said by many spiritual seekers and outdoor enthusiasts to possess vortex-like energy qualities. Once you arrive in Joshua Tree, you will feel your energy shift and get ready to have FUN!

Activities include:

• Desert Night Hike
• Cave Exploring
• Iron door rock
• Rock Scrambling
• Time Capsule
• Optional solo experience
• Sunrise Meditation
• Hanging by the fire

About the trip:

This is a moderate exercise level adventure, with lots of time to connect with nature, yourself and other like-minded conscious community members.

Ticket includes:

• Yummy Dinner (Saturday Night)
• Breakfast (Sunday Morning)
• Camping Fees (Thursday- Sunday) ** Come early and hang out!**
• Adventures & Activities
• Digital picture video

**Does not include $15 (per car) national park entrance fee.

It’s easy! Almost everything is provided for you. All you have to do is show up and enjoy the experience!

We will group up at 4pm on Saturday. However, you can show up early, as the campsites will be reserved from Thursday to Sunday afternoon.

Event cost:
$125 Per Person
*$99 For Light Club and Insight Adventures Members

Not a member? It’s easy… Sign up here.

Times and Directions:
-Event starts Saturday
-Event ends Sunday

** You can come early Thursday and Friday to camp.

- North Entrance off of Hwy 62 in Twenty Nine Palms Ca.
- Meet us at Ryan Campground (Directions)

-Park information

-Weather

“People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life… I think that what we’re really seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonance within our innermost being and reality, so that we can actually feel the rapture of being alive.” — Joseph Campbell

Standing on a thin metal suspension bridge less than 10 miles from Tibet, I can feel the warm wind on my face. 525 feet below is the rushing Bhote Kosi River, fed by melted snow from the holy Mountain Kailash, the home of the Hindu God Shiva.

This is my last full day in Nepal. My mind is wandering. A 10 mile jog and I could be in Tibet. I feel the pull. I went to Tibet 7 years ago as a solo traveler, but now visitation is highly regulated by the Chinese Government. When I was there, local Tibetans pulled me aside on several occasions, closing their doors and windows to show me their scars and pictures of their beloved leader, the Dali Lama. They wanted to make sure the world knew what was going on. It must have been wonderful to speak so openly to a stranger. I know that comfort. I can share deeply, intimately with a new travel friend because I know my thoughts and feelings are safe. Anonymity is a wonderful benefit of world travel.

On the bridge, I am waiting. However, I’m not waiting to cross like the locals behind me. There are no mule trains in my way. I’m waiting to jump. Silently, I converse with my God. Not a specific God, but more of a universal, all-knowing, something-greater-than-me-ness. “The intention of my jump is to release fear, to let go of the addiction of control and to surrender.” I repeat my intention in my head over and over. A camera man swings his lens into my face to record my pre-jump moments on video. “This is the beginning,” I tell him. He speaks only a little English, and despite the intense look on my face, I can tell he does not understand.

I feel the fear in my legs. My commitment to self has me terrified, not the jump. I was told there has never been a death here. However, today a part of me will die, gone forever. Old ways of being released through a modern sky burial of the soul. “94, 94.” I hear my name. “You jump now,” he tells me. 94, that’s my weight in Kilos. “Are you really 94 Kilos?” The jump master asks me three times in three different ways. I nod with a smile, trying to look confident as I wonder if maybe the scale is broken. “Very strong. big muscles,” he says in an attempt to quiet his own disbelief. “He’s just being thorough,” I tell myself. “Surrender to the moment, trust the scale, trust the jump master, trust the cord, trust myself and trust in the universal plan.” I have done all I can do, now it’s time to let go of control.

Slowly, methodically, I walk my 94 Kilos out to the edge of the steel platform. A tiny surge of adrenaline pumps through my veins and fills my heart with warmth. (Just a test, the system is working.) Smiling, I stand erect with my arms spread out in what Chris Cornell from Sound Garden calls the “Jesus Christ Pose.” “One…Two…Three.” My feet leave the platform… lightening, electrical synaptic ecstasy surges through my body, wind roaring past my ears like a jet engine, narrow green canyon walls blurred in my periphery; I’m falling through space, screaming out to the world a spontaneous proclamation, “I love you!   I LOVE YOU!   I  L O V E  Y O U!!!”

Suddenly, softly something grabs my ankles and catches me before I hit the water. “No!! I’m not done!” I protest. My wish has been granted, I rebound and fall again. “Just one more moment, one last second”… again I’m falling free. If this is what death feels like, I can’t wait.

Hanging limp, slowly spinning over the river, I am alive. I have made the connection. The river has become the ceiling and the floor is the endless sky below me. Tibet looks beautiful upside down. Softly, I am lowered down to lie on a padded table while my gear is removed. I could lie here all day reveling in my joy; seconds of real time converted into a life experience.

With wobbly legs, I walk up the canyon trail, alone. The sun is warm on my skin and the air is silent. I wonder if I’m dreaming. Passing a tiny little mountain stream, I splash cold water on my face. No, I’m not dreaming. I feel radiant and intensely alive, floating six inches off the ground. I pass through a local village and smile at a farmer silently watching me. I feel like he knows how I’m feeling, like he’s been there.

This is what I came for. This is why I came to Nepal. All days on my trip have led to this moment. I am no longer afraid. Fear- to surrender- to love… the formula… the experience, branded on my psyche, permanently. Any time I have doubt, I know I can return to this moment for guidance… Trust, Courage, and Faith. Just take the leap, literally.

PS. Below is a video of canyoning in the same region. One hand for the camera, one hand for the break!

In loving Service,    Jesse

Two days later, on the trail after passing through luscious, riverside valleys, golden rice terraces and adorable little villages, we reached our first tea house rest stop. Looking out across the valley, waterfalls cascaded down steep banks into the river below, villagers plowed their fields, children herded their goats and local life continued on as we passed through the middle of it all, almost unnoticed. I can’t even tell you how many times I stopped in my tracks; arms stretched in front of me and yelled out loud “This is so beautiful!” I’m sure the farmers thought I was a bit loco.

Each day on the trail, we worked our way higher up the valley. The rice fields turned into gardens, the trees started to thin and the villages grew sparse. On the trail, children, goats, monkeys in the trees (and a brown bear walking side by side with four deer) were replaced by porters and mule trains carrying massive loads of fuel, food and cold beer to the high altitude tea houses set up for mountaineers and travelers. Hold on… yes, I said “a brown bear walking with four deer!” It’s a sign of the apocalypse, someone told me. Maybe he was just a vegetarian Hindu bear. Hmm?

Animals aside, lets talk teahouses. Ranging from simple buildings with cozy little beds to gourmet establishments with hot showers and mountain view decks, the Himalayan teahouse makes even the poshest tent camping set-up look embarrassingly uncivilized. Sorry North Face. Let me paint the picture:

After a long days journey, we arrived at our local teahouse just as the sun was dropping behind the mountains and air was starting to chill. I ordered up a warm beverage, jumped into a steaming hot shower, threw on my pj’s, slid into my sleeping bag and hopped out to the view deck. With my warm drink in hand, I watched the sun illuminate the glowing snow capped mountain peaks in the distance and slowly slip into darkness, filling the sky with stars. After a second round of warm drinks, our host informed us that it was time for dinner. Sitting around the table inside we devoured our freshly cooked meal, shared stories with fellow travelers and slipped off to bed for a long night’s sleep and another chance to do it all over again.

On day 3 we reached our goal; the 13,500ft Annapurna Sanctuary. We arrived alone and were treated to spectacular views and a truly divine moment of serenity, grandiosity, and reverence. Plaques in the sanctuary honored fallen mountaineering heroes. Prayer flags fluttered in the wind and we were surrounded by some of the highest mountains in the world. Hello God. Nice job. It’s beautiful.

Our journey began with a two day bus ride across the country, through steep valleys, fertile plains, villages and finally onto a narrow muddy trail that took us deep into the mountains. The highlight of the road trip was riding on the roof of the bus during the cool mornings and balmy evenings, sun on my face, wind whipping through my hair… Ahhh, pure joy.

On the first day, I was feeling pretty intrepid until we were passed by a bus with people heaped on top, clinging to the roof rack, all smiling and yelling “Hello!” They were very entertained and looked a bit perplexed that we “chose” to sit on top when there were many empty seats down below. Nevertheless, I felt welcome.

On the evening of the second day we arrived at our put in point and set up camp. The next morning, as we organized our gear, hundreds of local villagers came down to watch the beginning of our expedition. For the first time, I got a real sense of what it must be like to be a villager surrounded by a western tour group, all taking pictures while they wash their clothes in the river.

It was a great role reversal. However, I think we were feeling a bit claustrophobic. I decided to experiment with a little “child crowd control.” Yelling “photos,” I pulled my camera out and started running down the beach away from our camp.

It worked! And soon I had a long string of almost a hundred children chasing me down the river. It was quite a scene. One by one they ran out of steam and made their way back to our camp, lured by the sight of our breakfast spread. Thinking that most kids just need to know what their limits are, (thanks Mom) I pulled out a stick and drew a big circle around the group and motioned for them to stay inside the line. I turned it into a game, and to my total surprise, it worked! We were able to eat our meal in relative peace! Child Psychology 101.

Once out on the river, minutes turned into hours and hours into days as we lost ourselves in the rich beauty of the jungle. At the risk of sounding cliche, this was my experience… beautiful timelessness.

Each morning we woke up to cool fog rolling down over the mountains, which soon cleared to reveal perfect blue skies. 10 days of perfect weather and No Bugs! I couldn’t believe it! No bugs… not even a mosquito, in the middle of the wilderness! Amazing. A dream come true. I still can’t figure it out.

After gorging ourselves on breakfast each day, we would head out to brave a new section of rapids and soak up another full day of amazing scenery; lush green mountains, steep cliffs, tiny villages perched on the river’s edge, water buffaloes, smiling villagers and not a single sign of modern life or other tourists.

On the river, we scouted out huge class four and five rapids with the help of our very skilled Welch safety kayak team. We ran most of them, went around others and all three boats managed to flip on one day or another. I was launched out of my boat twice to swim the rapids, a pretty exhilarating experience to say the least. Fortunately, the river crocodiles, don’t like fast water and we didn’t see them until the last day after our take out point.

Each night we made camp on pristine sand beaches, sat around the campfire, shared stories, sometimes just sat silently for hours watching the shooting stars, listening to the river and entertaining curious villagers that showed up to hang by the fire. Jesus, our resident wild man entertainer from Spain made sure that we never passed a dull moment. On one of my favorite nights, our guide Mahindra bought two chickens for dinner from local villagers. He and I hiked up into the village together, he picked out the roosters he wanted and then he looked at me and said, “Jesse we must catch.” Within seconds, a group of villagers surrounded our chickens in a tight circle. The first one made a break for it and he went straight for the weak point in our circle, me. He knew a rookie when he saw one. After sprinting wildly all over the village, around houses, over rice patties and finally into a thick bush, we caught our dinner. I couldn’t help but think that there would likely either be a lot of vegetarians or at least a lot less obesity in the world if we all had to chase down our dinner.

In between the excitement of the rapids there was also plenty of downtime on the beach and on long flat sections of the river. I had a consistent reocurring feeling that there was almost too much natural beauty for me soak up during our relatively short visit. I wanted to visit every tiny village we passed, I wanted to explore every empty beach and swim in the hundreds of water falls we floated past along the way. I found myself constantly amazed by how completely untouched this little corner of the world was by modern influences.

Often we were stopped by inquisitive local farmers and fisherman, who wanted to know all about where we were from and about our experience in their country. They brought us fish, offered up some of their local brew and were always ready to share a laugh. (Or championship staring contest.)

In the very near future, this river may be dammed for hydroelectric power. Roads will be put in and power brought to the villages. Things will change, the people will change and landscape forever altered. I feel very privileged to have been able to experience the raw beauty and simplicity of life along the Karnali River as it still exists today.

For the last ten days, I have been very present; Not living in the future or the past, but totally engulfed by the natural power of the experience. I also feel immensely privileged to live in a country with so much opportunity. Being here, right now, I am again overwhelmed by the huge disparity of personal opportunity in the world. I feel very privileged and I am forever grateful for this journey.

In Love and Service,

Jesse Gros

I woke up in the dark, popped out bed and went running to a local Buddhist monastery. On the way over, I ran by a tiny little tailor shop and noticed that the sliding door was half open. I peeked my head into the shop and did my best tourist mime asking him to sew my shirt. He agreed, and slid the metal door open to reveal that his shop was also his house. His wife was still in bed and I was standing there shirtless feeling a bit awkward. He completed the work quickly and his wife stayed in bed and just smiled at me. Locals walked by and didn’t really take much notice. I started to wonder if this was a not an uncommon request from tall shirtless white people at 6:30 in the morning.

Arriving at the monastery for sunrise, I was the only person around not in red robes. The gate guard kindly let me in to watch their morning prayers. Feeling a bit insecure and out of place, I hid out in back and tried to not be noticed. (In my neon blue running shirt) Fortunately, they were deep in their process and only a few younger monks peeked over at me. Whew… I made it virtually undiscovered and managed to not invade their sacred morning ritual. I have no photo for you, I didn’t even consider pulling my camera out. Just imaging hundreds of monks and nuns all dressed in red, singing in chorus in a beautiful hall, with rays of warm golden morning light pouring in through the windows. Now imagine you are the only visitor there; alone standing in the back in the shadows, soaking up the moment, trying to not bee seen. It gives me shivers just telling you about it.

On my run home, I saw a dog chewing on a huge bone, he looked so happy. Only when I got closer did I realize it was previously owned by another dog. ( I forgive myself for judging that dog as a bad dog cannibal.) =)

Back at my Hotel, I stood out on the balcony and watched the sun climb over the mountain and illuminate the Bodhnath stupa. Bells in the distance let me know that prayers had begun in my neighborhood.

Hours later, I found myself in the ancient part of the city, Durbar Sqaure. walking along with a Danish tour group and my new friend Tina, the fashion guru from Dubai who runs the Diesel Jeans flagship store there. No Diesel jeans around here, I think they are a bit pricey. Sorry Tina. After a bit of architectural and historical gluttony, I thought it might be time to have a bit of fun.  It turns out that some of the most fun people in town are the multilingual, tourist manipulating sales people and their charming -wish I could take you home- adorable and uber-tourist manipulating children. The girl scouts could become a multinational conglomerate in weeks with these kinds selling cookies. Just a thought.

The best of the lot was Abdi. This 10 year old kid spoke 5 languages! After playing around and trying to teach him pig-Latin (a very useful language), I noticed that I had lost my group. Oops. Never fear, I had made friends with most skilled person around. Over the next two hours he managed to find our group that was walking 15 minutes ahead of us, rally up random children for photos, keep away beggars and other salespeople and teach me a bit of the local language. Apparently “buy me milk sir” is another way to say hello. I decided to just use “Namaste.”

Determined not to fall into the pay-for-friendship tourist trap, I decided that he would surely love to go for a run around town on my shoulders as a thank you for our time together. Wrong. It turned out this poor guy had a serious fear of heights and started screaming bloody murder when I picked him up and threw him on my shoulders. Everyone in the neighborhood was truly entertained, except Abdi. Feeling a bit like a schoolyard bully, I acquiesced and bought him a milk to make peace.

At lunch we sat on a roof top terrace and watched two boys fly a kite from the roof next door. I wondered if they were practicing for future kite battles. After lunch, yes, after lunch, we went over to the Ghats just out of town to watch cremations along the river. Sneaking around the back, so as to avoid paying to watch a funeral (a moral dilemma that I’m sure we could discuss for hours), I witnessed two bodies being burned on the pyre. Silently I watched for just a few moments. I could feel the intense heat coming off the burning bodies and quickly decided that this was  not a scene to be gawking over. I did not take a picture of this one either. Fortunately before I had a chance to change my mind, we were escorted out by a woman in a sari with a stick in her hand. “You must pay ticket,” She said. We walked away. I later learned that people with money get to burn their relatives in private areas. What we witnessed was the all-too-public “cheap seats” burning section for the dead of the poorer casts.

 Later, I made my way over to the other side of town to walk several silent clockwise laps around the Bodhnath stupa . (One of the most important places for Tibetan Buddhists in Nepal) The scene was a fascinating combination of ancient tradition, modern necessity, western tourists, worshipers, dogs, a cow and pretty much everyone else that could possibly have a reason to be there. And… despite all of the different influences, the place maintained its magical power. I climbed up onto the stupa and for a moment the sounds all slipped away. I just focused on the prayer flags gently swaying over my head and the sun going down in the distance.

Ahhh.. I found my moment of peace.

What a day.

PS.. I just had to drop in one more thing. This bus driver has a real live grass lawn he planted on the dashboard of his bus. It even came complete with a cricket and a couple other bugs living in this little mini eco system!

Taking time to smell the roses..

Watching the sunrise this morning over the Kathmandu valley from the rooftop garden deck of my hotel was awe inspiring. The air was still and crisp. All I could hear was bells and the occasional dog barking in the distance. (A rare moment for this busy city.)

I am so happy to be here.

On another note:

Talking with a friend this morning, she told me about her recent hospital visit in Kathmandu. 5 hours in the hospital and treatment cost her 5 dollars! That’s less than the cost of our massive breakfast. Actually, a night’s stay in the hospital here is cheaper than a medium priced hotel. Just like in the U.S. right? =)

Rooftop morning view of Kathmandu

I’m off to go visit Papa’s House Orphanage with Jill.

Namaste…

-Jesse

It’s less than a week now and I’ll be on my way…

Soon I’ll be in the Himalayas sipping on spicy Chai and breathing in that magical mountain air.

I’m very excited to be sharing my experience with you in one of my favorite places in the world. Not only will this be a true adventure, but there is a lot of added value as well:

FOR YOU:

- Learn more about this beautiful country and it’s people.

- Learn how to plan your own pilgrimage to mystical and sacred places.

- Use these “trips” to deepen in your personal spiritual path.

- Be inspired! (In my experience, connecting with this area of the world changes lives.)

A TASTE:

“It hits you within moments of arriving in Nepal - an overwhelming sense of friendship, history, community and spirituality. Nepal is a complex and compelling country and it’s impossible to overcome the excitement of actually being there. From the colorful and chaotic winding streets of Kathmandu to the hilltop village of Bandipur or the laid-back lakeside town of Pokhara, you quickly become a willing participant in local life. Trekking in the Himalayan Mountains is a stunning and unforgettable experience.” -Traveler

A FINAL NOTE:

For me this trip is not only a journey into the physical exploration of Nepal, but also a spiritual one. It’s a view of a unique place through the lens of the intermeshing cultures, religions and spirit. Come along with me…

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING…

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In service and loving,

Jesse Gros,

On Saturday, September 19^th, a group of 10 brave souls embarked on a journey to Summit Half Dome. At 11pm, we began our hike, traveling through the night, working together as a team to support each other through various challenges that came up along the way. Our group was comprised of a diverse group of different ages, athletic abilities and backgrounds. However, we did share one common desire: To use this experience to move to greater joy and freedom in our lives.

During the hike up, each of us carried rocks that symbolized current life challenges, regrets and worn out stories that no longer served us. (Some rocks were bigger than others.) Through the night, the group experienced a wide variety of emotions. Several people had serious doubts about reaching the summit. At 6am we reached the infamous “cables” section of the climb. Dawn was approaching; the rock face was cold and the air crisp. For many people, this moment was the “crux” of the entire experience.

Using the climb as a (very strong) metaphor for overcoming fear, we slowly moved up the cables as a group, one step at a time. Just before the sun peaked over the granite mountains in the distance, the entire group made it to the top! We celebrated our accomplishment and basked in the warm glow of the sun as it lit up the valley. At the summit, we took in the majestic views and reveled in the silence. With the exception of one other small group, we had the entire summit to ourselves!

(A rare experience in Yosemite)

Gathering together in a circle on the far edge of the dome, we indulged in a peaceful and reflective meditation. With Half Dome under our belts, we looked at our lives from a new perspective. Silently, one by one, the members left the group to find a private space to release their rocks from their bags and set free the meanings attached to them. Ahh..

Back down the cables, the group members were set free to go at their own pace, connect with themselves and plan their next moves in life.

I am so proud of everyone who participated in the Pilgrimage! It was truly a magical and heart opening experience.

-With love & service,    Jesse

“I heartily recommend this fabulous trip to others! Jesse has an amazing gift to bring forward in others that which they didn’t know was there. His encouragement along the trail assisted me in connecting to my inner strength at a very deep level. He facilitated our group in supporting each other and ourselves. I have been longing for an opportunity to experience Spirit in nature, and to share it with others. It felt like coming home!” - Carol

“Before I hiked Half Dome I thought of myself as an out of shape man afraid of adventure. Through Jesse’s coaching, his wisdom and his humor, I was able to shed that belief and climb mountains. The confidence I gained from our journey will be with me always. I saw the sun rise from the top of Half Dome, I gave it to myself with Jesse’s help, and no one can take that away from me.” -Brendan

5 Years Around the World.

When I met Fuji, he was peddling his bike down the narrow HWY 1 through Baja, Mexico, alone, on his way south. It was a hot sunny day in June and we flew past him in our SUV, pulling completely into the other lane to avoid him. Looking into my rear view mirror, I could see his sun parched face focused on the narrow white line in front of him. He never looked up. “Pull over.” I heard in my head. “Done” I replied. I have learned to follow my intuition at this stage in my life.

I immediately pulled over to the side of the road, into a sand rut. (There are no shoulders on the roads in Baja.) When he arrived at the car, he had the look of someone who had been on the road for a while. “My name is Fuji, you know… like the film.” I was thinking of the mountain… this guy has some guts to be our here alone, on a bike!

“Where you headed?” I asked. (Expecting somewhere in Mexico.) “ Nicaragua.” Wow. Where are you coming from? “Africa.” Yes, Fuji had been on the road for a while. He was on his 3rd year of a 5-year journey of self-discovery around the world. He explained that he was a “retired” schoolteacher. Three years of working in the rigorous Japanese school system and it was time to take off for 5. I love it! Fuji is my hero right now. Now that’s a good work to play ratio

Maybe I should be more specific. “Fuji, where are you going tonight?” On his wrinkled map, he showed me where he planned to stop for the night and eat. I knew that there was nothing there but an old burned out rest stop. What a horrible place to spend the night, especially with no food or water. We offered to take him further down the road, but he insisted on going by his own pedal power. However, he was more than happy to accept our donations of cold water, pita sandwiches, candy and his favorite; two Red Bulls. (He downed them both immediately.)

After sharing the rest of his story with us, he thanked us profusely, we thanked him for the inspiration and he sped off down the road with his new pair of “wings.”

Clearly, where there is a will there is a way. We are rooting for you Fuji! Good luck bud.  –Jesse

]]> http://www.insightadventures.com/fuji-the-man-not-the-film/feed/ http://www.insightadventures.com/light-and-fun-learning-to-fly/ http://www.insightadventures.com/light-and-fun-learning-to-fly/#comments Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:09:04 +0000 admin http://www.insightadventures.com/?p=158 This past weekend I went to the Black Canyon Section of the Colorado River. We found this 70ft cliff along the river. Naturally, jumping off it seemed like the best idea. The water was deep, cool and refreshing. Its’ funny how standing on the top of the rock deciding weather to jump or not, brought us all right into the moment. It’s almost impossible to think about the future or the past, when you are in survival mode. A little shout out to you Eckhart Tolle! Is cliff jumping spiritual enlightenment? I’m not sure, but I sure felt intensely alive in those moments and for the hour after. (Even after the adrenaline wore off.)

** We will be heading to this same spot on our “Colorado River Canoe” trip this fall.