Solitude. Most guests who come to Camas experience some degree of solitude simply by the fact that being at Camas means no internet nor cellphone service. This can be challenging, especially for those of us who connect to our friends and relatives through phone and internet. Our guests this week—Cumbria University students took this experience of solitude a step further by committing to spend a night camping in the hills without any other humans nearby.
The students came to Camas as the final week of their two year foundation degree in outdoor education. Much of the week was spent preparing for this ‘solo’ camping trip. This means spending the night camping alone with nothing more than some basic camping gear. Additionally, some of the students choose to take the opportunity to fast.
In preparation for the solo, Camas staff—primarily Rhyddian and Sarah who both are well-versed in solo-ing—lead the students in various exercise and reflections. The evening of the solo, the Camas staff and the Cumbria professors created a ritual of sorts to send the students off on their solo in a good way. This included setting up a large parachute tent (see picture) within which we all gathered around a large fire that had been started by Lisa (one of the professors) using the bow drill technique. The students then were invited to state an intention that they had set for themselves that they wanted to hold as a focus for their solo time.
After the students returned the next morning they then had the opportunity to present about their experiences of the week. One of the students agreed to let me share her poem:
*****
My Courageous Person
I find out what I need to do,
and I’m asked, “what would your courageous person say to you?”
So I get her on the phone, and tell her how much I hate to be alone
I explain about the solo,
and I say that its a no go
And she tells me, ‘well tough shit,
I’m sure you can handle it’
And with my bag finally packed,
the anxieties I had, had lacked
her words were all I did need
A sweet little way to plant the seed
That I must go
If I want to grow
Cause I do this for us, not just me anymore
so I was quick to learn to stop being a bore
to camp somewhere along the path of Market Bay
Oh I’m so glad about what my courageous person did say
*****
It was inspiring to be a part of this journey and it left me feeling inspired to do my own 'solo', and to remember to take time to journey into the wilderness--both around and within.
