“As our world continues to get shaken up, our young men are in need of guidance and connection now more than ever before. Simultaneously – the world is in dire need of mature, healthy, confident young people to lead us into a brighter future.”
2024 Rising Sons Mountain Adventure
Welcome to the 2024 Rising Sons Mountain Adventure! This 3 day, 2 night experience is a unique opportunity for you son to unplug from tech, plug into the intelligence of Mother Nature, learn from experienced mentors and gain life skills & experience that will serve him on his journey into adulthood.
We all know adolescence can be a notoriously challenging, confusing, and frustrating time – this Rising Sons Mountain adventure has been designed to support your son in deepening his connection to himself and nature while discovering the greater vision guiding his life.
The Power of a Vision
Without a vision guiding our lives – we are lost. Unfortunately, far too many young men in our modern day and age are currently lost. Lost in an endless sea of social media, technology, social pressures and economic fears – without healthy elders or mentors to turn-to. Our young men have become accustomed to receiving impressions from every direction outside themselves (social media, video games, movies, tic toc, etc) – and with the endless array of noise and distractions the quiet voice of their inner-most self is being drowned out.
This wilderness immersion offers an antidote to these feelings of isolation, aimlessness, hopelessness and separation – offering your son a golden opportunity to step away from his old routines, habits and environment in order to connect with the deeper vision for his life – when this happens our sons are flooded by a new sense of purpose, the begin to orient around their true North Star, which ultimately leads to the upliftment of his family, community and the world around him.
In a society of profound disconnection, young men need time to connect with Mother Nature, to have direct experiences of her beauty, power & love in order to feel connected to their environment, community and home. We believe that every boy comes into this world with unique gifts and a greater purpose for his life, and that only though taking the time and space to contemplate the deeper questions will that greater purpose be revealed. This adventure offers the opportunity, time, and space for your son to discover more of himself and what truly lights him up.
This program has been designed to help your son:
Discover his deeper strengths, passions and gifts
Make new friends and memories to last a lifetime
Foster community and a deeper sense of belonging
Grow with healthy male mentors, elders and role models
Access his courage to live a life of purpose and service
Support the emergence of his innate leadership qualities
Receive time-honoured wisdom on how to live with respect for oneself, the earth, and all our relations
Learn how to feel, process & express emotions in a healthy, mature way (emotional intelligence)
Gain practical life-navigating skills & tools
Reconnect with the magic, mystery and healing power of Mother Nature
Cultivate healthy relationship to sexuality, partying, and technology
Return home feeling empowered with a clearer vision for his life
Overnight Mountain Solo
This experience will culminate in an initiatory experience where the boys will spend a full day/night by themselves on the mountainside at the majestic Lyle Lakes (with near-by support and supervision). This is a wonderful opportunity for each participant to utilize some of the skills developed over our time together, to access their courage, and dig deeper into themselves to receive a vision for their life.
“ This was an amazing chance for him to take risks; be vulnerable, and be authentic in a safe and supported environment held by men who deeply care. An incredible opportunityfor mentorship and guidance to help him embrace his journey into adulthood.”~ Past Parent
Venue: Eastern Sun Sanctuary (Mt.Brennan)
A newly completed beautiful sanctuary space complete with full kitchen, outdoor camping spots (for tents), cedar sauna, and a maloca room. Only 10 minute walking distance from the Lyle Lakes trail head – this is the ideal spot for “home base” where we will go through various activities with the young men and prepare them for the hike/overnight to come.
“My son was deeply moved by the experience – he went from not wanting to go to wishing it was longer.” Past Parent
Meals:
All meals will be provided – mostly organic, dietary specifications (i,e gluten free, dairy free, vegan, etc) can also be accommodated for. Note* We will be having a light breakfast and no lunch/dinner for the second day (the hike up to Lyle Lakes)
“This Program is an amazing way to learn more about yourself and meet new people that I guarantee you will love” – 2023 Participant
Activities may include (but not limited to):
-Carving/whittling – Sharing circles– Storytelling – Earth honouring ritual/ceremony – Breath and body awareness practices – Hiking
– Overnight solo mountain journey – Basic survival skills – Team challenges – Journalling
– Songs – Nature art – Creative arts
Mentor Team:
Our mentorship team consists of Tanin Shunter, Eric Twitty and Sean Phelps – with support from Dustin East (owner of the Eastern Sun Sanctuary). We have had the good fortune and blessing of offering ROP type experiences for young men in the Kootenays since 2018, with this will be our fourth one. (see bottom of page for mentor bios). Included in our staff are those with up to date first aid certifications and appropriate wilderness training.
“ I am incredibly grateful for the experience these men provided my son. I can honestly say that it was nothing short of profound~ Past ROP Parent
We are deeply honoured to be of service to the next generation of young men in our community, and look forward to the magic, mystery and adventure of what is yet to come. If what we are offering speaks to you and your son, we would love to have you on the journey with us this year!
Land Acknowledgement: With gratitude and respect we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the unceded traditional territories of the tmixʷ (Syilx okanagan), snʕickstx tmxʷúlaʔxʷ (Sinixt) and ɁamakɁis (Ktunaxa) peoples, as well as many other diverse Indigenous persons, including the Métis. We are committed to providing services that are supportive of cultural diversity and inclusive of Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
Tanin Shunter is the founder of "Kootenay Rites Of Passage - Coming of Age and Youth Wilderness Programs". With over 8 years experience mentoring youth (both indoors and outdoors) in the Kootenay area there are few things he enjoys more than helping youth re-connect with the magic, mystery and beauty of Mother Nature. His professional […]
Upon graduating with a bachelor’s degree, Eric set off on what would become a two and a half year adventure, travelling and hiking extensively throughout New Zealand, Australia, and the Himalayas of India and Nepal. He has spent the last 33 years exploring the majesty of the West Kootenay mountains and lush valleys. As well […]
Raised on Vancouver Island where the mountains meet the sea, Sean grew up with a great appreciation for his natural surroundings. Outdoor adventure and community service has been a primary focus in his life. As a 26-year veteran with the British Columbia Wildfire Service, he has had the opportunity to work, supervise and mentor fire […]
