Ayuna Mountain Expedition — Spring
The mountains are calling — and you've just said yes. Two nights at basecamp, then three days on the trail with everything on your back.
Facilitated by OTRO Elements
- Where
- Rassa → Alpe Selvaccia + trail, Monte Rosa area
- How long
- 5 days
- Group
- 8–12 people
- Languages
- English, Dutch
The experience
Step outside the known and into the wild. In the mountains, there are no walls and no routines.
The expedition blends basecamp life with trail nights. You start in the village of Rassa and walk up to Alpe Selvaccia's secluded valley basecamp — fire circles and meadows beneath Monte Rosa — to ground yourself before going deeper.
Days begin with yoga, breathwork, or a refreshing dip in mountain water. Meals are simple and nourishing, prepared with local, organic produce. Then you head into the Alps for three days carrying only essentials, sleeping under tarps or open sky, cooking together and following the rhythm of the day.
The character of this experience
What the facilitator has told us about their own trip. Anything they have not said is simply not here.
- Depth of the experience
- Next level inner journeyThis is not a treat trip. In many cases this is transformative: you look at parts of yourself that are not always pretty or pleasant. That brings uncomfortable moments and often brings up grief you may look at and let go of. It makes contact with deeper layers in you, and so with your heart. It lets you sink towards your true essence, towards what you have to bring to this world.
Who this is for
Said plainly, so you can rule it out as easily as rule it in.
- You want real mountain days, not a soft version of them
- You are content sleeping under a tarp and carrying your own kit
- You want the inner work — solo time, sweat lodge, fire circle — alongside the walking
- You need a bed and a shower every night
- You would rather not carry a full pack for three days
What's included
Included
- Basecamp accommodation in simple huts at Alpe Selvaccia (two nights)
- Three days and two nights trekking with bivouac camping
- Yoga, breathwork and mountain water activities
- Local, organic meals, including a pizza-baking evening with the Italian hosts
- Traditional sweat lodge ceremony
- Guided hiking with local experts and small-group facilitation
Not included
- Travel to and from Rassa, Valsesia
- Personal hiking and sleeping equipment
- Personal and travel insurance
Meet your facilitator
OTRO Elements
6 years running experiences
OTRO Elements run “nature-based expeditions designed for reflection, deep connection, and the art of letting go”. Their basecamp is Alpe Selvaccia — 22 hectares of alpine meadow and pine forest above Rassa in the Valsesia, with rustic huts, a fire circle, a tipi and a yoga platform looking out at Monte Rosa. They call the facilitator team the Tribe: Quirine, Fenneke, Tjeerd, Marit, Kalijn, Fernanda, Raymond, Robert-Jan, Benny and others, working alongside local Italian hosts and mountain guides.
Why you can trust this listing
- A person read this listing against a checklist before it went live. It carries the quality stamp only because it passed.
- Every photo above was confirmed as this experience, not stock photography.
- Your money is held in a third-party client account and released to the facilitator 1 day after the experience starts.
Practical details
Including the cancellation terms — visible before you book, not buried at checkout.
Meeting point
The mountain village of Rassa in the Valsesia. The group walks up to the Alpe Selvaccia basecamp from there.
What to bring
Broken-in hiking boots — three days on the trail is not the time to break in new ones A sleeping bag and mat for the bivouac nights A 40–50 litre pack you can carry all day Warm layers, rain shell, swimwear and towel
Accessibility
Physically demanding. Multi-day trekking on alpine terrain with a full pack, and two nights sleeping out under tarps or open sky. Not suitable for wheelchair users or anyone unable to carry their own kit over long days.
Cancellation — Moderate
Full refund up to 30 days before the start date.
- More than 30 days before: 100% refund.
- More than 14 days before: 50% refund.
- Inside the last window: 0% refund.
Other versions of this experience
Insurance to consider
Worked out from where this trip goes, how long it lasts and what the terrain is like. Insurance is yours to arrange.
Cancellation cover
Pays back what you cannot get refunded if you have to cancel or cut the trip short, for example through illness.
a.s.r. annuleringsverzekering(opens in a new tab)Medical costs abroad
Pays for a doctor or hospital outside the Netherlands. Your Dutch health insurance may not cover everything abroad.
a.s.r. reisverzekering (via Mountain Beat)(opens in a new tab)Rescue and repatriation
Pays for search, rescue and the journey home after an accident or illness. In remote or mountain areas a helicopter rescue can cost tens of thousands of euros.
NKBV Expeditieverzekering (membership required)(opens in a new tab)
The facilitator has not described the terrain yet, so this is based on the region and length only.
The insurance you actually need depends on your own circumstances, such as the cover you already have. Naturetreats does not sell or recommend insurance: check any policy against your own situation before you travel.