INNER COMPASS Men's Backpacking Retreat

Who: Men (limited to 10 participants)

What: A 36-hour guided backpacking immersion

When: May 2–3, 2026 (Backup weekend: May 16–17)

Where: Los Padres National Forest, near Ojai, CA

Facilitators: Matty Stevenson & Karsten van Sander

Why Inner Compass

In a world that gives men little room to slow down, feel, and reflect, it’s easy to lose sight of our own inner compass. This retreat offers that space, a grounded container to practice emotional depth, self-awareness, and genuine connection with other men. Through the gentle and harsh qualities of nature, we rediscover both our vulnerability and our strength.

This retreat offers men a supportive space to meet the natural yearning for connection, growth, and healthy masculine expression, in ways that most men don't experience in their daily lives.

Your guides, Matty Stevenson (Ventura men’s group leader for over eight years) and Karsten van Sander (hospital chaplain and grief counselor), will lead participants through a weekend of reconnection, growth, and self-exploration.

What to Expect

This retreat combines backcountry camping with guided practices designed to help you slow down, listen within, and connect authentically with other men.

Here’s what the journey looks like:

• Arrive & Gather: Arrive, ground in, and set shared intentions for the weekend.

• Hike In: Hike about 90 minutes to a remote campsite surrounded by wild beauty, no cell service, no demands.

• Camp Life: Share in setting up camp, cooking together, and finding presence in simplicity.

• Facilitated Men’s Circles: Experience guided conversations and reflection practices that invite honesty, vulnerability, and collaborative exploration of healthy masculinity.

• Solo Time in Nature: Step away for quiet moments of personal reflection, journaling, or rest.

• Grounding & Mindfulness Practices: Light movement, breath work, and intentional stillness to help you drop out of the head and into the body.

• Evening Fire Circles: Gather under the stars to share stories, insights, and silence.

• Integration & Closing: Reflect on what you’ve uncovered and create intentions for carrying this experience forward into daily life.

No experience is required, just a willingness to show up, participate, and explore what’s true for you.

Accessibility & Gear

Beginner backpackers are welcome. You’ll receive a packing list upon registration, and some loaner gear is available (tents, backpacks, sleeping pads, etc.).

Physical Challenge Level: Moderate — Expect 2–4 miles of hiking (one way) with minimal elevation gain, carrying overnight gear. Designed for men with basic fitness, offering gentle physical challenge without technical demands. The wilderness setting naturally invites teamwork, self-reliance, and shared support.

What You’ll Walk Away With

• Support & Grounding — A safe landing space to pause, reflect, and recalibrate amid life’s transitions.

• Personal Growth — Fresh awareness and practical tools for self-reflection, communication, and emotional presence.

• Healthy Masculinity — Guided exploration of what strength, vulnerability, and integrity mean to you as a man, co-created through honest conversations and shared experience.

• Community & Connection — Genuine camaraderie that eases loneliness and reminds you that you’re not alone in your challenges or your growth.

• Clarity of Purpose — Renewed direction, motivation, and confidence to bring your insights home to your relationships, work, and daily life.

Meet Your Guides

Matty Stevenson

Matty has spent over a decade facilitating both men’s and community groups. He has a deep experience in men’s work, the concept of masculine and feminine “polarity”, and conscious leadership. In addition to group and men’s work, Matty is the founder of Conscious Ground, an organization which helps individuals and groups grow through building skills in connection, leadership, and solidarity; human skills desperately needed for the modern world.

Karsten van Sander

Karsten works as a hospital chaplain and spiritual director. In both of these areas, he regularly sits with men struggling to understand their own calling and longing for clarity and passion around their calling as men.

Co-created by Matty Stevenson and Karsten van Sander in collaboration with Thrive Wellness Workshop, Inner Compass reflects their belief that every person holds the wisdom to find their own path. Often, we just need guidance, and the right environment, to reconnect with that inner direction.

Investment

Scholarship Rate – $200 | For those needing financial support to make participation possible.

Standard Rate – $240 | Covers meals, facilitation, and group gear {the true cost of the retreat}

Supporter Rate – $280 | Helps fund a scholarship and makes this experience accessible for another man.

What’s Included

Everything you need to feel supported and prepared—on and off the trail:

• Guided facilitation & safety management from experienced leaders

• Group camping gear such as shared cooking equipment and water filtration

• Backcountry planning & logistics so you can focus on the experience, not the details

• Pre-retreat preparation materials with packing lists, expectations, and tips

• Post-retreat integration resources to help carry insights into daily life

• Access to the Inner Compass community for continued connection and growth

Our Policies

Participant Cancellation Policy

• Cancellations made 21+ days before the retreat start date: 90% refund.

• Cancellations made within 21 days: non-refundable, except in a bonafide emergency (e.g., illness or family crisis).

External Factors

The retreat may be postponed due to unsafe weather, wildfire risk, facilitator illness, or low enrollment. Participants will be notified as early as possible—typically 5–7 days in advance.

Backup Weekend

All registrants should reserve the backup weekend (May 16–17) when booking. If rescheduled, your spot automatically transfers. If you’re unable to attend the backup weekend, you’ll receive a full refund minus processing fees.

Non-Refundable Costs

We are not responsible for personal travel or gear purchases outside retreat registration. Please plan accordingly.