ADVENTURE,
THE GREAT TEACHER
BY BO HAWI
Sitting at my desk in England, looking out over the sun-dappled forest surrounding me, my latest trip to the mighty Himalayas of Nepal already feels like a dream, as it always does when I get back after a long adventure. Dream-like…as yet something very real has taken place. There’s always a shift.
Seeking transformation through travel has always come naturally to me. But leading a group of fellow seekers is a different kind of journey. Last year, I co-founded The Portal, a transformative adventure company that combines psychology-backed practices for personal growth and spirituality with epic group trips into nature. Our latest trip in Nepal was called Conquer Your Mountain. As guides, we knew it wasn’t just about getting ourselves to the summit — it was about creating the conditions for a group to find meaning through their own unique journeys.
Our journey began in Syabrubesi, a small village that serves as the gateway into Nepal’s Langtang Valley. Over the next six days, I led our group—hailing from Brazil, Switzerland, and Germany—trekking forested trails and exploring the deep presence of nature through meditation and contemplation across rushing rivers, and up steep, rocky ascents toward the snow-dusted summit of Kyanjin Ri (4,700 metres). None of them were seasoned mountaineers, but they had a taste for adventure and wide open hearts for the journey ahead. Our route brought us to alpine meadows, breathtaking vistas, and occasional icy dips into mountain streams. As we practiced Buddhist breathing techniques beside a cascading waterfall, I had a vivid reminder of why we’d chosen this path: to find clarity and connection within nature’s grandeur.
For me, this adventure was a great teacher, and I ended up learning far more than I expected — not just about the land, but about the mind, about resilience, and about the rhythm of the journey.
Lesson #1 — You Are Capable of More Than You Think
Langtang is physically demanding. It starts gently enough, winding through forested villages, but by the fourth day you’re climbing steep ascents at altitude with long days and heavy legs. The final push takes you to 4,700 metres — where the oxygen starts to thin, and every step takes just a bit more effort. But for most people, the hardest part has nothing to do with legs or lungs. It’s the voice in their head.
If you think that years of experience on mountain adventures — or the fact I’m leading the group — makes me immune to those voices, think again. They still come, whispering: “You’re not strong enough” or “What if you can’t do this?” And if you’re not careful, you start to believe them. But here’s the truth: it’s almost never real. What I’ve learnt — and what this trek reminded me of in a profound way — is that the mind will start looking for an escape route well before we’ve reached our actual limit.
Why? Because the mind wants to protect us from failure — or more accurately, from the painful perception of failure. So it underestimates what we’re capable of. That way, we never take the risk of trying and falling short.
That became clear to me on summit day. I hadn’t slept well the night before, and at high altitude, every step took effort. But this is where experience kicked in. I remembered something that helped me stay calm and keep going: It’s none of my business whether I succeed or fail — the future isn’t mine to control. I knew that I had energy for the next step. That’s all I needed to focus on.
This adventure was never about just reaching the top of the mountain — it was about learning how to meet the challenges in our lives with presence, flow, and open-heartedness. I didn’t have to fight the thoughts. I just had to keep walking. And when I reached the top, it wasn’t a sense of glory that hit me — it was a quiet confidence. That moment reminded me of something I hope every guest experiences: you can meet the challenges life throws at you with calmness and trust. You don’t need to run. You don’t need to quit. You just need to take the next step.
Lesson #2 — Impatience Is a Declaration of War
One of the most powerful lessons I’ve learnt is the importance of flow. One of our mottos goes: “Impatience is a declaration of war against the rhythm of the universe.”
I’ve struggled with impatience my whole life. And on this trip, I saw it show up again — both in myself and in the group. Andrew, a friendly young German man, had a habit of powering ahead when his trail got difficult. To me, it felt like his coping strategy: push hard, get it done, move on. I recognise it in myself. I’ve done the same in so many areas of life. When pressure builds — from work, relationships, or internal tension — the instinct is to speed up, push through, and get it over with.
The problem is, there’s always another challenge waiting. So we stay in this loop of stress, never really addressing the root cause — often a fear of failure or discomfort. And on the other end of the spectrum, procrastination — waiting until it’s too late — is just another symptom of the same issue: resisting discomfort.
This trek invited us into a different rhythm. One day, we stopped at a hidden waterfall I’d discovered on a previous scouting trip — a quiet opening in the forest, with cold mist on our faces and no sound except water and birdsong. I guided us through a chocolate meditation. It’s as good as it sounds: take a square of chocolate, let it melt slowly, and simply notice everything — the flavour, the breath, the thoughts, and the impulse to rush.
It doesn’t take long, but it brings you right into the moment. Something shifted that day. The energy softened. People slowed down. They tuned into the beauty around them instead of striving forward. We’d found our flow. The mountain has its own tempo, and so does life. When we try to force our way through difficulty, we miss what’s already here. But when we slow down, things tend to open up on their own.
Lesson #3 — You Are Not the Bearer of Others’ Transformation
This last lesson was a big one for me as a guide. When I’m leading an adventure, it’s easy to slip into the mindset that I’m responsible for everyone’s growth. That they need to feel healed, transformed, fulfilled — especially when they’ve paid good money for the trip!
But that pressure can quietly become a blockage. It’s easy to get attached to smiles and laughter, especially when they’re so common on our trips. During the trek, I wrote in my journal: “An adventure is no holiday” — a reminder to myself that challenge is part of the process. Everyone is on their own path. I can be a guide, a supporter, a teammate. But I can’t carry their experience for them.
One moment really brought this home. A guest was unsure she could continue — she was dealing with fatigue, illness, and doubt. Instead of offering solutions or motivation, we sat in a sharing circle. Each person spoke vulnerably about their own fears. No advice. No fixing. Just presence. Cara, my co-founder (and wonderful partner), led a heart-based tantra practice where we shared support through sound and intention. Something shifted in the space — not because we solved her struggle, but because she knew she wasn’t alone. She found her own strength. That’s when real transformation happens.
By the time we reached the summit, it wasn’t about altitude anymore. It was about what we’d let go of along the way — the fear, the rush, the need to control. What stayed with me wasn’t some peak experience, but a series of profound realisations I’ll carry forward for a long time.
As we prepare for our upcoming adventures in Nepal and Thailand, I feel more than ever that I’m doing what I’m meant to be doing in this world. I honestly can’t put into words how excited I am for the adventures ahead, the lessons waiting to be learned, and the incredible new friends I’ll have the privilege of journeying with.
BO HAWI is a co-founder and lead guide at The Portal, which creates and leads transformative adventures in some of the most awe-inspiring natural environments on Earth. For more info on all of our journeys, visit www.theportaladventure.com. For private group, corporate, or bespoke adventures, get in touch at info@theportaladventure.com.