In Practice
A practical note
for those considering SOLO.
Preparation
Preparation on your side
is kept deliberately light.
No previous outdoor experience is expected.
The outdoor system is prepared
and provided by the guide.
Shelter, food, warmth, equipment,
route and safety decisions
are held within that frame.
The clothing system is prepared by the guide
and adjusted with you after arrival,
before the outdoor stay begins.
Footwear remains personal
and is clarified before arrival.
Outside
You live outside for the duration
of the stay.
The climate is subarctic.
The days include walking, stillness,
simple camp routines, meals,
weather as it comes,
terrain as it is,
and time without agenda.
You are outside ordinary availability. Work contact is not part of the frame.
For emergencies, the guide carries
a satellite communicator.
Physical basis
No athletic performance is expected.
A stable physical basis is required:
to move for several hours at an unforced pace,
carry a modest pack,
sleep outside,
and live simply for several days.
Place and arrival
The work takes place in Norway,
in the Nordic wilderness.
The exact location is chosen
for the season, the weather,
the access and the conditions.
Travel is kept simple.
The usual international route
is through Oslo Airport.
Onward travel from Oslo
is confirmed individually
before booking.
Pickup on the first day
and return to that point
on the last day
are part of the guided frame.
Safety
Weather, route choices, camp location,
food, water, warmth, equipment
and exit options remain part
of the guide’s responsibility.
There are clear boundaries
for when something is adjusted,
paused or ended.
The work is covered by professional liability insurance.
Discretion
The stay remains private.
Participants are not photographed,
named or quoted.
No testimonials are requested
and no account of a stay
is published by the guide.
What is said during the stay
is treated as confidential.
This is part of the written agreement.
Guide
SOLO is guided by
Markus von Willert.
Apprenticed in forest work.
A year as a ranger in a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Forest science and ecology followed (M.Sc., University of Göttingen).
Field work in forests and protected areas in Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia.
Thirty years of wilderness practice, much of it solo.
Across Europe. For many years in Norway.
Months spent where SOLO takes place,
in each of its seasons.
More than a decade in organisational roles
with sustained responsibility.
Wilderness First Responder (NOLS Wilderness Medicine, 2026).
Not therapy
SOLO is neither therapy
nor coaching.
It is not suitable during
an acute personal crisis.
There is no spiritual or psychological
programme and no promised outcome.
The guide holds the frame.
Not the meaning.
The stay is the work.
Availability
SOLO is limited to five stays per year.
A brief conversation comes before booking.
It allows both sides to consider whether
the timing, conditions and form of the stay
are right.
Dates and terms are then
agreed in writing.
