66 EXPERIENCE LIFE . Ski l l Set: Head Out . December 2006

LOOKING FOR AN ADVENTURE OF AHIGHER ORDER? A PILGRIMAGE CANCHALLENGE YOUR STAMINA WHILENOURISHING YOUR SPIRIT.

H E A D O U T [A d v e n t u r e / T r a v e l ]

By LAUREL KALLENBACH

Call me a seeker of magic. Two years ago, I decidedto make a pilgrimage to a place where peoplehave a different sense of time and history — acountry where you still hear tales about fairies,

and where you can fetch the gate key to a Neolithictomb at the espresso shop down the hill.

Ah, Ireland. I went there looking to reconnect with asense of mystery and magic, and I wasn’t disappointed. Iwas, however, tested along the way. With my guidebook inhand, I navigated rural backroads and tramped throughovergrown sheep pastures and castle ruins in search ofancient stone monuments and petroglyphs.

One day, I waded for hours through thigh-highgrasses searching in vain for a sacred healing well supposedly located along Donegal’s Atlantic cliffs. Thefrustration of not finding the well nearly caused me toskip my pilgrimage’s next stop — Kilclooney Dolmen, ahuge stone table built over a tomb entrance — in favorof chamomile tea back at the B&B.

Luckily, I persisted and arrived at a farm gate guardedby a pair of menacing red cows. I was sidling nearer, eye-ing their horns, when a black dog bounded to my rescueand chased them away. My wagging hero then initiateda game of fetch that led us all the way to the dolmen.

I gasped when I caught sight of three giant rockssupporting a massive horizontal capstone. It looked soelegant, like a bird taking flight. I explored the stonestructure, running my hands over the cool rocks andcrouching under the hollow beneath its legs. After yearsof dreaming, I had actually crossed an ocean, braved myfear of driving on the left side of the road and arrived atthis wonder — ancient stones filled with secrets.

My modern-day dilemmas suddenly seemed inconse-quential compared with this prehistoric rock structure.Built millennia before forklifts or cranes, these delicatelybalanced stones were nothing short of miraculous. I hadfound my bit of magic.

SacredAs I roamed the boggy hilltop with my canine com-

panion, assessing the dolmen from many angles, I pickedwildflowers. Finally, I set my bouquet at the feet of themonument, and in accordance with dolmen lore, made awish and kissed the birdlike capstone to make it come true.

PILGRIMAGES IN MODERN TIMESPilgrimages come in all shapes and sizes — and with allsorts of destinations. If you crave more than a vacation,or if you believe that outdoor travel done consciouslycan deepen your spirit, help you make life decisions orunburden your soul, then you’re ready to join the ranksof spiritual pilgrims.

A pilgrimage, a journey to a place that holds significant personal or spiritual meaning, is often doneon foot and can involve a certain amount of physical hard-ship: Think of a high-altitude trek through the Andes tothe ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu, for example. Youprepare, depart and struggle along an often-arduousroad to arrive at your destination, but along the way youmight experience a spiritual journey within.

Many people make pilgrimages when they’re under-going personal change — facing an emotional or spiritualcrossroads — or when they’re in need of deep renewal.Some people choose a traditional spiritual destination: theGanges River in India, the Chartres Cathedral in France,the Canterbury Cathedral in England. Others might find adifferent sort of personal significance in canoeing therivers of the Lewis and Clark Trail. What matters is that thepilgrimage resonates with and evokes meaning for you.

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You can choose a pilgrimage of your own devising, or you might join a ready-made adventure that offers convenience and like-minded companions. CELTIC SPIRIT JOURNEYS: Sacred sites in England, Ireland, Scotland and Waleswith Mara Freeman; 800-694-1957; www.celticspiritjourneys.com

INSIGHT TRAVEL: Buddhist pilgrimages throughout Asia; 800-688-9851;www.insight-travel.com

PILGRIMAGE INDIA: Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim tours; 91-11-23413885;www.pilgrimage-india.com

SPIRIT JOURNEYS: Organized pilgrimages to Machu Picchu, Sedona, Greece,Egypt, Indonesia and more; 800-490-3684; www.spiritjourneys.com

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TOURS: Religious trips to important Christiansites all over the world; 863-648-0383; www.eo.travelwithus.com

Pilgrimage Companies

One of the world’s oldestpilgrimages leads to theancient Incan ruins ofMachu Picchu in Peru.

Writer Laurel Kallenbach caught thisshot of her favorite pilgrimage spotin Ireland, the Kilclooney Dolmen.

Over 7,000 steps lead up the “Stairway to Heaven”to the summit of China’sMount Tai Shan. Legendsays that those who climbthe mountain will live to bea hundred years old.

A popular Buddhist pilgrimage destination,Myanmar is known as theLand of Golden Pagodas.

HIKING FOR YOUR SOUL“I find clarity and deep satisfaction on the pilgrim trail,” says author BrandonWilson, who has walked a number of sacred pilgrimage routes — from medievalEuropean pathways to a Buddhist trek through the Tibetan Himalayas, which he chronicles in Yak Butter Blues: A Tibetan Trek of Faith (Pilgrim’s Tales, 2006).“Following these age-old roads is a physical journey that leads you to also travel within,” he says.

In September, Wilson finished a 2,700-mile, five-month trek for worldpeace. He has also taken the pilgrimage path across northern Spain called ElCamino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James, which has been popular for more1,100 years with those who want to pay homage to the apostle, whose relicsare enshrined in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

“Walking the Camino is the equivalent of doing a marathon a day,” saysWilson, who has made the 500-mile pilgrimage on two occasions, carrying justan 11-pound pack. He covered 15 to 20 miles per day, sleeping in dormitory-style inns along the trail. The entire journey took a month. “Much of the challenge is mental,” he says. “You’re exposed not just to the elements — hotsun, driving rain — but to the forests and deep valleys of your own psyche.”

There are physical challenges, too: “I thought I was in the best shape ofmy life before the trip,” Wilson recalls. “But, when I developed six good-sizedblisters, I was quickly reduced to a very humble, slow-walking pilgrim. It did,however, teach me to appreciate traveling through the Spanish countryside onestep at a time.”

The route wends its way through mountains, vineyards and windsweptplateaus, giving travelers time for both personal and spiritual reflection.Seeking a closer link between himself and God, Wilson says he ultimately real-ized El Camino de Santiago was a metaphor for life. “Too often we’re burdenedby all we carry on our backs — both on the trail and in life,” he observes. “Ilearned it’s better to lighten up and carry only essentials.” �

Roads

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BEING LOST AND FOUNDPilgrimages, by nature, elicit some struggle — bothemotional and physical — but most people push forwardbecause they believe the process of following the trail isjust as important as arriving at the destination.

Radha Marcum and her husband, Doug Schnitzpahn,chose the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, a Buddhistmonastery in Monterey County, Calif., for their pilgrimage.To buffer the space between their noisy lifestyle and themonastery where many monks take a vow of silence, theBoulder, Colo.–based writers decided to backpack 30 milesthrough the Ventana Wilderness on their way to Tassajara.

“We wanted time away from the world to get in touchwith ourselves and nature,” Marcum explains. “We figuredit would take three days of backpacking to shed our stressand disconnect from cell phones and computers.”

The couple hadn’t expected, however, that they wouldspend two frustrating and exhausting days trying to findtheir trail, which had been obliterated by fires and land-slides. Instead of being too plugged in, they were now uncomfortably isolated, bushwhacking though vines, brush

RE

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S WEBwww.sacredsites.com — The Places of Peace and Power Website includes photos and essays on pilgrimages.

www.pilgrimstales.com — Author Brandon Wilson’s Web siteoffers links to various pilgrimage and world peace sites.

BOOKSThe Art of Pilgrimage: The Seekers Guide to Making TravelSacred by Phil Cousineau (Conari Press, 1998)

The Road Within: True Stories of Transformation and the Soul,edited by Sean O’Reilly, James O’Reilly and Tim O’Reilly(Travelers’ Tales, Inc., 2002)

Pilgrimage: From the Ganges to Graceland: An Encyclopedia byLinda Kay Davidson and David Gitlitz (ABC-CLIO, 2002)

Yak Butter Blues: A Tibetan Trek of Faith by Brandon Wilson(Pilgrim’s Tales, 2006)

Going on a pilgrimage — or just making an outdooradventure more spiritual — requires tuning into yourinner self. These steps can make your trip more fulfilling:

STEP 1 Prepare thoroughly. If your pilgrimage is religious,study its history as well as the logistics. Travel light, but consider packing a few pages of sacred writings that reflectthe soul of the place you’re going.

STEP 2 Spend quiet time. Your trip is an opportunity to lookinward. Take time daily for meditation or prayer — and forconcentrating on feeling your emotions.

STEP 3 Open your senses. Go slowly, listen to the wind, focuson every color and shape. To capture your experience, write inyour journal, sketch the landscape or compose a song.

STEP 4 Leave routine at home. This is an opportunity toopen yourself to a different sense of rhythm and balance. Leave electronics and strict schedules behind.

STEP 5 Be respectful. Remain open-minded toward others’spiritual beliefs. Treat your pilgrimage place like a sanctuary— including outdoor and archaeological locations. Sit quietly,speak softly, act responsibly. Bring an appropriate gift toshow gratitude for being there.

STEP 6 Keep the spark alive. After your return, share yourtales, help other travelers plan a soul journey or create analtar. Mark the anniversary of your pilgrimage by looking atyour photos and reading your journal.

H E A D O U T [A d v e n t u r e / T r a v e l ]

and fallen redwood trees. “I’m not particularly religious,but the situation got so bad that I started asking for guidance from Padre Pio, a recently canonized Italianpriest I’d heard about,” she says.

Luckily, Schnitzpahn had some experience in trailbuilding, so he recognized signs of where a path mightonce have been. To their relief, the couple finally emergedat the remote monastery. After the ordeal, they welcomedTassajara’s serene, organized schedule: 5 a.m. wake-up,sitting meditations and four hours of daily chores donein silence. “People misinterpret Zen as being zoned out,but it’s about focus, about zoning in. Everything you do —working, cooking, eating — is a meditation,” saysMarcum. “I felt cleansed by our physical trial and thencompletely renewed by the retreat.”

Looking back, she calls the experience a touchstone.“For me, simply reflecting on our time at the monasteryreminds me there was a time when I felt unburdened. AndI wouldn’t change a thing, not even the challenging back-packing days. I think obstacles actually create meaningon a pilgrimage. Though we were frustrated at the time,we feel great that we overcame our obstacles,” she says.

Making a pilgrimage can be challenging, but byputting your heart, soul and some shoe leather into it,you’ll likely find it not just rejuvenating, but the experi-ence of a lifetime. �

Laurel Kallenbach is a regular contributor to Experience Life and a senior editorof Natural Home magazine.

THE FOOTPATH WITHIN

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