FAQ
Q. What is Experiential Coaching?
A. Business Coaching, Executive Coaching, Consultancy and Personal Development is awash with frameworks, models and cookie-cutter approaches that logically and clearly set out the process of how to undergo personal and organisational transformation.
The thing is, we are human, and logic and process is only part of the story.
It’s why these approaches, on their own, don’t work.
The desire for change, to level-up, to yearn for something more, rarely comes from cold logic alone - it all starts as a feeling.
If we ignore that, and instead just meet online or in a small room to talk about goals and strategies, clients get the theory, but they don’t feel - or crucially - BELIEVE in the path.
Our minds work through association - habits are stacked on other habits, behaviour is triggered by a prompt, our memory is built on links between thoughts and experiences. And the strongest associations we form are those based in FEELING and EMOTION. Whether it is internal feelings, like joy or pain, or external ones, such as smells, sights and sounds.
At WildEdge Worx, we use this to anchor the transformational journey you are on to experiences you can feel.
We take you out of your every-day routines into natural environments you can see, hear and touch. Where your mind can work, free from distractions, and unlimited by the assocations with your every-day environment and routines. Where you can experience the peace from walking in the majestic mountains. Or the cold, yet vigorous energy of a waterfall against your skin. Or the shapes of stones on the path beneath your feet.
We explore the underlying feelings behind what is driving you. We go deep. We understand where you are, what you need, and why you need it. Then we look at the frameworks and models and tap into our weath of business and transformation experience to plan your journey.
We set your intentions. We light your path. And then we anchor it all in what you are feeling and what you are experiencing.
We give you a deep, profound alignment which unleashes your power, passion and purpose, making you unstoppable.
An unshakeable belief in your journey.
And support you every step of the way.
Q. So I LOVE the idea, but aren’t ‘natural environments’ quite cold and windy?
A. Not always! But above all we want you to enjoy your WildEdge Worx experience. As trained outdoor expedition leaders, but also experienced facilitators, we will always make sure that the you are safe, but also feel the right amount of challenge to be inspired. ‘Challenge’ is quite subjective - some people may be inspired by a windy mountain top, others will not.
We will also make sure you have the right equipment with you to deal with whatever the weather my throw at us - as the saying goes, ‘There’s no such thing as the wrong weather, just the wrong equipment’
Our experience has taught us that once on an expedition, conditions can change quickly and without warning. If the weather becomes a significant impediment to your coaching, we will schedule in a follow-up session to cover any areas that may have been missed.
Q. What if it rains?
A. Our view on the weather is that you can get as much benefit from expeditions in poor conditions as you can in perfect conditions. Indeed, expeditions in poorer conditions can offer something quite powerful that you don’t normally get - strongly enhancing the sense of achievement on completion, and developing resilience, resourcefulness and flexibility.
We will work with you closely to establish the your comfort level generally, and each expedition will consider your bespoke needs.
If inclement weather is forecast that we believe, based on our discussions, is going to detract from your experience, we will contact you to discuss options with you. This could involve changes to equipment requirements, the route, or re-arranging the expedition.
If we believe that the weather poses a significant risk to your safety, we will postpone the session and re-arrange for a mutually convenient date.
Q. Erm… I love the outdoors bit, but you’re not getting me up a mountain.
A. Is that a question? But we totally understand. Our shorter outdoor sessions range from strolls in local parks or the woods to local hills and moorland, and we have some lovely lowland routes for longer sessions too.
Q. I love mountains! Give me BIG mountains!
A. Also not a question, but we hear you. We cover all mountainous regions within the UK (out of area charge applies in Scotland), and our routes cover up to and includining Grade 1 scrambles. For context, somewhere like Crib Goch is probably at the most extreme end of our range.
Q. It is safe?
A. Safety is at the core of what we do. All of our facilitators and coaches are fully trained and insured outdoor leaders, experienced in ‘old-skool’ navigation (and ‘new-skool’ navigation too), outdoor first aid and leading groups safely into the hills. We’ve spent a lot of time developing policies and procedures that will actually protect people (and review these regularly), rather than just act as a checkbox. We are fully insured for the activities we undertake, and our policies and risk management procedures are available on request.
Q. What if I need to draw or write?
A. We carry some convenient foam seats to allow us to hunker down in nature when we need to do some drawing and writing. For group sessions in wetter weather, we carry a tarp that we can set up to be able to shelter and draw any diagrams/nice pictures/plans for world domination.
We also have recently got a nice campervan with a nice, sturdy table and good coffee making facilities.
We also regularly break out (technically it would be ‘breaking in’, but that doesn’t sound right…) into pubs and cafes en-route or at the end, where we can do some plotting.
Q. What is the biggest group size you can accommodate?
A. This depends on the session you have planned, but we scale according to the activity and your needs.
Challenge events are limited to 100 people.
For team outdoor workshops, we have found it more effective to break larger teams into groups of up to 15 people (depending on the workshop).
For Business Strategy Workshops, we would recommend including your executive team (these generally work best with between 2 and 8 participants).
Our risk management policy stipulates the ratio of outdoor leaders we assign per number of people in the group, which from a safety point of view, is dependent on the terrain. Our pricing includes all leader requirements.
Q. Where are the expeditions held?
A. Shorter sessions are held within 90 minutes of our base in North Leeds, and often clients have somewhere local in mind. This can cover local parks, woods and hills, but also offers routes in the Yorkshire Dales, the West Pennine Moors near Manchester, the Nidderdale AONB, the North York Moors, or the Peak District. These locations are easily accessible, and offer inspiring settings, breathtaking scenery and a choice of gentler walks or substantial challenging summits.
Full day sessions are held in the mountains or hills across the north of England or North Wales. This could include locations in the Yorkshire Dales, Peak District, Lake District, Pennines or Eryri (Snowdonia).
We do offer expeditions UK-wide, (e.g. Scotland, Dartmoor, Brecon, etc.) but there is an additional out-of-area charge (£350+VAT) to support this.
Q. How do I get to and from the expedition?
A. We expect all members of the expedition to make their own way to the start point. We can discuss logistics prior to the expedition (i.e. choosing an accessible start/end point if people are travelling via public transport). All of our expeditions are circular, unless otherwise discussed.
Q. Do you offer accommodation?
A. Single day events do not include accommodation unless stated, however we are happy to research options and to provide recommendations to you if you wish to stay over the night before or night afterwards. We do endeavour to make our expeditions accessible on a day trip from most locations in northern England, however appreciate that some people and groups may travel from further afield.
Multi-day experiences include accommodation.
Q. Oooh.. multi-day experiences?
A. The Rewilding Retreat is run over multiple days. For our other experiences, we are happy to create a bespoke, multi-day trip, including accommodation. We are also able to offer trips that involve wild camping overnight. Please contact us for more details.
Q. Do you provide equipment?
A. We provide any equipment required for the actual coaching and strategy sessions - including paper/pens etc., and also provide any group-wide hill equipment (navigation aids, emergency supplies, etc.)
Each member of the expedition is responsible for providing their own personal equipment and sustenance for the expedition. We can work with you and the group to ensure that each member has sufficient and cost-effective equipment. Note that we have the right to refuse to lead people who we believe do not have sufficient equipment to complete the session or event safely.
Q. How long is a typical session?
A. Our Trailblazer Days are a minimum of 6 hours long, but may be longer depending on the route. Our Beacon Sessions and monthly Outdoor Coaching Sessions are 2 hours long. Please let us know in advance if you have a hard stop at the end of the session, and we will plan the route accordingly
Q. Do you offer expeditions and sessions at weekends?
A. Some of our events are specifically held at the weekend, but for businesses, we would recommend organising expeditions on weekdays if possible. There are two reasons for this:
The outdoors is significantly quieter during the week. The popular destinations can get very crowded at weekends and in the summer, making parking stressful and the paths busy.
You may find your mindset is different at the weekend if you are usually not working. Some of your group may resent ginvg up their free time. Others may be really excited about the trip, but be in ‘day-off’ mode. Either way, you may not get the best from them.
Q. Do you offer set challenges? e.g. the Yorkshire Three Peaks?
A. We are happy to lead groups who want to embark on a challenge walk such as the Yorkshire Three Peaks, or Welsh 3000s and offer a special discounted rate if raising money for charity. Check out our Group Challenge page to find out more.
Q. Can I bring my dog?
A. Yes! Having your furry companion along can add to the therapy of being outdoors, so you are welcome to bring them along. In order to protect the natural environment, and be mindful of others (and their land), we ask that:
You let us know in advance that you’re bringing your pet along
They must always be kept on a lead in farmers’ fields, and on open access land during March and October, due to the presence of livestock and ground-nesting birds
They shouldn’t negatively distract your attention from the session
Anything we take into the hills, we take out (scoop the poop!)
In addition, for group events, we also ask that your dog starts on a lead, is well-behaved and calm, and you are mindful of others in the group who may not be as curious/enthusiastic about your friend as they are about others!