Celestial River Immersion
A Five-Day Tea, Qigong & Hiking Journey through the Swiss Alps
July 28 – August 2, 2027
Our journey will take place during the year of the Yin Fire Goat 丁未 (2027).
In Chinese metaphysics, the Goat carries the qualities of Earth, at the height of Summer — receptive, nourishing, profoundly aware of its environment, and its story. Its medicine is not one of force, but of sincere attunement — learning to sense the terrain, respond to what is present, and find nourishment in simplicity.
Under the influence of Yin Fire 丁, the Goat 未 is inspired by the heartfelt warmth of shared practice — ascending the mountains to tend the flame of simplicity and sincere presence, to carry this flame back into the world.
A Meaningful Story at the Heart of This Immersion.
Some places become part of our practice before we understand their significance.
From 2009 to 2015, the mountains of Switzerland became my home — a place I would return to between my travels to Asia, where I was studying tea. These mountains became an important place of healing for me, a landscape where I spent many quiet hours and shared many cups of tea on my own.
In 2019, while working on the creative project of my book, Tea, Remembering the Essence of Life, I was immensely blessed to be introduced to Atonka, who offered to support the project.
Atonka was born in these mountains. They hold her childhood memories and many of the formative journeys of her life.
During the years of creating the book, Switzerland became one of the landscapes through which my relationship with tea continued to unfold. Many of the photographs for the book were taken here — among the valleys, forests, rivers, and mountains that had become part of the book's visual and contemplative world.
In 2023, Atonka and I returned to these mountains together as part of the Tea Book Tour, journeying once again through a landscape that had already held so many of our personal and shared memories.
In Summer 2027, we are delighted to invite a small group of people to journey through these mountains with us.
For five days, we will walk through the mountains of Valais — moving between villages, valleys, alpine paths, and mountain huts, sharing Tea and Qigong along the way.
This is not simply a hiking itinerary.
It is an opportunity to enter a landscape that has been deeply connected to our own journey with tea, and to experience the mountains slowly — on foot, through the body, and in the company of others.
The Rhythm of the Journey
Each day will begin with Tea & Qigong.
Before setting out onto the trail, we will gather in the morning for tea & qigong practice, waking the body, finding our center, and preparing ourselves to enter the landscape. We will share breakfast together before departing.
Along the trail, tea will become a place to pause. We will stop during the day to share tea & lunch, replenish, rest, and breathe — allowing ourselves to receive the landscape.
At the end of the day, after arriving at our mountain hut or village, there will be space to settle, share a warm cooked meal, and optional qigong practice before bedtime.
Our conversations and shared practices along the journey will mainly be carried in English and in silence, but can eventually be translated to French, Italian and Swiss German.
Five Days in the Mountains
Our route will carry us through a varied landscape of the Swiss Alps, beginning in St-Luc and traveling through Zinal, Moiry, Becs de Bosson, and Vercorin.
We will move between mountain villages and alpine huts, gradually entering the higher landscape before eventually descending again toward the valley.
The route has been chosen not only for its beauty, but for its variety. Forest paths give way to open mountain terrain; valleys open into vast alpine horizons; and as we journey onward, we will sometimes be able to look back and see the places where we began from a distance.
Our local mountain guide, Pascale, will accompany us and help us adapt the route to the weather, trail conditions, and the energy of the group. The use of funiculars, cable cars, buses, and gondolas also allows us to create gentler variations when needed.
There is no need to prove anything to the mountain.
We will walk, pause, listen, and adjust.
What we will share
Five days of guided hiking through the Swiss Alps
Our own personal local mountain guide (Pascale)
Morning tea and Qigong each day
Tea meditations woven into the hiking days
Optional evening Qigong practices
Hut-to-hut mountain experiences
Shared Double Room with Individual Beds (St-Luc + Zinal + Vercorin)
Shared dormitory accommodation (Moiry + Becs de Bosson)
Flexible hiking options according to weather and group capacity
A small and intimate group experience
July 28 · Arrival in St-Luc
We gather in the mountain village of St-Luc in the afternoon.
After settling into our rooms, there will be time to meet one another, and explore the village. We will share a tea & qigong practice to begin arriving into the landscape, and a nourishing dinner.
Overnight: St-Luc
Shared Double Room with Individual Beds.
July 29 · St-Luc to Zinal
Our first day of walking begins in St-Luc. We will take the funicular before setting out on foot toward Zinal.
15 km · approximately 5 hours
+350 m / -800 m
Overnight: Zinal
Shared Double Room with Individual Beds.
July 30 · Zinal to Moiry
From Zinal, we make our way toward the spectacular Moiry region.
A cable car can be used to shorten the ascent before continuing toward the mountain hut.
10 km · approximately 4 hours
+600 m / -600 m
Overnight: Moiry Hut
Shared dormitory accommodation.
July 31 · Moiry to Becs de Bosson
We continue across the mountains toward Becs de Bosson.
A bus and gondola can be used to shorten the walking portion of the day, allowing the route to remain responsive to the conditions and the group.
9 km · approximately 4 hours
+850 m / -600 m
Overnight: Becs de Bosson Hut
Shared dormitory accommodation.
August 1 · Becs de Bosson to Vercorin
Our last hiking day carries us from the high mountains toward Vercorin.
A gondola can provide a gentler option for part of the descent.
We arrive in Vercorin and settle into private rooms for our final evening together.
Overnight: Vercorin
Shared Double Room with Individual Beds.
August 2 · Departure
We will share a replenishing tea & qigong practice and a nourishing breakfast in the morning in Vercorin before departure.
A Small Group, A Shared Journey
We are intentionally keeping this journey small.
There is something different about moving through the mountains as a small group — enough space for quiet, conversation, shared meals and tea, while allowing the rhythm of the journey to remain intimate and responsive.
We hope to share not only the beauty of these mountains, but something of the relationship they have held for us over the years, as well as how our tea & qigong practices are shaped by its landscape.
Traveling Lightly
Because this is a journey on foot through the mountains, we encourage everyone to pack as lightly as possible.
Traveling lightly allows us to move more freely, reduces the physical burden of the journey, and helps us remain attentive to the landscape rather than to our belongings.
You will receive a recommended packing list with practical guidance on clothing, hiking equipment, personal items, and what will be useful for the different environments we will encounter along the way.
We also ask everyone to keep in mind that we will be traveling lightly as organizers as well.
For this reason, each participant will be asked to bring:
Their own tea cup / bowl
Their own insulated hot-water thermos
These two personal items will travel with you throughout the immersion and allow us to keep our shared tea practice both simple and mobile.
Everything else required for the tea practice — tea, tea-making materials, and the elements needed to prepare and share tea together — will be provided by us.
The intention for this tea immersion in the Mountains is to discover how little we actually need to bring the practice of tea with us. Our tea space will be minimal, yet profoundly nourishing.
What to Bring
A detailed recommended packing list will be provided to all participants before the immersion.
In general, we encourage you to prioritize:
Comfortable, well-broken-in hiking shoes or boots
Lightweight, breathable hiking clothing
Warm layers for changing mountain temperatures
Waterproof rain jacket and rain protection
Sun protection, including hat and sunglasses
Personal water bottle or hydration system
Personal medications and essential health items
Small personal daypack
Headlamp
Personal toiletries
Sleeping essentials appropriate for mountain hut accommodation
Your own tea cup
Your own insulated hot-water thermos
Please refer to the complete packing list for the recommended equipment and quantities.
The lighter you can travel, the more spacious the journey becomes.
If you are interested in joining us for this journey, please take a moment to review the Terms & Conditions, which include the contribution fee, what is included, and all important information regarding participation, travel, accommodation, and the journey itself.
To reserve your place and join us for the immersion, a non-refundable deposit of USD $500 will be required.
We look forward to sharing this special journey with you.
Jade & Atonka
