What others have to say:

“It is through travelling in different cultures that we develop an insight into human life in different places. The geography of a country influences its people just as much as their history. This is part of the enlightenment that can be gained on a trek through the desert with the Bedouin. Organised so expertly and authentically by Gary and Garreth Waterworth Owen who comprise Lengthen Your Stride. As an initiate, through them you immediately are given an intimate welcome into Bedouin culture that is a valuable opportunity for anyone in this privileged position to capitalise on.
 
I began my trek with a mixture of apprehension and excitement. The arrival of our 14 camels, 7 Bedouin and one dog soon makes you realise the extent of planning and preparation that Lengthen Your Stride has put into this unique experience. At the beginning it all seems slightly surreal, so removed from the trappings of modern Western civilization. The warmth of the Bedouin and the expertise of Lengthen Your Stride soon settle your nerves. You sit down in the sand, watch the Bedouin rolling bread by hand and all your comforts appear to expand.  You soon realise it's going to be a great trip - a reflection that is repeated upon making your first camp at night. You make your bed on the ground, accepting that a slight sacrifice in comfort is a small price to pay for being given the opportunity to stay in such an expansive wilderness. 

...I cannot recommend this trek, this place and the people who organised it enough.  Lengthen Your Stride has the perfect combination of skills, background, knowledge and experience to make these trips happen in such a smooth, efficient and enlightening manner.”    Read the whole account.

‘My time walking in the Sinai Desert and being a part of the group was a site to see - the camels fully loaded and all the motion and commotion of unloading these smiling one-hump beasts, that turn out to be full of personality and keen people watchers. So much for them being the interesting ones! Food was extravagant by desert standards - using predominantly fresh ingredients; Gorgeous flat bread, a desert staple freshly made everyday by the Bedouins accompanied by freshly chopped up carrots and cucumbers, humous - the like I haven't tasted before sprinkled with cumin and delicious koftas with creamed feta cheese. Everyone sits on mats surrounding the shisha with big chief Abu Radi smoking away and observing all the cooking preparations with a commanding presence. There is a sense of timelessness in the desert that I have not experienced before. A stillness.... I think this is the magical healing power of the desert where the normal day-to-day pace that we lead in the west just drops away to reveal who we are without 'the stuff'. A sense of what is truly genuine can emerge and a feeling of real peacefulness and spaciousness. The desert has its very own beconing and I now understand its powerful attraction for I have been drawn too.

My trip to St Katherines Monastery and Mount Sinai was a wish come true for me. A wish I made almost seven years ago when I was a member of a Buddist Sangha in London and one of the members had just come back from a retreat at St Katherines. When I look back now to last November 2009 I have to say it was an incredible contrasting experience to visit St Katherine's Monastery during the very busy morning viewing time and then later on in the day attending a quiet private viewing of the monastery, the oldest working monastery in the world, and being present whilst mass was taking place in the chapel. It was such a priviledge to see the St Katherine's monks in action and to observe the ritual lifting and lowering of ancient candle lights suspended from the ceiling, some of which were made with huge ostrich eggs and to listen to the enchanting biblical readings whilst the strong smell of incense filled the air. It was like being in a time warp and stepping back in time many many years......

Walking up Mount Sinai gave me such a feeling of achievement having never walked up 2,200 metres before in my life. Seeing a single donkey occupying the emergency clinic area three quarters of the way up the mount was a source of amusement for all of us. The views at the top were breathtaking and it is a wonder to see how fit the mount guides are who walk up everyday at record speeds of one hour, the norm being 3 to 4 hours. The uneven 700 steps at the top are definately a test of personal stamina and I was thankful for the cycling I did at the gym! ‘

‘One buried gem I did enjoy was Gary Waterworth Owen

‘This was so much more than a management programme, it was a deep inward wandering, a spiritual journey of the human heart to the heart of the sacred, a real journey of purpose.’

‘This programme has opened myself to new ideas and a stronger belief in sharing ideas with others. I am leaving with a lot more confidence.’

‘Having attended many leadership programs, this program is in my experience unique…one of kind. The principles and ideas put forward are as relevant to life in general and to ones individual and family relationships, as they are to business.’

‘Best memo my boss ever wrote.’

‘I found this a very interesting, stimulating and practical period, run by a well informed and knowledgeable person, obviously Gary is a very committed person.’

‘This is the first leadership training I have been exposed to since leaving college 25 yrs ago. It has taught me much and I leave with the full intention of implementing as much as possible.’

‘Those moments of stillness and silence gave me a chance to reflect. To pause from my filled-with-distractions life has been all too rare in recent years. As an added bonus, the act of daily journaling and mapping the steppingstones and milestones in my life has helped to free me of the internal editor that has long made writing such a difficult thing. I can finally write little passages like these without too much agony. It really is an important tool in finding clarity, focus and alignment.’

‘Having spoken to Gary about putting the journey together to help our people, I thought it was exactly the right thing. Having attended, I am now sure.’

‘What can I say, let me think…Gary how about a job? You are really helping to make this world a better place for present and future generations…I salute you.’

‘I found it very inspiring and personally challenging. I wish it was available 20 yrs ago.’

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Tel: Farnham, Surrey UK Int+ (0) 1252 719 016 or E-mail: gary@responseabilityalliance.com

In Memory of Past Allies:

Navigate your way to Waterworth Expedition sites on Google Earth.