WFR-certified guides · Insured & risk-assessed · 30-day guarantee · On application only
“No words are enough to describe the experience. It’s magnificent and fabulous. And in the silence, many things of the past were also presented to me. I smiled. It came up to be healed on another level.”
“If you listen to the desert, the desert whispered very loudly the question that you may ask yourself. I surrendered, and it was a beautiful three hours left because I didn’t do anything. Best meditation ever.”
“Climbing the dune, you slip a little with every step. Two steps forward, one back. It’s long, it’s hot, and you’re happy when you reach the top. It becomes a metaphor for life. In the desert, you walk where you want. There’s real freedom in that.”
“There is nothing to hide in the desert. You face yourself directly, and I felt I needed that. I feel like I’ve lived a full month of experience in 24 hours.”
1. Qualify. A short call to confirm this is the right experience, at the right time, for you and the other participants you will be sharing it with.
2. Immerse. 48 hours in the Liwa desert.
24h raw in the wild. Becoming more resilient. Gaining new perspectives. Growing out of the challenges (physically, mentally and emotionally).
24h at a luxurious and authentic camp: to relax, to share, to process.
3. Integrate. 4 calls of 1 hour with your cohort for 30 days. To keep the teachings alive, to integrate in your daily life, to keep sharing with your co-hort.
After guiding 175 people through different formats, Away Expedition built the ideal process for a deep mental and body reset in 48-hours, to which we add four follow-up calls to make it last.
Any successful leader can book a five-star hotel, fewer would sleep out in the open, with no device to hand.
Meeting point: Transport options discussed on the pre-journey call
Departure: 6AM on Day 1, from Dubai/Abu Dhabi
What you need: comfortable hiking clothes and shoes, personal essentials, all technical and safety gear will be provided (a full packing list will be sent)
Phones are collected on Day 1 during the briefing and returned at around 6 PM on Day 2.
You don’t need to be tougher. You need 48 hours of quiet in a natural environment, held by people who know exactly how to bring you there.
Every journey is capped at 4 people, and applications are reviewed individually.
Let us take care of the details before and after your journey. We can arrange flights and accommodation around your experience for a seamless trip from start to finish.
Bring your own group and choose the dates that work for you.
The guide makes the call on the ground and adjusts the plan to conditions.
All guides are certified Wilderness First Responders, trained for remote-area emergencies, with a backup team nearby throughout. You must be free of any medical condition that could be risky far from medical facilities. If a genuine emergency requires early departure, the journey coordinator manages the extraction, and your 30-day integration continues as planned.
A 50% deposit secures your spot. Cancel 30+ days out and the deposit is kept; less than 30 days out, the full fee is due, unless you transfer to a future date at no cost by notifying us at least 14 days ahead. If Away Expedition cancels or postpones for low enrollment, you are fully refunded within 7 business days.
Mostly personal clothing and shoes. Away Expedition provides most equipment, and you will complete an equipment checklist before departure.
No, electronics are not permitted and are returned afterward. Communication is limited to technical questions and emergencies.
Four 60-minute integration calls follow: the week after, 2 weeks later, 3 weeks later, and one month later. Exact dates are confirmed in writing beforehand.
Yes. Anything shared during the journey, debrief, or integration calls stays private between participants. Testimonials are recorded and published only with your knowledge; you can opt out beforehand.
Yes, a 30-minute video call confirms it is the right fit and helps prepare you.
All our guides are Wilderness First Responders, trained to rescue people in remote areas, and are Leave No Trace certified, ensuring complete respect of the land.
We create the conditions for change through nature; we’re not the ones doing the changing.
Arno stepped out of a CEO seat once he realized success alone wasn’t enough, and built Away Expedition to give other leaders a faster way back to themselves.
Army — Former reserve soldier
Business — Built and led a multi-million-euro company as CEO before founding Away Expedition
Desert — Solo crossing of the Liwa desert, 72 hours, full autonomy
Practice — Annual Vipassana practitioner
Resilience — Ice Bath Challenge winner, trained in both cold and heat exposure
Education — Master’s degree in Sport Management
Certification — Wilderness First Responder (WFR) · Leave No Trace Level 1 Instructor
Community — Member of MetalMen, an international brotherhood of entrepreneurs built on integrity and mutual support
“My role isn’t to challenge you. My role is to build the conditions where you challenge yourself, and to make sure those conditions are both demanding and safe.”
Press: Arno Gazo — Challenging The Linear Life Model (HBS Blog) · Meet Arno Gazo
Nikita “Desert Fox” Ardavichus is one call away in case of emergencies.
He’s a professional motocross rider and an expert desert guide with years of experience navigating the most challenging terrains.
With Nikita as a back-up, you’re in the hands of professionals, ensuring you’ll be safe throughout the whole journey.
I’ve spent years helping founders sharpen how they tell their story and build stronger teams through alternative governance in a team of entrepreneurs. I’m now co-author of a course rooted in quantum physics to propose an explanation to what conventional medicine doesn’t. At Away Expedition, I lead the content team and make sure the experience is transformative.
