Trail Running Adventures: Our Philosophy and Rules
January 1, 2018 by Pablo Rodriguez
This is what we are about. Our trail running adventures aren’t your typical running camps. We don’t focus on pace or personal bests. Instead, we use our legs, our bodies, our lungs, and our hearts as a way to *traverse* a territory, to explore it deeply, just like our ancestors did. It’s about the journey, the people, and the stories you collect along the way. These are memories you can tell your grandkids, stories that will genuinely change you.
Pablo Rodriguez, March 31 2019.
We follow these rules, and we expect you to do the same.
We’ve established some ground rules over the years. They aren’t there to restrict you, but to open you up to the true spirit of a NomaTrails experience. We want participants to experience what we did when we first connected with these places, so don’t expect us to tell you every single detail. We want you to trust us, to come with an open mind, and let the adventure unfold. That’s where the magic happens.
Our rules, our running adventure ethos
After more than a decade of leading running adventures all over the world, from the rugged Costa Brava coastline to the soaring Atlas Mountains, we’ve distilled our philosophy into a few core principles. These aren’t just guidelines; they’re the heartbeat of NomaTrails.
1. Say Hello, Azul, Buenas, Bon dia, Salam.
We have a great deal of respect for the people who live in the jungles, beaches, mountains, and deserts that we pass through. We believe those who join our adventures should feel the same; people have different ways in different cultures, which we think is pretty cool. We don’t just run *through* these places; we run *to* them, because we like the people there. We want to be their friends, to keep in touch.
I remember one time in Morocco, deep in the Atlas, miles from any main road – five and a half hours in the opposite direction from where the tourist buses go. We were running with our backpacks, not really knowing what was around the next bend. We stumbled upon this valley, so incredibly remote, like stepping back 500 years in time. There, by an irrigation channel, we saw a family. A young girl, maybe 12, was working. She didn’t hesitate. She just ran, gathered some wood, made a fire for us right there. Then, they invited us to their house for tea. We sat, we shared, we connected. It wasn’t about money; it was about human connection. That’s why we do this. We want you to meet these incredible people, to experience that warmth, that generosity. You can learn more about the fascinating Berber culture and their rich history.
It’s the same in Sicily. Our guide, Pasquale, he knows that island inside out. We start by the sea, push inland through the rural heart, past olive groves and ancient villages. We climb into the mountains, not always up the highest peaks, but through the hidden valleys, the weaker points, until we reach places like Isnello. From there, you can see the sea again, a tiny sliver of blue on the horizon. Pasquale isn’t just showing us a trail; he’s sharing his home, his history, the very soul of Sicily. He’s got a deep, personal relationship with every part of that journey, and that’s what makes it real.
2- Embrace the day, if the bar is open, we’ll have a beer. If there’s a waterfall we go for a swim.
We embrace the moment, truly. We are not a running camp. We are there to enjoy, to explore, to live. Running is just the most efficient and beautiful way to move through these incredible places. It’s about feeling the dust on your skin, the sweat stinging your eyes, and then, finding that perfect waterfall to jump into, or that little bar in a tiny village for a cold beer. It’s about being present.
I remember a trip in the Moroccan desert with Abdu. We woke up at 3 AM. The air was cool, crisp. We ran for two hours in the sand, just us and the vast emptiness. Then we stopped, and Abdu pointed to the sky. The stars, my friend, the stars! It felt like you could see every single one, so close you could almost touch them. After that run, that quiet, spiritual effort, we watched the most incredible sunrise. That’s the kind of moment we want to create for you – those unexpected, deeply moving experiences that stay with you forever. It’s not about the mileage; it’s about *that* feeling.
Our Costa Rica expeditions? They’re legendary for a reason. Sometimes, these trips aren’t just about running; they’re about life. We’ve seen people come to us at a crossroads, and these adventures, this immersion, this raw experience, it changes them. We’ve even had couples who weren’t married to each other when they started the trip, end up married to each other by the next one! Or marriages that were on the brink, saved. People have told us, “This baby wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for that trip.” It sounds wild, but it’s true. These experiences transform you. You just have to be open to it, to embrace whatever the day brings.
3- We do not photograph or give gifts to children.
We basically apply the same common rules we expect a stranger to follow with our own kids. We want to foster genuine connection, not a transactional one. When we were in that Berber village in Morocco, the little girl who built the fire for us, she didn’t ask for anything. She just offered. That’s the kind of pure interaction we value. We want to respect the local communities and their children, treating them with the same dignity and privacy we’d want for our own.
Here on the Costa Brava, we’re proud of our deep connections with the local communities, from the fishermen in Calella de Palafrugell to the farmers inland near the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park. We want you to experience these places as a part of them, not just as a tourist passing through.
