Flow Canyons

Reclaim Your Vitality, Clarity and Courage While Having the Adventure of Your Life

A Six Week Elite Leadership Training Culminating with a Week Long Wilderness Adventure

Apply for the Expedition
Utah | October 19-25, 2025

*Limited to 15 spots
Flow Genome Project has been featured in:

You Know The Expression “Good Times Make Weak Leaders… Weak Leaders Make Hard Times, Hard Times Make Good Leaders?”

It’s the familiar cycle that’s shown up everywhere from Abraham Lincoln scrambling to find capable generals for the Union Army to FDR firing dozens of officers until he promoted Eisenhower in World War II.

It’s hard to train for hard times when things have been so good for so long.

And that leaves a lot of armchair generals (and CEOs and managers) flatfooted when it comes time to stand up.

So that’s the rub these days, isn’t it?

We know tough times are coming. In many places, they’re already here.

And whether it’s the radical disruptions of AI, or the disintegration of the global world order, or constant natural disasters, or maybe just the culture wars that have turned family holidays into battlegrounds…

We’re not going “back to normal.”

Anytime soon.

Or maybe ever.

In order to lead our families, communities and companies through the next decade, we’re going to have to change how we train.

And the best way to cultivate the kind of unshakeable stability we’ll need?

Train with instability.

‍Not powerpoints and worksheets in windowless hotel conference rooms.

And definitely not “360 reviews” with bubble dot answers and percentiles of everything (and nothing).

But real life, real world, real consequences. In the wild.

Unprepared.

Unscripted.

Alive.

That’s why we’ve dedicated our career to surf and mountain rescue, wilderness medicine and alpine guiding.

The feedback is instant, and the lessons stay with you for a lifetime.

(the views aren’t bad either)
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Because here's the truth: 

Most of us are deconditioned zoo animals.

We sit in climate-controlled boxes, staring at 2D screens, while our bodies and minds quietly atrophy.

Disembodied heads-on-sticks.

Living from the neck up, scrolling and swiping.

Wondering why we feel flat, overwhelmed, and directionless.

In the quiet moments, some part of you is asking the nagging question… 

‍Do I really have what it takes?

Not armchair generalling.

Not binge-watching Liam Neeson movies.

Actually having what it takes.

The quiet, certain knowledge that when the sirens blare, or the banners unfurl (or the child cries or the elder stumbles) you’ll be there.

Capable. Competent. Committed. Courageous.

Some insistent part of you needs to know…

So here’s an invitation for you to find out.
Apply for the Expedition

Flow & Peak States. In the Real World

Real people, in Big Nature. Training together.

In one of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring canyons in North America.

We lead you through a robust adventure leadership program, while integrating flow states and human development throughout.
"Leaders are made, not born, and how they develop is critical for organizational change."

– William R. Torbert, Harvard Business Review

What to Expect

A rigorous 6-week leadership development program, combining a week long expedition with five weeks of digital coaching and training.

You will learn where your strongest, where you need work and the path between the two.
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The Canyon Expedition
Six days devoted to circumnavigating three linked canyons, all flowing into one of the largest and most storied rivers of the American West––the Colorado river. Each day will be devoted to an experiential immersion in the levels of human development.

We start with the basics of wilderness survival––teaching you primitive skills like fire starting, brush shelters, and water harvesting.

Then we move to tribal organization, military style order, individual orienteering, consensus leadership.

And finally, to the culmination: where you experience the full spiral of human development.

This will involve group and solo challenges, ranging from navigation and survival skills to leadership and self-awareness. All backed by cutting edge neuroscience, optimal psychology and the work of prestigious academic institutions.
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Digital Training
Five weeks of coaching, integrating and building upon the experiences and content shared during the expedition. Delivered online, you'll build and form lasting habits through the course app, and join weekly Zoom calls for lessons and forging ongoing relations with the group.

This is your opportunity for weekly feedback, iteration and to ensure change cascades throughout your work and life (and doesn't only stay with your experiences in the canyon).
Apply for the Expedition

*Limited to 15 spots

By the end of this course, you will…

  • Reconnect to your deep and authentic self.

    Sleeping under the Milky Way, and hiking through canyons that are billions of years old, you’ll enter Deep Time. You’ll remember who you are and what you’re here to do.  
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  • Unplug from screens and scrolling.

    ‍    No devices or distractions. You’ll recalibrate your nervous system to the stars, sand, sweat, and silence. It’s hard to notice how much we’ve become silicon chip slot machines until you unplug altogether and take a look around.
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  • Forge abiding bonds with other dedicated leaders.

    ‍    Not swapping v cards on Linked In or going to dreaded “networking meetups.”
  • Trade chasing peak states for harnessing stage development.

    ‍    Instead of hunting hacks, highs and quick fixes, you’ll be stepping into a new version of yourself with more stability, strength and clarity. Harvard research found this takes anywhere from 3-5 years organically. Our training has reduced that span to 12-18 months.
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  • Know in your bones that you have what it takes…

    ‍    because you’ve been deliberately tested in unpredictable conditions and the wisdom you’ll come home with is all earned. You’ll be part of a team pushed beyond the limits of your experience (but kept within the limits of your abilities). That’s the magic sweetspot for accelerated growth and high-trust relationships

Lead Instructor: Jamie Wheal

Executive Director, Flow Genome Project
Author of the Global Bestseller Stealing Fire and Recapture the Rapture
Jamie is an expert in peak performance and leadership, specializing in neuroanthropology, the intersection of culture, biology and psychology.

Jamie guided the youngest group of Americans to Camp III on the North Face (Tibet) of Everest, and led multi week four season expeditions throughout North America. He has served in Surf Rescue and Ski Patrol, trained with National Outdoor Leadership School, Wilderness Medicine Institute and American Mountain Guides Association.

He has advised everyone from the U.S. Naval War College and Special Operations Command, the athletes of Red Bull, to the executives of Google, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, Disney, Cisco, and YPO. His work and thought leadership has been covered in The New York Times, Financial Times, WIRED, Entrepreneur, HBR, Forbes, INC, & TED.

Why do I have to apply?

Build Deep Relationships, Not Shallow Connections.

We only accept candidates who are leading communities or companies that are playing some part in forging a future that works for all of us.

The result is a community of alumni who remain deeply connected and committed to each other and their shared experience. Compared to connections from social media or friends you meet quarterly for drinks, this training offers the opportunity not just to swap business cards, but to plan and collaborate for the future.

In a world where Trust is an ever precious commodity (but a prerequisite for high performing teams), we vet for real peers. You'll get to know them for who they are, and who they will become.
Apply for the Expedition

Take a Look Inside Last Year's Adventure:

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of shape do I need to be in?
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If you are healthy and active you should be fine. We will start slow and travel no more than 5-6 miles per day with plenty of time for classes, reflection and enjoyment. Part of the application process involves confirming with your physician to be sure –– but this will be a great chance to reconnect to a more vital and re-engaged you. 

(We also send detailed pre-trip fitness prep guidelines so you can treat this like you would getting ready for a 10K fun run, a sprint triathlon or any other fitness goal)
What if I'm not into "outdoorsy" stuff?
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This course treats all the backpacking skills as secondary to and supportive of the course content –– cutting edge experiential leadership training. We will be traveling in style, eating organic gourmet meals and taking in scenery that no luxury hotel can replicate –– and you might just find yourself with a new passion.

(but you will also learn all the core skills, from knot tying to tent pitching, pack-packing and navigating that make travel in the backcountry safe and and enjoyable)
I already invest in professional development –– how is this any different?
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This course will take your leadership to a level not possible in conventional corporate settings. You will experience greater lasting change than typical workshops or retreats allow.

We offer “720 degree feedback” where you debrief and intetgrate the insights from assessments, detailed notes from instructors, peers and your own self evaluation. We aren’t easy graders--our goal is to take you beyond the limits of your experience but keep you within the limits of your abilities. The result is richer data for your own growth than you’re likely to find anywhere else.
What skills or prior experience do I need?
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None. We will teach everything from the beginning and you will have the chance to practice throughout the course. If you already have experience in backcountry travel, you have the opportunity to refresh your skills, learn cutting edge ultralight campcraft, and teach your peers. And if this is the first time you’ve spent a week living and sleeping outside–awesome, you’re in for a treat!
What special gear do I need?
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We partner with the leaders of the outdoor industry and provide all group gear including shelters, cooking equipment, backpacks and course materials. You will provide your own clothing and personal gear from a detailed packing list.
How can I find the time for this?
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This is a challenge for everyone––but what this course offers is the chance to combine personal renewal, bonding with peers and professional and personal development. All combined, you will return with more focus, more energy, and full engagement with all the aspects of your life. Invest six days to really live the remaining 359 to the fullest.
What is your cancellation policy?
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In the event of unforeseeable circumstances (national travel restrictions, quarantines, etc.) that force us to postpone the date of this course, all tuition will be rolled over to our next available course.

If you're enrolled in the course, and you cancel after Sep. 15, all tuition paid will be rolled over to future digital courses. Alternatively, you can allocate 50% of your paid tuition to a future live event. If you cancel prior to Sep. 15 you are eligible for a full refund.

What Have Past Students Said?

Hear some of their experiences and impact.

"There's something about the ethereal beauty of this place that brings out a lot of emotional depth and teaches you a great deal."

Sam Feinburg
Executive Director & COO, Helena

"It's more of a feeling for me than something that I can easily describe. To figure out how we want to grow as individuals and how we're going to contribute to this world and be better humans."

– Randy Gates, Firefighter

Randy Gates
Firefighter (Captain)

"Your whole life perspective changes from being in the regular world – the experience was awesome. It's humbling, but also empowering. The curriculum was profound."

– Shebbie Jacques, Entrepreneur

Shebbie Jacques
Entrepreneur

"When you drop into the canyons, all the worries of the world go away. The course material was excellent, and allows embodiment to happen quite naturally. I would recommend this course to anybody who wants to level up."

– Brian Holmes, Senior Software Engineer

Brian Holmes
Senior Software Engineer

Are You Ready For Your Next Adventure?

Apply for the Expedition

*Limited to 15 spots

Looking to take your leadership team or executive forum to the next level?

For mission-aligned groups we offer custom weeks.

Contact us here: support@flowgenomeproject.com

Flow Genome Project | 2025