What Is a Misogi? Why Every Traveler Should Take One Big Adventure Each Year
One Challenge. One Year. A Lifetime of Confidence.
What if one adventure each year could change the way you see yourself?
The Japanese concept of Misogi has evolved into a modern philosophy of intentionally choosing one challenge each year that’s difficult enough to stretch your limits—but safe enough that success comes through preparation rather than luck.
Whether it’s hiking to Everest Base Camp, cycling across a state, walking your first Camino, or simply taking your first solo trip, a Misogi isn’t about suffering.
It’s about discovering what you’re truly capable of.
What Is a Misogi?
Originally, Misogi was a Japanese Shinto purification ritual involving standing beneath icy waterfalls. Today, many athletes and adventurers use the word to describe one defining challenge each year that pushes them far beyond their comfort zone.
A modern Misogi follows two simple rules:
✔ There should be a real possibility that you might fail (20 – 50% chance of failure).
✔ It shouldn’t be reckless or life-threatening.
The goal isn’t simply to finish.
The goal is transformation.
Why I Decided to Make Misogi Part of My Life
When I turned fifty, I wondered what the next chapter of my life should look like.
I didn’t want to slowly surrender my health, strength, or sense of adventure.
So I signed up for a sprint triathlon—even though I couldn’t swim, bike, or run.
Fifteen years later, I celebrated turning sixty-five by trekking to Everest Base Camp.
Both adventures forced me to ask the same question:
“Am I still capable of doing hard things?”
The answer surprised me.
Not because the adventures were easy.
Because they proved I was capable of much more than I believed.
Me summiting Everest Base Camp for my 65th birthday
Why Misogi Matters More After Fifty
One realization keeps coming back to me.
Most of us probably have fewer active decades ahead of us than behind us.
That’s not depressing.
It’s motivating.
It reminds us that now is the time to chase the adventures we’ve always dreamed about—not someday.
Adventure isn’t about checking destinations off a list.
It’s about refusing to let age define what you’re still capable of accomplishing.
The Hidden Benefits of a Misogi
A well-chosen Misogi helps you:
- Build confidence through real accomplishment
- Develop resilience
- Learn new skills
- Break out of ruts and routines
- Improve physical fitness
- Create unforgettable memories
- Discover strengths you didn’t know you possessed
Every difficult adventure becomes proof that you’re capable of more than you imagined.
Five Ways to Find Your Own Misogi
1. Change How You Travel
Maybe your challenge isn’t physical.
Perhaps it’s finally taking your first solo trip.
Or planning an international adventure without a tour company.
Sometimes growth begins by letting go of certainty.
2. Change Where You Travel
Visit somewhere completely outside your comfort zone.
Travel where you don’t speak the language.
Navigate public transportation overseas.
Experience a culture completely different from your own.
Growth often begins the moment we stop knowing exactly what’s going on.
3. Challenge Yourself in Your Favorite Activity
If you hike…
Backpack instead of staying in inns.
Try your first multi-day trek.
Hike at altitude.
If you cycle…
Ride a traditional bike instead of an e-bike.
Carry your own gear.
Ride consecutive days.
If you paddle…
Spend a week on the water.
Camp each night.
Stretch yourself just beyond what you’ve done before.
4. Increase the Commitment
Sometimes the challenge isn’t doing something new.
It’s doing it farther.
Longer.
Higher.
For more days.
Instead of a +1, Make it a +5 Harder
5. Do the Thing That Genuinely Scares You
Not recklessly.
Intentionally.
Maybe that’s backpacking alone.
Maybe it’s climbing Kilimanjaro.
Maybe it’s walking 500 miles across Spain.
Only you know what makes your stomach flutter just enough to wonder:
“Can I really do this?” – Choose something with at least a 20% Chance of Failure
Download Your FREE Annual Misogi Checklist & Planner
Planning is what transforms dreams into reality.
Download the free Active Travel Adventures Annual Misogi Planner to help you:
- Choose your challenge
- Create a training plan
- Set milestones
- Stay accountable
- Reflect on what you learned
➡ Download the FREE Annual Misogi Planner
Get access to ALL of ATA’s Checklists, Travel Planners, and Packing Lists. No spam promise – Unsubscribe anytime.
Adventure Ideas to Inspire Your Misogi
If you’re still deciding, here are a few adventures that might become your own Misogi:
Hiking
- Everest Base Camp
- Tour du Mont Blanc
- The Camino de Santiago
- Dolomites
- Kilimanjaro
- Isle Royale backpacking
- Appalachian Trail section hike
Cycling
Paddling
Each has been featured on the Active Travel Adventures podcast – see links above. You can use the Search bar to find all sorts of hiking, biking and paddling adventures from around the world by activity, time of year and continent.
Final Thoughts
One of my favorite quotes says:
“Do something so hard once a year that it changes the other 364 days.” – Jesse Itzler
That’s what I hope this episode inspires.
Don’t spend your life wondering if you still have one more big adventure in you.
Find out.
Don’t just plan another vacation.
Plan something that changes you.