Introducing Theseus Lodge

Project Crucible, Reinvented

The masculinity that can be spoken is not true masculinity. But when men come together in integrity, an ancient spirit effortlessly asserts itself in them - connected, jovial, strong & true of heart.

My annual men’s retreat is now called Theseus Lodge. Let me tell you about it:

The retreat started as “Project Crucible” last year when QC made a poast on X pining for a more masculine psychotherapy. As a former Marine and contractor, and now counselor and culture writer, I knew I could pull it off. So I floated the idea. 200 people messaged me on the 1st day.

I incorporated QC's entire wish list into the retreat plan, and then some. In the end, two cohorts of 26 men came to Boulder from all over the world to learn construction and wilderness skills, to backpack in the mountains, to wrestle each other & fight about philosophy, and to forge deep friendships.

This year, we're changing the name to Theseus Lodge, named after the Ship of Theseus, a thought experiment about something that changes piece by piece while somehow remaining itself. The central project of the retreat is now the construction of the Lodge on Storm Mountain.

The Theseus Lodge is a temporary ceremonial structure we will build, assemble, use, take down, and rebuild, year after year. It functions as the sacred center of the retreat, the place that we gather for brotherhood, truth-telling, fire, and an exploration of our own hearts.

We are still going to hike, wrestle, debate, and learn construction and survival skills. But this year, I've completely overhauled the curriculum. I've taken out as many of the lectures as I can and created classes that are participatory, embodied, and dialectic.

In wilderness training, I'll still teach survival, but I'll also emphasize perception, belonging, and becoming a connected steward of the natural world. I've greatly reduced the amount of physical training in favor of meditation, movement and presence. And we'll take more hikes.

If you want to come and help build Theseus Lodge, you need to be willing to tell the truth, first to yourself, and then to your fellow men. You need to be over the age of 18. You need to have been born male. You need to be willing to work. You need to be able to take care of yourself while also contributing to the group. You need to be willing to earn brotherhood through service, honesty and shared hardship. You need to be willing to challenge your own worldview as readily as you challenge others'. You need to be willing to grow, ultimately, into greater integrity, and a greater sense of yourself as a man.

If you’re interested in attending this year, please email me at gabe@namelessmountain.org and I’ll send you the details. Feel free to ask any questions; we can also set up a half-hour video call if you want to take my measure first.

The first cohort runs from 9/6-9/12 this year. If there’s enough interest, I’ll run another cohort from 9/20-9/26.

Running the men’s retreat last year was one of the great honors of my life, and I can’t wait to do it again with you all. See you this summer in Boulder.