Restoring the Balance

Up to a third of military veterans suffer from PTSD. But with a new wave of research promoting the health benefits of time spent in nature, the key to recovery seems closer than ever before. 

Southern Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is an anachronism in a state famous for its snowy ski resorts. The 30-square-mile park shelters dunes up to 750 feet tall; mountain sediments blown into fine sand over tens of thousands of years. It’s remote — the epitome of America’s Wild West — tucked away in the Sangre de Cristo mountains, far from the pressures of everyday life.

For an international team of military veterans sponsored by the Invictus Games Foundation, it was also the recent setting for a challenging mountaineering expedition, complete with a summiting of Mount Herard at over 13,300 ft. 

The veterans, men and women from far-flung countries including France, Italy, the UK and the Netherlands, set out in July 2023, packing only what each person could carry for seven days. The team hiked through the Medano pass, fighting extreme heat, bracing winds and high altitude, to camp at the foot of Mount Herard. They then made a successful summit before crossing the Great Sand Dunes National Park on foot. 

Returning from war to civilian or even non-active military life can be devastating for veterans. Mental injuries, including PTSD, are often overlooked. The expedition exemplifies an increasing recognition that nature-based therapy — activities and experiences undertaken in a natural setting — is one of the most valuable tools we have for working through trauma.

It’s not new thinking: the Smithsonian Magazine reported in 2023 how the Ancient Greeks used to visit natural springs to recoup their energy; horticulture therapy was prescribed for returning soldiers in the First and Second World Wars; the first person to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail was an army veteran, Earl Shaffer, who wanted to ‘walk the war out of my system’. 

Evidence shows that in the wild, we face challenging life situations, build confidence and regain a sense of perspective about our place in the world. We all feel better for being outside, and there’s a scientific reason behind that. Exposure to outdoor activities has been linked to lower blood pressure, better sleep, improved cognitive function and even a reduced risk of chronic disease. Wild spaces are key to restoring mental health, whether its nearby mountain peaks or the tight folds of Colorado’s dunes. 

Firepot supported the Invictus Foundation by providing the veteran group with 60 XL Firepot meals.