Adventure Therapy Dates Announced for 2024

In April 2022, we introduced Adventure Therapy treks at Indiahikes. The response, even to our very first group, was unexpectedly overwhelming. 

“Within three days, over 178 people applied to participate. I was truly surprised,” Izzat Yaganagi, Head of Experiential Learning at Indiahikes says. “Even though we could select a maximum of 18 participants, it was heartening to see that the growing openness towards therapy,” she adds. 

We had a few more Adventure Therapy groups after that, again with the same impact.

So after several extremely successful groups, we are very excited to announce our next Adventure Therapy trek groups.

When: March 6th to 11th, 2024
Where: Kedarkantha Trek
Available Slots: 12
Trek Fee: 13,725 + 5% GST

When: June 10th to 15th, 2024
Where: Dayara Bugyal Trek
Available Slots: 12
Trek Fee: 12,845 + 5% GST

When: September 16th to 21st, 2024
Where: Dayara Bugyal Trek
Available Slots: 12
Trek Fee: 12,845 + 5% GST

When: November 11th to 16th, 2024
Where: Dayara Bugyal Trek
Available Slots: 12
Trek Fee: 12,845 + 5% GST

Click here to register for the Adventure Therapy trek -- https://indiahikes.com/registration?batchId=10026

Why we started Adventure Therapy treks 

To give you context, he's a story narrated by Izzat Yaganagi, the head of Experiential Learning at Indiahikes. It is a story that dates back to 2011, when Izzat was on her first Himalayan trek. The story gains more significance if you know Izzat’s background. She is a psychological counsellor, who has worked extensively with couples, youth, and families.

“It was September 2011,” begins Izzat. “I was going through a difficult phase in my life. I was at a crossroads with everything — my personal life, my professional life. I felt low. I wanted to get away from everything.” 

“That’s when, on the recommendation of a colleague, I signed up for a Himalayan trek with Indiahikes. Not to cure myself, but just to get away from everything for a while. Little did I know that the trek would change everything about my life,” she reflects. 

“I remember this one moment I was sitting by Gadsar Lake, watching the blue waters lapping the shore. Small rivulets trickled down the mountainsides, feeding the lake. On my right, I could see the Gadsar Valley stretching into the horizon. 

“It was at this point that somehow, my mind hit a reset button. I felt all my problems disappearing away. I felt light and relieved, like no problem was too big. For the first time in the past few months, I could feel a sense of lightness in my heart,” recollects Izzat. 

Later that night, when Izzat was reflecting on the trek, she realised that what she had gone through was very different. The trek had a big role to play in it. “The trek had helped me get out of a troublesome environment into a space where I could see my own problems from a bird’s eye view. In the city, I was constantly rushing from one day to the next, never able to give myself the mental space required to heal. I felt trapped in a bubble of my own thoughts.” 

“But on the trek, I had the luxury of time and space to open up. I was never in a rush. I had no other responsibilities. I felt calm. I could see things more objectively. The feeling of being overwhelmed all the time withered away and my problems seemed manageable.” 

“This is what most therapists do in the process of working with their clients. But the trek was naturally lending itself to such a profound outcome – in such a short duration,” she says.  

“After returning I strongly felt  ‘why not bring my clients here. It would have such a deep impact on their state of mind. It could do what months of therapy could not,” recalls Izzat. 

It was back then that Izzat decided to join Indiahikes with the intention of using trekking as a medium to help those struggling with personal issues. 

In these 11 years, Izzat Yaganagi among other things, set up the Experiential Learning Division at Indiahikes. Today, we work with innumerable professional institutions and schools to bring these learnings from the outdoors into our daily lives. The impact of these programs has been enormous. 

What is adventure therapy?  

Adventure Therapy is not a new concept. It is something that has existed in many forms for over a century. 

In his paper on outdoor therapy, Stephan Natynczuk, one of the foremost adventure therapists, writes on different ways of adventure therapy — “Some rely on nature as a co-therapist; others on experiential learning. Some utilise talking therapy and others successfully blend each of these with an adventurous journey.” 

"We've noticed that even on our regular treks, trekkers go through a near-therapeutic experience. It is where nature creates its own impact without human intervention. But not everyone realises this impact, especially if they're in a troubled state of mind,” explains Izzat. “Many times, it needs facilitation by someone who can nudge them to enhance what the trek is already doing," she adds. 

This is what we will be doing in our adventure therapy treks.

Read the popular travel guide book Lonely Planet's story on How India is Embracing Adventure Therapy Treks

How our Adventure Therapy Treks work

This is not going to be like our regular treks. It is specially designed and facilitated by therapists or coaches who are trained to facilitate a specialized program like this. 

The Adventure Therapy treks were initiated, and led by Ms Izzat Yaganagi, who is a Psychological Counselor with a practice of over 15 years. She heads the Experiential Learning division at Indiahikes. 

We also have Mr Vivek Saxena on our team that facilitates Adventure Therapy treks. He is an Executive Coach and Counsellor with his own practice of over 15 years.

While the trek is going to work on its own, our therapists will be playing a big role through one-on-one sessions, and group sessions. Talking therapy and experiential learning will be a key features in the adventure therapy trek.

Whom is it meant for? 

These treks are meant for those going through some difficulty in their lives. If you’re feeling low, underconfident, or finding it hard to overcome difficulties, this trek is meant for you. If you’re overcoming the loss of someone, or are unable to focus on your professional life, this trek will work wonderfully for you.

When and where are the Adventure Therapy treks going to be held? 

The treks are going to be held on the beautiful Kedarkantha and Dayara Bugyal Treks. The base camps, the campsites, the meadows, and mountain views, all lend themselves to a great setting for therapy.

When: March 6th to 11th, 2024
Where: Kedarkantha Trek
Available Slots:
Trek Fee: 13,725 + 5% GST

This is what the itinerary will look like:

Day 1: Reach the Grand Legacy Hotel, Dehradun on your own. Reporting Time: 6.30 am | Drive from Dehradun to Kotgaon | Basecamp: Kotgaon. Briefing and orientation about the Adventure Therapy Trek by Mr. Vivek Saxena

Day 2:  Trek from Kotgaon to Khujaai

Day 3: Trek from Khujaai to Bhoja Dhadi

Day 4: Trek from Bhoja Dhadi to Khujaai via Kedarkantha summit

Day 5: Trek from Khujaai back to Kotgaon

Day 6: Drive back from Kotgaon to Dehradun

The adventure therapy trek fee for the group is priced Rs 3,000 higher than our regular groups:  ₹13,725 + 5% GST (base camp to base camp). 

You’ll find more details about the Kedarkantha Trek on this page.

When:

1. June 10th to 15th, 2024

2. September 16th to 21st, 2024

3. November 11th to 16th, 2024

Where: Dayara Bugyal Trek
Available Slots: 12
Trek Fee: 12,850 + 5% GST

This is what the itinerary will look like:

Day 1: Reach the Indiahikes Community Campus at Raithal, Uttarkashi on your own. Reporting Time: 4 pm | Location: Raithal. Briefing and orientation about the Adventure Therapy Trek by Mr. Vivek Saxena

Day 2:  Trek to Gui

Day 3: Trek from Gui to Chilapada

Day 4: Trek from Chilapada to Nayata via Dayara Top

Day 5: Trek from Nayata back to Raithal

Day 6: Drive back to Dehradun

The adventure therapy trek fee for the group is priced Rs 3,000 higher than our regular groups:  ₹12,845 + 5% GST (base camp to base camp). 

You’ll find more details about the Dayara Bugyal Trek on this page.

How to register: 

If you’d like to be a part of our Adventure Therapy trek, follow this link to register - https://indiahikes.com/registration?batchId=10026

We will keep the group small, with around 12 members. The slots will be confirmed on a first-come-first-served basis. 

In conclusion: 

We all know how beneficial a trek can be for the mind, body and spirit. Terms like nature therapy and forest healing have firmly embedded themselves in conversations of therapists. Medics in countries like Canada, UK and New Zealand are suggesting nature prescriptions and green prescriptions as healers. At Indiahikes too, we not only believe in it, but have seen the healing powers ourselves. We hope these Adventure Therapy treks spread the healing power to those who need it too.