143 Trek Leaders and Staff from Indiahikes Undergo Training at Uttarkashi - Nov 2021

From November 6th till November 17th 2021, Indiahikes conducted its annual training program at Barsu, Uttarkashi. The focus of the training program was to upskill the trek leaders and the local staff who work with Indiahikes. At the end of the training program, they gained hard and soft skills that make them better in their respective roles and in taking the Indiahikes trek experience forward. 

“Indiahikes is a very value-based organisation. At every such training, apart from upskilling team members, one of our goals is to always help them understand the values and the culture of the organisation. The more they feel closer to the organisation, the more they grow” says Lakshmi Selvakumaran, the head of the Experience Team at Indiahikes. 

There were totally 153 participants in the training programs of which 40 were trek leaders from across the country, the rest were local staff from Uttarakhand comprising 31 guides, 26 cooks, 45 helpers, 6 trek managers and 5 store incharges.

40 trek leaders went through the training program in two groups.  The trek leaders were trained on the experiential learning cycle and to use the method of experiential learning in the outdoors.  Their training was led by Gerrit Onstein, our visiting resource faculty from The Netherlands, who has over 30 years of expertise in the field of Experiential Learning. Through this process, the trek leaders learnt to become strong facilitators of transformation. 

31 guides went through the training program in two groups. They were trained in first aid training. Outside this they also learnt soft skills related to providing trekkers experience on culture and regional knowledge. They also picked up key skills to communicate and facilitate the thought of Green Trails strongly with trekkers. 

71 cooks and helpers went through 3-day programs where they went through extensive training on the technicalities of cooking along with understanding the trekking world a bit more. We also wanted them to understand the roles and responsibilities they have in impacting trekkers’ lives by creating memorable experiences. 

6 trek managers and 5 store in charges improved in their hard and soft skills of managing the backend and assisting the slope managers.

We also had special sessions for the slope managers who overlook all human resources and processes at our base camps to ensure the best experience for the trekkers.

These trainings provide an opportunity for all the staff to improve their skills and knowledge and raise their standards and capacity in the trekking industry. 

“Aside from the regular training all the team members go through, these group trainings help bring the entire organisation together. Given that Indiahikes is spread out across the mountains throughout the year, it’s very difficult to bring everyone together physically. It means closing down treks for nearly 1-2 weeks. But the sense of community and face to face interaction is something we value deeply, which is why we do such training regularly,” shares Arjun Majumdar, founder of Indiahikes.