Why "Success" On An Experiential Learning Trek Is More Than Reaching The Summit

A few months ago, on the Dayara Bugyal trek, we met a young boy who couldn’t reach the top. The biting cold had gotten the better of him. He was crushed.
 
Initially, it seemed like fleeting disappointment. As we continued chatting, the boy shared how his father was upset and disappointed with him. His older daughter had made it to the top. Why couldn’t his son?
 
It was a poignant reminder of how deeply ingrained our idea of success is—reaching the top.
 
On treks, it’s the summit. In life, it’s top grades, top universities, top companies, and accolades. Of course, these milestones are worth celebrating, but are they the only ones?
 
Perhaps life’s pressures has limited our vision; so much, that we can only see visible, socially-celebrated markers of success.
 
What this parent didn’t (or couldn’t) see were the quiet, decisive wins for his son with every tentative step to the top, like:
 
- Resilience: The courage to push forward despite exhaustion and self-doubt.
- Confidence: The realisation that he can do difficult things, and is far more capable than he gives himself credit for.
- Adaptability: Learning to navigate discomfort and unforeseen challenges.
- Managing failure: That things go awry despite the best-laid plans, but you dust yourself off and keep going anyway.

More than lessons on the trail—they form the foundation of a life well-lived.

The value of the learning process over outcomes

On Experiential Learning treks with us, what happens enroute to the summit is as important as reaching it, if not more.

Success in Experiential Learning is measured by transformation—how deeply a learner engages with an experience, reflects on it, and applies that learning to new and evolving challenges.

David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle emphasises this process:

• Concrete Experience – Learning by doing something hands-on.
• Reflective Observation – Thinking about what happened and why.
• Abstract Conceptualisation – Connecting it to broader ideas and principles.
• Active Experimentation – Applying that learning in a new setting.

“When things go wrong on treks, the learnings can be more impactful than when things go right. It depends on how you approach it, your attitude, and the process you follow of learning - what did not go right, and changes you make in how you do the same thing the next time," shares Izzat Yaganagi Director at Indiahikes School of Outdoor Learning (InSOUL).
 
Experiential Learning looks at success differently; where the "process of learning" - experimentation, trial and error, and reflections - form the core of the experience.
 
The view from the top might be incredible, but the strength children gain in getting there? Unmatched and life-changing.