When a family trek starts its first ascent into the mountains, it's a familiar picture.

Parents are worried, uncertain, and at times, even sceptical. They get into a well-practised rhythm of taking care of their children’s every need (and want). Dos and don'ts abound. Every “if situation” taken care of. Extra food, extra clothes, extra gadgets to keep the kids occupied.

But if we skip forward and take a look at the last day of the same trek?

The little ones have not only overtaken all the parents on the trail, but are also motivating them. Parents and children alike are carefree. Climbing boulders and lying on the grass. Having snow fights and building snowmen. It's the kids who are diligently helping out the trek leader, making sure their parents are well fed and well rested.

On a trek, its the children leading the parents. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

“By the end of the trek, there is a complete role reversal, which surprises most parents,” says Izzat Yaganagi, head of Experiential Learning at Indiahikes.

Having observed trekkers for over 13 years, we notice that trekking makes trekkers more resilient, more empathetic and environmentally conscious.

This impact is ten times stronger in children, who are at a tender, moldable age. Every action, activity and emotion has a deep impact on them.

This often surprises parents, especially when they see their children behaving very differently from what they have seen at home. 

1. Children acquire a new sense of responsibility

Rekha Spoorthi, mother of a 10  year old Samanyu, shares, “Even though we have travelled a lot before in nature, it is only this time that I observed a lot of leadership qualities in my son. He was very caring.He was eager to take up responsibilities and he would follow through. He would do all his chores himself without any reminders. He was completely independent. It was as if we were strangers there! Not only did he complete his own tasks, but helped others too.” 

Parents often see that the effect of the trek lasts long after they’ve returned home.

Rekha further shares “Samanyu has learnt to be respectful towards others as well. His behaviour towards girls too has become very sensible.” 

Another trekker, Swati Bhatnagar Panchmatia, told us her observations of her 10 year old son. “He had a strong sense of responsibility on the trek. What we teach at home was reinforced in him there. He would ensure that the task assigned to him was done without any laziness or reminders”. She adds lovingly, “He, at times, completed his work even before he had his own meal.” 

While the trek plays a role in bringing about these behavioural changes, the facilitation of the Family Trek Experience has a huge role to play. 

Our Trek Experience Manager, Prathima Chhabria, gives us some insight on the trek design. "Right from Day 1, we make children a part of our team. Each of them holds a position — someone is made Assistant Trek Leader, someone a Green Trails Warrior, we also have a Master Chef.”

Parents are surprised at how well their children take up responsibilities. Picture by Swati Bhatnagar Panchmatia.

“This gives the children a sense of ownership. We switch these roles every day, so that children get to switch responsibilities. This automatically instils a sense of responsibility in them. It makes even the most indifferent children eager to take charge!" says Prathima, who is a mother of two herself. 

2. Children leave gadgets behind and instinctively turn towards nature

Parents have told us time and again how much more observant and curious children are about nature after a trek. Through the activities and interesting titbits from the trek leaders and guides, children notice things they never have before. 

Children take an active interest in the nature around them. They start noticing minute details. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

“We saw 2 foxes and a bear! At least fresh bear marks on a tree — which probably meant the bear had gone up the tree!” says one of our young trekkers.

Mratunjay, our Trek Leader, tells us his observation. “Children go about their own scavenger hunts around the campsite. They come across bones in these explorations and start wondering and questioning what kind of different animals live in the jungle.”

Children develop a wide-eyed curiosity and interest in nature on a trek. Picture by Swati Bhatnagar Panchmatia.

In a ‘moodboard’ activity, children use different elements in nature such as different coloured leaves, various shapes to connect to different emotions they felt on the trek.

Through this curiosity, they connect deeply with their new surroundings.

When we asked the 6 year old Naman, to tell us his favourite part on the trek, he gave us a surprising answer. “Jungles…and peace - there is no pollution!” (After his Green trails efforts on the Indiahikes trek, he still tries to collect as much waste as possible -- back in Delhi!)

Even Rekha’s 10-year-old Samanyu and 15-year-old Sarang, live a minimalist life in a big city like Bangalore. Their mother tells us how “the children now know the difference between need and want.”

Our Trek Leaders encourage trekkers to share their thoughts, feelings and observations at the end of each day's trek. This is one of the most surprising experiences for the parents. 

Vijeta Khubchandani, shares how her 6-year-old son opened up, “He is a shy child and mingled less with the trekkers. His only mission was to complete the trek. But the daily task of sharing thoughts and reflections made him open up. He would tell his Trek Leader all about his day and all about his plans!”

And this is not limited to one-on one-conversations. Children take back with them this openness and confidence to communicate. Prathima tells us “Parents see children talking more about nature, about their experience among peers. They are eager to share their trek experiences on school platforms as well. The trek builds this confidence in them.”

4. Families Observe a Stronger Bond Among Themselves

A trek provides a rare opportunity for families to be together without distractions for a long period of time. 

Parents and children get to spend much more time with each other than usual. Picture by Swati Bhatnagar Panchmatia.

Binita Shah, who has been to Chandrashila with her 12 year old son, noticed this very strongly. “Being around each other 24/7, and doing so many things together, on this trek has created a much stronger bond between us. This is almost never possible in our daily lives. I’m glad to see the effect lasting after coming back too. We talk much more than we used to. He talks to me about his school and all the new things he learns. We are not just mother-son now, but also friends.”

Parents and children become the best of friends on a trek. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

Mratunjay points out the parents’ effort in understanding their children differently. He narrates how families bond more on a trek - “In cities, we are all engrossed in our personal lives. When it comes to communicating with each other, we go for quick-fix solutions. If a child is being stubborn, the parents' reaction is time bound. But here, in nature, they get much more time than usual.” 

“Parents get the time to have meaningful conversations with their children, patiently and consciously. They see that even though their children might act stubborn, every child has their own reasoning behind it. Once the parents find out this reasoning, they themselves find an alternate method of communicating,” he observes. 

The treks offer a safe space for children to share their thoughts and parents to understand them better. 

Parents and children strengthen their bond through the various activities conducted. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

5. Parents discover a hidden resilience in their children

Parents come with a lot of healthy worries for their children. This is natural. However, a trek usually turns things around. 

A parent, in a heartwarming message to our founder and CEO Arjun Majumdar, writes about his experience with his son. 

“My son had been facing stomach problems since before the trek. He was unable to keep his food in. Still, he decided that, come what may, he wanted to complete the trek.”

Worried, he asked their trek leader, Aditya, whether turning back might be the best  option. 

“Let this come from your son”, was the trek leader, Aditya’s response.

However, “my son vehemently rejected the idea of going back.”, says the father full of pride in his son’s grit. 

The father wrote to our founder about how his son’s health did not affect his ability to enjoy the trek. 

“He made sure that he participated in all activities and had fun. I started realising that my son was enjoying the small moments between the difficult sections which I was missing out on…”, writes his father. 

Till the end, the son was determined to complete the trek. However, unwilling to take the risk, his father decided to bring him back down.

But the father was yet again amazed at his determination and resilience. He writes, “...seeing how tired he was I requested your staff to carry him down as the sun was blazing. But he wanted to walk down by himself. This showed his grit in difficult physical conditions. I realised then what each one of us is capable of. However, we underestimate ourselves at the slightest failure.”

In conversation with us, he says, “I saw my son and the other children facing challenges on the climb, daily. However, once at the campsite, they forgot every struggle and were engrossed in their activities. As adults, we hold on to the negative things happening to us. This approach is something we can learn from our children. And I am sure, the determination to never give up that he has learnt on the trek will always stay with him.”

Parents realise the incredible resilience their children possess. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

What we have noticed over many years of seeing parents and children trekking together is that parents start the trek with dependent children and end it with independent, self-sufficient and confident young trekkers. 

They notice the impact even long after the trek ends. 

As Sharwari puts it, “Parents’ preconceived notions about their children are cast off.” 

We spoke to parents who took their children trekking and asked them what changes they observed in their children after the trek. Here's what they had to say!

A Conversation With Parents: How They See Their Children Differently After A Trek

A trek, by virtue of its nature, is a life changing experience. In our years of running a trek organisation, we have seen how adults undergo an internal transformation during their time in the outdoors.  In children, this transformation increases tenfold. All in the course of a regular, week long trek!

In the same environment, what happens when we bring in structured activities? We found our answers to this question when we started running exclusive Family treks. These exclusive treks have structured activities that we have designed to maximise learnings from the outdoors.

“The idea behind these structured activities is that we bring out the latent positive qualities present in children” says Izzat Yaganagi, Head of Experiential Learning Programme. “These activities lay special emphasis on team work, observation skills, and cooperative work.”

Family trek begins with special briefings

“Before we start the trek, we hold separate briefings for parents and children. We instruct the parents to not help their kids in day to day activities and just letting the small inconveniences be,” says Izzat.

“Getting accustomed to hardship, taking care of their own day to day activities like pitching tents, setting up camp, helping with cooking, serving and washing utensils, is all part of their learning experience,” she adds.

Children are given a separate briefing where they are encouraged to take care of their parents on the trail. They are specifically asked to check if they are hydrating well, encouraging them if they are tired.

On a trek, parents see independence, decision making and the fact that kids can take care of themselves.

“This brings a change in dynamic between parents and children. When children are asked to take on the responsibility of seeing to their parents well-being, it brings out qualities in children that parents are often astonished to see,” adds Izzat.

“They see independence, decision making and that their children can take care of themselves. The kids check up on their parents, call them out for meals, keep time, pitch tents, serve food. This is the first time parents are fully present for their kids for the entirety of the day. On a trek, they are not burdened by their job or work commitments. This fosters a different kind of intimacy and bond between them.”

“Interestingly, a lot of parents come to us and say that their kids are doing far better on the trail than themselves,” confesses Mukta, our Trek Leader who has led numerous family batches. “When they allow their child to explore, they see that they can trust in their child’s decision making ability. They are not constantly afraid or trying to shelter them.”

In our family exclusive batches, we divide the children into three teams: Green Trails Warriors, Helping Hands, and Masterchefs. Each of these teams are responsible for different aspects of the trek. The Green Trails Warriors try to make sure that no trekkers litter the trail and they all pick as much waste as possible. They dig toilet pits, set up toilet tents and even call for segregation activity each day.

The Green Trails Warriors dig toilet pits, set up toilet tents and even call for segregation activity each day.

Then there are the helping hands – the team who acts as assistants to Trek Leaders. They encourage everyone to trek well, hydrate on time and make sure no ground rules are broken. They even check oxymeter readings once a day – with Trek Leaders by their side, of course.

The Masterchefs help the kitchen staff in cooking and serving meals. These teams change roles each day of the trek. Not only do they learn how to take on responsibilities assigned to each member and execute it, they also learn how to look out for each other and work as a team.

“In one of these batches, it started raining quite badly in one of the campsites. I was prepared to take charge of the situation. To my surprise, I didn’t have to! When it started raining, one of the kids took lead of the situation, rounded up the others and instructed that they have to make sure the mats in dining area don’t get wet. They worked together and crisis was averted” says Vijeet, one of our Trek Leaders.

What else do they learn with these activities?

Understanding what is necessity vs what is luxury

When they pitch their own tents, cook with a small gas stove for large number of people in a small cramped space – they understand that there isn’t much needed to survive. It is a big realistion at a young age. Away from the consumerist setting of urban life, a trek introduces them to minimalist living.

“Understanding the difference between need and want is brought up naturally during our reflection sessions. More often than not, children voice it out themselves. This is a very valuable life learning and has a deep seated impact on the child’s psyche” says Izzat.

They learn natural consequences for their actions

They learn this in many small ways. “Children help in cooking their own food. They eat what they make. Or if they haven’t pitched their tents properly, it is up to them to figure it out and fix it. As weather is unpredictable in the mountains, there is a fixed turnaround time on summit day. So if the team leaves late and if anyone is not fit enough to trek, then they don’t make it to the summit” Izzat says. “This experience of natural consequences is another valuable lesson learnt at a young age”.

Children learn natural consequences for their actions. If they haven’t pitched their tents properly, it is up to them to figure it out and fix it.

“Kids often don’t know their potential” says Mukta. “In the process of figuring out how to do things, they gain confidence!”

“This helps them be present and really engage with different aspects of the trek” notes Izzat.

If the weather is kind and the children are not too tired after the trek, we play cooperative games. There are no winners or losers in these games but everyone has a lot of fun. “These games build cooperation and the ability to overcome personal goals to focus on the team goal.” says Izzat.

These structured activities and games open the kids to others

“In the beginning of the trek, on Day 1, the kids are very much in themselves. These activities and games open them to others, little by little on Day 2. And by Day 3, they are all instinctively with the team and learn to take care of each other. By the fourth day of the trek, the team bond is so strong that you know that it will last beyond the trek. In some way or the other” says Mukta.

And finally, there are reflection sessions

We conduct reflection sessions every evening. These sessions are focused on the learning of the day. Kids are asked to reflect on what their learning was from the day’s activities. What did they see in the outdoors that day? What were they good at? Where did they struggle?

Their struggles, as an individual and as a team, are evaluated and their solutions are discussed. What this leads to is building of trust between the team members. With repetitive reflection sessions, the teams begin to understand themselves and each other better. Subsequently, they start working as a whole unit. The reflection session often acts as their growth chart as well – bringing about unique learning from each day.

“The most universal learning on these treks is that you are stronger and more resilient than you think,” observes Izzat. “It is a big thing for a child to learn.”

The most universal learning on these treks is that you are stronger and more resilient than you think. It’s a big thing for a child to learn.

Mukta shared, “I remember two 11 year old girls on Dayara Bugyal. They couldn’t go to the highest point. Usually, this is a very disappointing thing for most people. But they were very happy with how far they came and whatever they achieved. Their yardstick is, of course, themselves.”

Says Izzat, “We had a couple of teenage boys who had done a regular trek with us previously. I was a little apprehensive about how they would be around younger kids in a family batch. But they were absolutely wonderful young boys. They took care of the younger kids and encouraged them throughout like true big brothers. It was so interesting to watch. “

“At the end of this trek, these boys confessed that they liked this kind of hands-on treks more than the regular trek,” Izzat says proudly. “It brought certain things about themselves to their notice and they inevitably learnt quite a bit that they will take back”.

Resilience, strength and ability to face difficulties and work together make for great life lessons to take back into their lives.

On a family batch, we facilitate and enhance, with the help of structured trek related activities, learning from the outdoors. It  simulates a hands-on environment,  forcing the children to face hardships and adapt. This resilience, this strength and ability to face difficulties and work together make for great life lessons to take back into their lives.

This is why we believe children should be in the outdoors.

If you have questions about the Experiential Learning Programme, write to izzat@indiahikes.com, or drop in a comment below.

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