Here is an exciting opportunity for trekkers who want to hone their leadership skills.

We are looking for volunteers to help us with our Collaborative Leadership Program in the Himalayas. 

45 members of the Young Indians family have signed up for the Collaborative Leadership Program. They come from all over India.  

What is the responsibility of a volunteer during the Collaborative Leadership Program?

As a volunteer, you will facilitate the program for participants who maybe are stepping into the Himalayas for the first time. The program is designed by the Indiahikes team to bring out learnings and reflections among the participants. Volunteers will play a crucial role in helping participants internalise these learnings. 

It won’t be easy to facilitate as many participants would be are completely outside their comfort zone in the Himalayas. For this you need to have the right mix of skill and personality.

We will be selecting volunteers based on your prior trek experience, your empathy and care, your communication skills, your fitness, and your work experience. 

Where is the Experiential Learning Program Happening?

This program is taking place on the Dayara Bugyal trek. 

What Indiahikes will take care of for volunteers: 

All meals and accommodation throughout the duration of the program

Your safety and health throughout the trek

What volunteers will have to take care of: 

Your journey to the Indiahikes basecamp and back 

Meals during transit from the basecamp and back 

The program begins on May 16th and ends on May 21st at Raithal. You'll be expected to be at Dehradun a day prior to the program.

As mentioned earlier, we are looking for volunteers with sharp skills and personality to facilitate students in the Himalayas. We are picky about who we choose as a volunteer. 

To become a volunteer, you must tick the following criteria:

Must have at least 3 years of work experience 

Must have done at least one Himalayan trek with Indiahikes

Must be extremely fit (should be able to jog 5 km within 38 minutes)

Being a volunteer for an Experiential Learning Program is extremely rewarding. At the end of the volunteership you also earn a certificate.

It is something that will help you in your professional career as well. We hope you make full use of such an opportunity, especially when you do so in some of the most terrific locations of our country!

We have a two-step process to select volunteers.

Step 1: A questionnaire to get to know you and your skills

Step 2: A video interview to assess your potential as a volunteer

We’ll get back to you within 2 days if you’re shortlisted after filling out the form.

Volunteer for a Collaborative Leadership Program in the Himalayas

Late in November 2021, Indiahikes conducted two extensive workshops for teachers on How to Facilitate Experiential Learning for students. The workshops were held in Mussoorie and Bangalore. Teachers from over 18 schools participated in the workshop, travelling from Lucknow, Mumbai, Delhi and several other cities.

Teachers who attended the workshop at Mussoorie International School, Mussoorie.

Teachers who attended the workshop at Delhi Public School, North in Bangalore.

“Most educational institutions lay a strong emphasis on academic qualification. But very few of them give children the atmosphere required to develop their interpersonal skills and understand their strengths and weaknesses,” says Izzat Yaganagi, the head of the Experiential Learning division at Indiahikes. 

“These qualities cannot be honed through textbooks or practised in simulated conditions. Children need to be immersed in a real-life experience that carries a seed of possibilities that can reveal and enhance the child’s natural strengths. A trek offers that experience,” she adds. 

To spread awareness on Experiential Learning and how to go about it, Indiahikes conducted its first-ever Experiential Learning Facilitation Workshop for teachers in November 2021.

The Workshop took place at two different locations. The first one happened in Mussoorie in association with Mussoorie International School and the second one was in Bangalore in association with Delhi Public School, North. 

Teachers from schools like Athenia School, CMS Lucknow, Sarla Birla Academy, Jagsom School of Management participated in the workshop. 

Teachers from various schools across the country participated in the workshop held at Mussoorie International School, Mussoorie.

Teachers from over 18 schools participated in the workshop. 

The training was conducted by Gerrit Onstein, an outdoor educator from the Netherlands, with over 30 years of experience in outdoor education. He’s also a mentor and trainer for trainers and teachers who work experientially with young people in the outdoors.

In the training, the teachers were introduced to the concept of Experiential Learning and the theory behind it. They participated in Experiential Learning activities themselves to get an in-depth perspective into what the students go through during this program. 

The Teachers were made to do some experiential learning activities to get a hands-on understanding of what the students go through in such a program.

The objective was to enable teachers to take Experiential Learning forward in their schools. 

Experiential Learning requires specially trained people to facilitate learning. We were happy to see that after the training, the teachers were enthusiastic to dive deep into Experiential Learning and take it forward in their own schools. 

Teachers participating in one of the activities during the workshop held at Mussoorie International School, Mussoorie

Indiahikes will continue to organise such workshops across the country, to help spread awareness about Experiential Learning and enable schools to take it forward independently.

Teachers reflecting after another activity was conducted with them in the workshop.

Izzat Yaganagi, Head, Experiential Learning, shares interesting observations from the training 

“Many schools are becoming aware that only academic learning is not enough for a child. They need holistic development. To develop a well-rounded personality values like humility, generosity, empathy and care need to be honed too. 

At the training, I observed that schools are now more open to this thought. It is a good opportunity to integrate Experiential Learning as a part of their curriculum. The schools can take students outdoors and later on to Himalayan treks as well. 

Meaningful learnings from such outdoor activities beautifully complement academic learning. They connect with nature. That way we do not need to tell them how to protect Earth, they would naturally do it on their own.” 

If you are a part of an educational institution and would like us to conduct this workshop then you can write to izzat@indiahikes.com

Indiahikes conducts Experiential Learning Facilitation Workshop for Teachers from 18 Schools

A common question asked is, how do we keep your students safe in the Himalayan Mountain Challenge program.

To answer this we need to give you a bit of a background.

Indiahikes is India’s largest and safest trekking organization. More than 20,000 trekkers trek with us every year. They do so not because we are the largest but because of our legacy.

Indiahikes has defined the safety norms for trekking in our country. We have brought in most of the safety systems, protocols and equipment that are now considered the standard requirement for safe trekking.

Since 2012 we have had more than 4,000 students from the top IIMs of our country with us on the Himalayan Mountain Challenge Program. We have never had any trouble so far, though most of these students had never trekked before and none of them were accustomed to such an environment.

We begin interactions with students a month in advance to prepare them physically and mentally for the program. Many issues that can arise from lack of preparation are taken care of through these interactions.

The mechanism of safety that we follow is very important for you to know. For this we need to take you through the 3 pillars that uphold safety on all our treks — it stands on:

Outside the facilitators, their fellow members, our Trek Leaders play a pivotal role in keeping your students safe on the trek. It is not easy to be a Trek Leader with Indiahikes. There is a long, stringent and a difficult selection process. 

After this they undergo a rigorous 8 month induction and training program before they are certified as Trek Leaders at Indiahikes. Only those Trek Leaders who are the best of our team are selected to lead the Himalayan Mountain Challenge. 

All our Trek Leaders are certified mountaineers with a Basic Mountaineering Course or Advanced Mountaineering Course. Among them, the ones who are Wilderness First Responders (NOLS-certified) are assigned to lead your students.

Apart from the Trek Leaders we have technical guides, trek guides, program facilitators and assistants who accompany the students. All of them are given specialised training in handling emergency mountain situations. If a situation arises, anyone of our team members will be able to evacuate your students to safety even in the middle of the night. 

Ultimately, even an expert team such as ours cannot keep your students safe unless they follow stringent safety processes. These are processes that have been developed by us for over ten years. They have been put in place after considering every scenario and evaluating every risk of a trek. 

Our risk assessment and management systems are extensive and deep, as you will discover when you sign up with us. There is a process for preparing students, a process to monitor the health of students 3 times a day, a process for management of accidents, a process for managing altitude sickness, a process for evacuation. There are processes for even trekking, and a separate process for difficult sections. Any potential risk is nipped in the bud.

Our extensive trek experience matters here. The trekking trails your students trek on are not new to us. These trekking trails have been nurtured and developed by us for many years. We have our own base camps on these trails. 

From the time we pick up your students till they return back to the town, they are our responsibility. 

On the trek we have a staff to student ratio of 1:5. Which means for every 5 students of your institute, there is an Indiahikes staff monitoring them closely. Students’ health is monitored 2-3 times a day. 

Most of the modern safety equipment used in the Indian trekking community has been introduced by us. This has fundamentally changed how trekking is done in our country.

In all of our treks, we carry a high altitude medical kit, an evacuation kit, a technical kit, radio equipment and oxygen cylinders (pulse oximeters and BP monitors are standard equipment carried by our Trek Leaders, including ropes and carabiners). 

These three pillars together —  people, processes and equipment — keep your students safe on our programs.

Many a times we get asked about the safety of students on a Himalayan Mountain Challenge. Read on to know how we keep your students safe!

How We Keep Students Safe During the Himalayan Mountain Challenge Program

How An Experiential Learning Trek In The Himalayas Can Change Your School Students

Adi was a troublemaker at school. Teachers were at their wits’ ends trying to deal with his anger outbursts and untidiness. When not daydreaming, he was constantly distracting others. He usually got excited with anything new – but could seldom see with a task to completion. He did not have any friends and was teased by the other students. Needless to say, his grades suffered. His school signed up for Experiential Learning treks with us.

Before the trek started, Adi’s teacher took me aside and said he needs to be watched closely. They did not want him to misbehave or push anyone on the trekking trail.

This was not something we were unfamiliar with, having had 7,085 students trek with us over the last 4 years. We did what we usually do when we have high energy students like Adi, we assigned him a responsibility.

We asked him if he would be our Green Trails leader. Everyone was given an Eco Bag to pick litter on the trail. He was in charge of ensuring that when Eco Bags were full, students would empty them into a larger sack and was so excited about his responsibility!

He was everywhere. Picking garbage, pointing it out to others, going out of his way many times to pick plastic that was strewn off-trail.

We began to see something change. Not everyone was agile and nimble-footed as he. Some were finding the terrain and slope difficult. We saw Adi helping anyone who was struggling. He held their hands in slippery sections and offered his water to those who did not have enough.  He even offered to carry the bags of those who were struggling.

This was a side of Adi that no one had seen before. He was enthusiastic, kind-hearted, helpful, and took his responsibility very seriously.

We later heard from the school that Adi was a changed person in class and on campus. He had a certain confidence about him and he took charge of cleanliness even in school, chiding anyone who littered. He was getting recognized for this – and it began to reflect in his grades as well.

Adi discovered the joy of shouldering responsibility. His talents and strengths were given a chance to shine. Others got to see who he really is inside – and began to treat him differently. The experience and confidence it brought got transferred to other areas of his life.

He will still have challenges. But this gift he received on the trek – could very well be the turning point in his life.

This is a true story and we have seen many Adis on our treks. From the Experiential Learning Programs, we have so many stories of others who overcame limitations, fears, and lack of confidence. They took this experience back with them to their lives.

There is a growing awareness in educational circles that the mental, emotional and spiritual well being of students are as important as academic excellence. Whether in school or pursuing a professional course, the need for a different set of life skills is becoming increasingly evident.

While academic excellence has its place, we are seeing an alarming rise in students who lack self-confidence, who crumble under the slightest emotional disturbance and whose sense of entitlement has tied the hands of parents and teachers alike.

It’s time to think out of the box, look out of the box, and take students out of the box.

| What We See As The Present Need Amongst Students

We see a strong need for students to be able to learn new skills, attitudes, and qualities to grow and make a positive difference to the world we live in.

1. They need to see the natural consequences of their actions and not consequences imposed upon them by adults.

2. They need to experience and get accustomed to hardship.

3. They need to build resilience by facing challenges, struggling, and moving forward.

4. They need to experience the fruit of persistent effort and see that small consistent steps in the right direction – can lead to a huge victory!

5. They need to experience confidence of the spirit that comes from breaking through the limitations of the mind and body.

6. They need to experience what it is to be in awe and wonderment and to feel the joy and peace of discovering who they are in relation to the universe.

7. They need to be in situations that evoke empathy and compassion and offer the opportunity to express it.

8. Finally, they need to experience the outcome of daily reflections as a process of striving for excellence.

In the Experiential Learning Programs we design, we consciously build in the above mentioned experiences. Though the trek may just last 6 days we have found that the impact of this experience creates a shift in their approach to learning and growth for many years to come. It triggers the change in them.

We at Indiahikes see trekking and camping as a unique tool that has the potential to bring about change in students. It is not easy for such changes to come about through classroom learning or other simulated experiences.

The beauty and majesty of nature and the mountains create the perfect setting for a powerful experience. Strong emotions of joy and wonderment, that trekking invariably gives rise to, cements that experience into the conscious and subconscious mind.

1. The opportunity of getting accustomed to hardship

A bane of our present society is the absence of natural ways to get students accustomed to hardship. Doing it artificially often meets with rebellion.

On a trek, every aspect is a form of hardship. Students are out of their comfort zones right from the word go. From exerting their lungs, heaving themselves uphill and carrying their own backpacks, to sleeping on a hard surface in a sleeping bag. 

From toilets dug in the soil and no running water to freezing temperatures and having to wash their own dishes, and from rising before the sun on the summit day and trekking 8-10 hours before they can rest.

Initially, there are a few complaints, but each day we see a change. Surprisingly, summit day, which is the toughest day, has the least complaints. In such a short time, they have become mentally accepting of hardship and after a point, see it as a natural part of the day.

Eventually, attempts to avoid it disappear and students take on challenges head-on! To us, even if nothing else, this change makes the whole experiential learning program worth it.

2. The opportunity to experience natural consequences

This is something we all want our students to learn — but most parents, and teachers do not allow it. We push them constantly and make sure they do not go through the pain of facing real consequences.

In the mountains, it is nature in its raw form. The consequences of what we do or don’t do is immediately seen. For example, those who do not heed our insistence on physical preparation, struggle while trekking. Those who have made the effort to prepare have a much better experience of enjoying the beauty on the trail.

Weather in the mountains is unpredictable and we have to get to the next camp before dark. We have to constantly manage the terrain. There are ups and downs. Rocks and boulders, streams to hop over.

On the other hand, weather is a challenge. It gets very cold, it rains, there could be snow storms too. So on the summit day of the trek, we have a strict turn around time. If for any reason some get delayed, then even if they are 200 feet from the summit they have to turn back. It is very difficult for us to enforce it – but we must.

So, very naturally, an understanding of consequences evolves. The connection between the actions and decisions made and their outcome becomes evident. This is again brought out during reflections. This is a strong life lesson.

3. Resilience as a natural outcome of getting accustomed to hardship

The ability to bounce back quickly after a crisis is another area that students struggle with. When we help young people view challenges as a critical part of success, we help them develop resilience.

We have seen that even four days in the mountains creates a shift in attitude towards challenges that come up constantly during a trek.

Every hour, every day students are faced with situations they have never dealt with before. They are completely out of their comfort zones. Pitching tents and sleeping in zipped up bags, washing dishes in freezing water, cooking simple meals.

We have seen that they end up relishing meals even if burnt or uncooked. They challenge their lungs and feet with long hours of trekking. They break mental frameworks to redefine needs vs wants, comfort vs necessities.

As the days go by, they see the changes in themselves as well. This observation and awareness is brought about during the reflection sessions with the Trek Leader. They see themselves in a new but realistic positive light. They discover areas that they need to work on and feel confident that they can.

Gradually, they begin to feel a sense of control over their minds and bodies. They know they can reach out to others for support when needed. Experiencing the support of the team and discovering inner reserves of empathy makes students discover new strengths within themselves. They readily take initiative to solve problems.

We have seen students very excited and full of energy at the start of every trek. An hour into the trek and we see many beginning to struggle. The questions start – How much further? When will we reach?

We then introduce them to a magic formula. We call it baby steps. Take small steps, don’t rush, breathe naturally and keep walking. Very soon we see students who were out of breath and struggling, beginning to look around, smile and enjoy the beauty around them.

The actual impact of this formula is felt at the summit. Students stand in awe – their eyes large with disbelief that they had climbed all this way. Looking down they see their achievement and marvel at it.

This seemingly simple lesson is something that even adult trekkers take back with them. The impact on students is huge. They learn a deep truth – that nothing is impossible and all it takes is small steps towards your goal. You will get there.

5. The opportunity to experience awe and wonderment of the natural world

Students these days are quite aware of the need to protect nature. But it is quite rare to come across students who have been deeply touched by nature, feel closely connected to it and allow this connection to influence how they interact with it.

We have seen how a trek creates this deep connection. 

You can see their eyes bright with anticipation from the first sight of snow-capped peaks while travelling to the base camp.

Trekking through rich forests, alive with strange fragrances and bird sounds, triggers their excitement. Camping under the night skies and witnessing the grandeur of the Milky Way gives their imaginations a whole new dimension. Standing on the summit and seeing the amphitheater of mountains around them is an overwhelming moment for everyone.

Some burst into tears. Most don’t understand why. This precious experience has touched their core. It brings to the surface, feelings of gratitude and deep connection to the universe.

6. The opportunity to express and practice empathy and compassion

We noticed that when expectations are set and the means to fulfill them are in place, students arise to fulfill them. We do this to enhance the expression of human values while on a trek.

Students are divided into smaller teams during the trek and each team takes on a specific role each day. The teams are mixed and usually, students who are close friends are put in separate teams. The Trek Leader explains the roles and responsibilities of each team.

The specific responsibility of one of the teams each day is to see to the well-being of everyone, to offer help to those who are struggling, and to encourage them.

We have seen students initially uncertain about how to show empathy and compassion. Some are naturally empathetic but many are not very tuned to others’ needs. With the right nudges and accompaniment by the trek leader and other staff, students learn to put the needs of others before their own.

Needless to say, for many, it could be the first strong experience of joy that one gets from service to others.

7. Daily reflections as a process of striving for excellence

Reflection is the key that is required in order to learn from experience. Without reflections after activities, the experiential learning cycle is incomplete and learning is left completely to chance. 

Reflections require taking time-out from “doing” and stepping back and reviewing what has been done and experienced.

They are done individually as well as all together.  Students are encouraged to verbalize their learnings and observations.

Team reflections, through simple conversations, help in talking about what went well and what did not. They help in learning from mistakes.

This daily practice helps students learn the Kolb process of learning from experience. They are facilitated to apply that learning to other areas of life and study.

We use the principles of Experiential Learning, which is the process of “learning by doing”.

Learning by doing has a retention of 75% as compared to the 20% of classroom learning. (The Learning Pyramid)

During the trek students are consciously taken through the phases of experiential learning as outlined by David A.Kolb.

The doing – On our programme, students are involved in all aspects of planning and executing the trek – especially if it is a multi day trek in the Himalayas. This is something they have never done before and is quite challenging. It is specially designed to push them out of their comfort zones as they engage with all aspects of trekking and camping.

The learning – They are then taken through the process of reflecting on their experience and learnings. Their understanding of certain concepts is enhanced through the reflections. Finally, these learnings are used to improve their experience the following day. They are also enabled to see the application of their learning to different aspects of their lives.

Students go through the concrete experience of trekking and related activities. They are then taken through the process of reflecting on their learnings. Their understanding of certain concepts is enhanced through the reflections.

Finally, these learnings are used to improve their experience the following day. They are also enabled to see the application of their learning to different aspects of their lives.

In Experiential Learning, the role of the facilitator is of utmost importance. The mountains and the trek, the conditions that create the perfect environment for learning provide the perfect nature classroom. Without the teacher/ facilitator, the learning is completely left to chance.

The facilitators have to balance several roles — from trek leader, to coach, to teacher and counselor. Their skills of communicating, encouraging, motivating, inspiring and leading are the fuel that take the students through the experiences of the trek with a positive attitude of learning. This is not an easy task.

Training of the facilitators is therefore a vital part of the Indiahikes training program, which happens behind the scenes. We have Continuous Professional Development programmes for our Trek Leaders as well as other supporting staff.

The training has several levels and refresher courses through the year. The focus is on enhancing the skills, knowledge, attitudes and qualities required for experiential education. This has resulted in a pool of highly motivated facilitators of outdoor learning at Indiahikes.

For the training as well as mentoring of our Trek Leaders, we have left no stone unturned. We collaborate with experts in the field from around the world, who have had decades of experience of working with students in the outdoors, to ensure that what we offer is of the highest quality and up to date.

Over the last 4 years, we have observed 7085 students from various schools across India on Experiential Learning Treks with us .. We see students face challenges with joy even though they are completely out of their comfort zones.

The field is level in the mountains though the terrain is not! Differences that define a person in the city, no longer define a person in the mountains. On a trek, it does not matter if you are a girl or boy, privileged or not, smart or weak.

This is an arena where students get accustomed to hardship and emerge more resilient and with a heightened sense of confidence.

Here's how an experiential learning program in the Himalayas can change your school students. Read more to know how your school can benefit from it too!

Indiahikes&#039; Experiential Learning Programs For Schools

Indiahikes' Experiential Learning Programs For Schools

Using his personal anecdotes, observations and stories, our Finance Manager Gautam Singh talks about why it is important for kids to experience the outdoorsy manager.

I have noticed a worrying trend in our country, and you must have noticed it too. It is not something new. Growing up, I have been a guilty participant of it myself – digital/online games. Children today have access to many more gadgets, than ever before. I have seen parents handing smartphones and tablets to children just as they learn to use their hands. Sometimes even at parks and playgrounds too.

But I am not making a stray observation. Recently, I came across a study that said just this. I can’t say I was shocked, but I was worried.

It said that in 2013 about 29% of children used tech gadgets as toddlers and 70% mastered them completely by the time they began primary school. I am sure that these numbers have doubled as I write this article today.  Gadgets have replaced the outdoors and have become the most preferred toys of the younger generation.

I find this extremely painful to hear. Especially as I was a child who grew up completely in love with video games too.  I grew up in the 90’s. The digital world was still in its inception, and I was already hooked.

At a small stream crossing on the trek. Picture by Saurabh Sawant.

I have always loved being outdoors – mountains, seas, trees, they all excite me. But being lost in the digital world full of computer games is something else. It took me by surprise. Hit me hard, and influenced me heavily. To the point where it removed all possibilities of me venturing out. 

Later in my life, I realized that this lack of physical activity was not only unhealthy, and harmful physically, but it also affected me mentally. I stopped being happy and excited about the things I used to like. My physical activities which would produce “happy hormones”, all seemed to have disappeared now.

Later on, I learnt that any form of exercise releases endorphins. And that they also regulate the body’s serotonin levels which reduce feelings of stress, depression and anxiety. I would spend all my time playing these computer games. As a result, my body was inactive for long periods of time. This generated cortisol, the stress hormone.

There are tonnes of studies that prove the popular saying for a healthy mind, you need a healthy body! I was becoming increasingly disassociated from my body, and the beautiful outdoors, things that I loved. Feelings of anxiety and stress were becoming prominent. Further, I did not even notice until many many years later, that the ecosystem of the digital world makes you extremely anti-social. I was very under-confident as a child.

But my story is not all downhill. Something changed my life, and that is what I am here to tell you about.

Gautam overlooks students’ putting on their eco-bags at the beginning of the trek. Picture by Saurabh Sawant.

How trekking helps your child’s overall development. 

My life changed forever when I went on a trek to Kodachadri. It is a beautiful mountain peak amid the dense forests of the Western Ghats. On this trek, I began to notice how everything changed and seemed new all of a sudden. The air I was breathing, the trees around me, the light drizzle on my skin, the scent of petrichor, all of this uplifted my spirit. I felt an indescribable feeling.

As I began trekking through the jungle, I felt an immense sense of joy and gratitude for being born on this beautiful planet. I started to notice a variety of plants and trees which I hadn’t seen before. I noticed the birds chirping around, tracks and traces of wild elephants, butterflies fluttering after. From the peak, I could see the Arabian Sea stretching to the horizon. I was experiencing them for the first time. I was reborn at 22.

By the time I came back from the trek, I felt much more confident, filled with joy and a deep sense of gratitude to the creator of this wonderful planet, all this in just one trek. I wanted more of this.

So I started looking for other treks to do. I frequently went on small hikes around my hometown, Ramanagaram and Bengaluru. The Ramadevara Betta, Handi Gundi Betta, Revana Siddeshwara Betta, Savana Durga, and Skandagiri to name a few. Each hike was a different experience and each of them was an eye-opener. I started coming out of the cocoon and I mourned the loss of childhood spent amid gadgets.

You are outdoors, in the lap of nature – sunshine, rain, cool breeze, thorns, gravel paths, uphill and downhills, falls and bruises, it is all one big bag of positivity and learning. To put it simply, I think trekking is an uplifting activity.

Upon further reading, I learnt that the outdoors lower feelings of anxiety, depression and stress. Further, it is also a way to foster social skills with your peers. I really wish that the children of today fall in love with the outdoors.

I want them to be curious again. And this is probably why I am sharing my thoughts with you today. My goal is to try and ensure that as many children as possible get a chance to explore the outdoors.

A popular ELP trek for students – Skandagiri

A small realization of this goal came true when I went as part of the Indiahikes team on an Experiential Learning Programme (ELP) Trek to Ballalarayana Durga. I listened to the teachers talk about sides to children they had never seen before. They were responsible for their teams, they had leaders among them, and they all helped each other reach the summit.

Such is the beauty of trekking, it allows children to be more attentive and responsive to changes around them. It brings in a sense of responsibility towards themselves and the society. They engage with Green Trails activities, work as a team, and boost each others morale. They are simply excited and happy. This increases their mental confidence. Each person, child or adult, undergoes a change, and experiences a trek in their own unique way.

I think I have a responsibility towards the children of today. And so do you. 🙂

Students on a reflection session at the summit of Skandagiri.

If you are part of a school and want to trek with us, write to izzat@indiahikes.com. Or head over to our Experiential Learning Programme page to know more. 

An Indiahikes Team Member shares from personal experince his lifestyle change from being addicted to video games, to loving the outdoors.

Do Gadgets Rule Your Kids’ Lives? Take them trekking.

CAS plays an important role in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme that is designed for students aged 16 – 19. CAS is organized around the three strands of creativity, activity, and service. 

It is designed to strengthen and extend students’ personal and interpersonal learning and develop skills such as problem-solving, cooperation, critical and creative thinking.

Students work together and improve their interpersonal, communication, and creative thinking skills. Picture by Harikrishnan

Personal challenge – Students are involved in planning and executing their own trek.  They pitch their own tents, cook, carry their own load, motivate each other and at the same time work on an environmental issue. 

Team and collaborative leadership skills – Students consult, plan, carry out the planned activities and then reflect on the outcome and their learning every day. Their communication skills and their ability to cooperate and collaborate while doing so are greatly enhanced. While doing so they learn to involve and encourage each other and demonstrate higher levels of empathy.

Social and cultural sensitivity – Gaining insight into the lives and culture of village people in the remotest parts of the Himalayas and participating in environmental programs we run there.

Creativity – Students creativity in the area of problem-solving is greatly enhanced. They also portray and express their experience through videos, photo stories, stories, poems, skits or songs. These are presented during evenings together under the stars or in the common dining tent.

Students work together to make their trek a success. Picture by Geet Tryambake

The creative expression of experience and learning.

Identifying one’s own strengths and becoming aware of areas that need to be worked on.

Resilience through getting accustomed to hardship and coming up with creative ways to manage with limited resources.

Recognition of the benefits of cooperation and collaboration as vital elements of success.

A deeper understanding of the need to protect the environment and how to do so. This is through direct engagement in environment-related activities while on the trek.

The CAS programme with Indiahikes is designed to develop core personal skills such as problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, and interpersonal skills.

Outdoor Leadership Program

Treks by Season

Treks by Difficulty

Treks by Month

Treks by Region

Follow Us

Contact Us

Bengaluru Office

Dehradun Office