A chance for children to learn from the outdoors

Trekking has a tremendous effect on the Mind, Body, and Spirit. This effect is magnified tenfold when it comes to children.

During the course of the trek, and through the many activities conducted the children are able to learn  and experience several things –

• Firstly, their capacity to observe. Away from the city, and from electronic distractions children are more immersed in the moment and in the environment.
• This also makes them curious, and they develop an interest in nature as well. Children ask many questions about flora, fauna and life in the mountains.
• A Himalayan trek is not easy. But working together to achieve a single goal, enhances  the students’ sense of responsibility.
• Students’ mental, physical and spiritual endurance is built in the duration of the trek. There are always hard sections, or moments on a trek. But working together, they overcome this.

Further, the body gets accustomed to hardship as they joyfully trek.

Families who consider trekking rather than other forms of holidaying share many common ideals. They see the immense value of being in touch with nature. They believe that the best way to deepen family bonds is by doing things together. They consider holidays as an opportunity to broaden their children’s mental horizons. 

Children get to trek, participate in several activities, and interact with other children. The friendships they form  with other children on a trek are very special. They do this in an environment free of distraction, competition and judgement. 

“I’ve noticed that these bonds go much beyond fleeting friendships. They are meaningful relationships that families maintain for years to come. Today, there is a thriving community of families that trek, which I am a part of. I can see that it is one of the most active communities where families are discussing treks around their cities, about sustainability and more,” shares Prathima Chhabria, who is an Expert Experience Coordinator for families at Indiahikes.

Trekking families are fit families

We love seeing this happen. When families get fit for their trek together, most often they make fitness a part of their daily lives.

Take a look at this family for instance:

“We started preparing three months before the trek. We began with a 500-meter run. After a few days of practice, Saanvi could complete 3 km in 30 minutes. We also practiced climbing stairs. Initially, we would tire easily and not finish the climb. A week later, our stamina increased. We could climb till the 17th floor!” shares Sidheswaran KP, who took his 7 year old daughter on the Dayara Bugyal trek.

You’ll see a lot more stories on how these trekking families got fit here.

Ultimately, even an expert team such as ours cannot keep all participants 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 team members, a process to monitor their health 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 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 the program starts till it ends, safety of all team members is our responsibility. 

On the trek, we have a staff-to-team member ratio of 1:5. This means for every 5 team members there is an Indiahikes staff monitoring them closely.

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).