Trekking & Leadership
Day 1: Students arrive in the spectacular Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh, Ladakh. We will travel to our orientation site in Phyang, a half hour drive away. Here, we will begin to acclimatise, and engage in leadership activities to get to know each other and our new surroundings.
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Day 2: To stretch our legs and prepare ourselves for the trek ahead, we will go on a short hike in the village, meet with our trek guide to learn more about our trek route and continue learning about ourselves and expedition behaviour.
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Day 3: We’ll head into Leh to do some explorations of the markets and buy supplies for our trek. We’ll also throw in a few fun challenges to put those learning skills to the test!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________Day 4 - 8: Trek begins! The Sham Valley is a prime location for journeys both outwards and in. The valley, one of the most fertile in the region, has a maximum altitude of about 3900m. Due to its lower altitude and more hospitable climates, the area is rich in agriculture, the fields in villages overflowing with crops, depending on the time of year. We’ll spend 4-6 hours walking per day, taking in the humbling mountains and learning about the terrain we are passing through. We will spend the evenings and nights in homestays or guesthouses, reflecting on the day and how we worked as a team. This time is also a wonderful opportunity to get to know the Ladakhi way of life, engaging with our hosts at each stop. Each morning we will re-fuel with home cooked food and set out once again.
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Days 9-10: The group will return to Leh for showers (!) and rest. We will have the chance to reflect on all we have learned as individuals and as a group, and what it means to be a leader. We end with a special dinner to celebrate our achievements. The next day we’ll be saying our goodbyes and heading back to the airport.