Shackleton India 2015

17 students and 3 staff members embarked on a trekking expedition in Manali, India, from 9 to 19 November 2015. The trip is part of the Shackleton series of leadership expeditions that SOTA organises annually for students. Manali is situated in North India and the trek gave participants grand views of the rugged beauty of the lower Himalaya Alps. 

Preparations for the trip started in early October 2015. Participants were put through a routine of fitness training, equipment planning workshops and tutorial sessions to learn about Sir Ernest Shackleton’s epic 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. In the tutorial sessions, participants discussed about the leadership that Shackleton displayed in the face of imminent and impending disaster.

To capture some of the essence of Shackleton’s legendary Antarctic adventure, the participants’ Himalayan journey was crafted to allow participants to experience a sense of remoteness while undertaking a seemingly arduous journey and working as members of a team to overcome challenges.

In Manali, students started with a comfortable trek aimed at allowing participants to acclimatise to local conditions and they progressed to a 5-day hike across a snow-covered landscape that tested each participant’s mental and physical states. The expedition was also an introspective journey for each participant as the participants were facilitated to examine and observe their mental and emotional state, as they endeavoured to complete the expedition.

We wish to thank the parents of participants and members of the School Management Committee for the trust and support they have given to make the expedition possible.