School Survival Skills Program in – Manali, India

Total Hiking: ~2–3 km (within and around camp)
Max Altitude: ~2,000 m / ~6,560 ft
Total Altitude Gain/Loss: Minimal

The day begins at 6:30 am with wake-up tea and light refreshments, followed by morning energizers—fun group games that help students shake off the chill and gear up for the day. This also includes functional instructions and a group wellness check.

After breakfast (8:00–8:30 am), students dive into two cornerstone wilderness survival skills: fire-making and shelter-building.

The morning session (8:30 am – 1:00 pm) includes:

• Collecting and identifying types of wood fuel

• Lighting and sustaining a fire using flint stones

• Practicing Leave No Trace fire ethics and fire risk management

• Buddy-based tasks to build and maintain a small survival fire

They’re then introduced to bivouac shelter-building:

• Constructing improvised two-person shelters using tarps and guy ropes

• Practicing multiple tarp-pitching techniques for varying terrains and weather

• Learning useful knots and hitches like clove hitch, fisherman’s knot, and trucker’s hitch

• Participating in a “shelter walk” to inspect and discuss each buddy pair’s setup

Post a break for bathing and lunch (1:00–2:00 pm), the afternoon focuses on Signalling and Rescue.

From 2:00–4:30 pm, students learn:

• Visual signalling methods: smoke, mirrors (day) and fire, flashlight (night)

• Group activity: one team simulates being lost, sending signals for help; the other interprets and coordinates a rescue mission

• Emphasis on teamwork, observation, communication, and self-led execution with instructors only monitoring for safety

After snacks at 4:30 pm, the evening session introduces the second Wilderness First Aid module (5:00–6:30 pm), focused on musculoskeletal injuries. Through role plays and simulations, students learn to:

• Identify sprains, strains, minor fractures

• Use improvised splints, crepe bandages, and basic immobilization techniques

• Understand how to support and protect an injured person in the wild

The day winds down with a solo reflection session (6:30–7:15 pm), allowing students to write in their journals, reflect on challenges, lessons, and team dynamics.

Dinner follows, and by 8:15 pm the group gathers for light-hearted camp fun—games, storytelling, and music around the fire. At 9:45 pm, students retire to their tents, closing another day of hands-on wilderness learning under Himalayan stars.

Total Hiking: ~3–5 km (survival trek & navigation)
Max Altitude: ~2,100 m / ~6,890 ft
Total Altitude Gain/Loss: Moderate

The day starts early with wake-up tea at 6:30 am, followed by morning hygiene and energizer games (7:15 am). These physical activities help shake off inertia, build group energy, and serve as a platform for sharing daily instructions and checking on individual well-being.

After breakfast (8:00–8:30 am), students begin the final wilderness first aid module: Wound Management (8:30–10:00 am). Through immersive role plays, they learn to:

• Identify common wound types found in outdoor settings

• Assess the seriousness of injuries

• Administer aid to both conscious and unconscious casualties

• Practice basic bandaging and emergency control measures

By mid-morning (10:00–11:30 am), students enjoy free time by the river, offering a welcome balance of fun and relaxation before they transition into the most demanding part of the program.

At 11:30 am, the group is formally briefed about the overnight survival expedition. This marks the culmination of all their acquired skills.

Each buddy pair is:

• Given limited rations (food and water), basic shelter-building materials (tarp, rope), and personal gear

• Equipped with essential survival tools: compass, flashlight, whistle, first-aid supplies, and sleeping bag

• Assigned a destination on a sketch map, to be navigated using compass bearings and natural landmarks

On reaching the designated wilderness zone, each buddy pair must:

• Choose a suitable campsite away from others

• Build an improvised shelter

• Start and sustain a campfire

• Cook their dinner using the supplies provided

• Spend the night entirely on their own in an isolated, quiet environment

To simulate real wilderness conditions:

• Buddy pairs are placed out of sight from each other

• No movement is allowed post-sunset, and inter-buddy communication is restricted

• A discreet but secure instructor-led supervision system remains active all night

• A base camp is known and accessible for emergencies, but students are instructed to approach it only in real need

This is a critical self-reliance challenge meant to develop resilience, judgment, and independence. All students are required to report back the next morning to base camp and clean up their bivouac sites in adherence to Leave No Trace (LNT) principles).

6.00 am – 8.30 am: Wake up followed by bivouac wind up and LNT. Some hot tea, coffee and cookies are given to the students as they report at the base camp. Post this, the group walk back to the camp for rest and rejuvenation.
8.30 am – 9.30 am: Breakfast, followed by rest and packing.
9.30 am – 10.30 am: A closure debrief, including an exercise in appreciation and learning take away.
10.30 am – Group will finally walk to the main road to take the Volvo coach to there respective place. Trip ends here….