14th In House Training

The mist has cleared over Sarangkot, and our team has returned from the ridgelines to the office and their homes. For three days, from January 21st to 23rd, 60 of us: 50 guides and 10 office staff lived, learned, and walked together. 

This 14th In-House Training was never meant to be a formal seminar. It was designed to be a reset. After the Autumn season, we didn't need more lectures; we needed to touch the ground, revisit our roots, and address the real-world complexities that a textbook simply cannot capture.

 Local First: Staying in the Heart of Sarangkot 

Our choice of location was a deliberate move to honor our Local First philosophy. Instead of booking a traditional hotel, we stayed in village-run homestays. This was about more than just a place to sleep; it was about ensuring our training budget directly supported the Sarangkot community. Sharing meals at family tables and utilizing local resources allowed us to give back to the people who make Himalayan tourism possible. For our office team and field guides, this experience served as a grounding reminder: we are guests of these mountains first, and professionals second. This immersion tightened our bond not just with each other, but with the very essence of Nepali hospitality.

 Learning in Motion

 The ridge of Sarangkot became our classroom, and the open air replaced the whiteboard. This year’s curriculum focused on the Grey Zones of guiding those high-pressure moments where there is no easy manual to follow. 

Through interactive, open-air discussions, we tackled Incident Handling and Conflict Resolution. We didn't just discuss theories; we role-played real scenarios from recent treks, practicing how to de-escalate tension and lead with empathy when the stakes are high. Our sessions on Inclusive Travel and a Safe & Respectful Environment were deeply personal, reinforcing our commitment to making every trek a sanctuary for every traveler, regardless of their background.

 On the technical side, our rescue systems training moved beyond demonstration. We conducted live drills on the slopes, practicing anchor points and evacuation protocols until the movements became instinctive muscle memory. This wasn't about individual heroics; it was about the synchronization between the guide on the trail and the team in the office.

 Stewardship as Leadership: The Trail Cleanup

 The defining moment of the training was the community hike. We didn't just walk the trails of Sarangkot; we took ownership of them. We divided the 60-member team into 5 groups of roughly 11-12 people. Each group was assigned a section of the trail to clean.

 Following the Leave No Trace (LNT) principles, we didn't just pick up what was easy to see. We went into the brush and the off-trail areas. By the end of the hike, our teams had collected 15 full bags of trash. We took the responsibility to transport this waste to a proper disposal facility ourselves, ensuring it was handled correctly.

This cleanup was a lesson in stewardship. It’s easy to talk about sustainability in a brochure, but it’s another thing entirely to spend your afternoon picking up 15 bags of litter. Seeing our lead as well as assistant guides leading this effort sent a clear message to our newer staff: at Freedom Adventure, leadership means being the first to care for the land.

 Celebrating the Journey

Between the technical drills and the trail cleaning, we found time for team games and interactive discussions that broke down the silos between the field and the office. We shared stories of the trails, laughed over shared meals, and built the trust that is essential for the season ahead. We concluded the training with a celebration, handing out awards and certificates to recognize the growth we saw in every individual. It was a moment of honest pride, a celebration of a team that refuses to stand still.

 A Note from our Founder, Jagan Timilsina

 "When I founded Freedom Adventure, I envisioned a standard that was as uncompromising as the mountains themselves. This 14th training in Sarangkot was the realization of that vision. I watched 50 individuals move not as employees, but as the guardians of a legacy. True leadership is not found in a manual or a title; it is found in the quiet confidence of a guide who knows how to read the clouds when a guest’s eyes are fixed only on their boots. It is found in the humility of a team that cleans a trail they didn’t mess up, simply because it is the right thing to do. We are leaving Sarangkot with our wisdom no longer just in our heads, but in our hands and our hearts. We do this work in the quiet of January so that when the Spring arrives, we can serve with a grace."

A Note from the General Manager, Himal Pandit

"In the mountains, there is no room for 'almost.' You are either prepared, or you are not. We spent these three days stripping away the guesswork so that when you step onto the trail in March, your decisions are quiet, certain, and absolute. You have tightened the ropes and you have found your rhythm. To the team: the talking is over. The path is clean. Now, take this focus to the mountains and let your performance be the only thing our guests need to see."

 Looking ahead

As we look toward Spring 2026, we do so with a sense of purpose that can only be forged through practice. Since 2017, we have believed that excellence in guiding is built session by session, knot by knot, and lesson by lesson. We are leaving Sarangkot not just as a company, but as a high-performance unit ready to uphold the highest standards of the Himalayas. At Freedom Adventure, your safety and your story are our true summits, and we have never been more equipped to reach them together.