Student & staff retreat

Each semester ISDSI students and staff go on a weekend retreat up in the mountains at the Mok Fa Waterfall National Park — part of the Doi Suthep/Doi Pui National park.

It is a beautiful setting up in the mountains, with one of the nicest waterfalls in Northern Thailand.

The weekend is spent learning about leadership, health and safety, risk management and judgement, having fun and getting to know each other as a group. It is an important time to take a break from the day-to-day study and learning at the institute and get out of the city to enjoy nature and have fun while beginning the process of becoming and active experiential learner.

In addition to team building activities, talks and hands-on learning about leadership and health and safety, the weekend starts with a swim assessment — a 300 meter open water swim followed immediately by 15 minutes of treading water. We spend a lot of time in and around the water — from river crossings in the mountains of Mae Hong Son to the open ocean in Southern Thailand — so knowing how comfortable students are in the water is really important. It is also a good chance for students to gauge how comfortable they feel so that they can practice swimming before heading out on the expeditions.

Here are a few photos to give you a feel for the weekend.

-Mark