36 Ullens students from grades 8 and 9 completed a 5 day long trek in the Western hills as part of their annual excursion from 26th to 30th December, 2011. The trek that started from Khare (15 km from Pokhara) completed in the Australian Camp with an altitude of approximately 2100 mts.

The excursion included daily briefing and reflection sessions touching upon students' individual experiences and knowledge on the geo-physical and cultural aspects of the region. The students were also encouraged to work in teams, manage limited resources, and accomplish common goals like setting up outdoor tents and cleaning the surroundings.

During the trek, students also committed to the Ullens initiative of "Bani Change" and "Change maker" to develop positive habits. For this cause, participants wore t-shirts with same message.

Students were also briefed by tour guides on the global climate change and its dire consequences on the mountain regions as witnessed over the years. This helped students develop an understanding of the gravity of the issue and be sensitive towards it.

During the course of the 5 day trek, the students stopped in places of great geographic and ethno-cultural significance including Bhumdi and Panchase Danda (the highest point in the trek measuring approximately 2520 mts). The latter is also a famous stop for viewing of the greater Annapurna Range and Pokhara Valley.

Australian Camp, the last stop of the trek, provided the students with the closest views of some of the most spectacular Himalayan peaks including Machhapuchhre (Fish-tail Mountain) and Annapurna Mountains.

Despite the steep climbs and physically exhausting long treks, every student participated in the trek with great enthusiasm and expressed a sense of accomplishment at the completion.

An annual event for Ullens students, excursions and outdoor activities like such are designed to provide them with experiential learning that practically contribute to the theoretical learning inside classrooms.