A few years back, I had the chance to visit Outland Adventure along Diversion Road here in Davao City. I was in the company of my classmates from the Masters Degree program I was enrolled in. The visit was actually a requirement in one of our Management class.
Outland Adventure is a few minutes ride from downtown Davao, which takes pride with the green nature as their background. It is undoubtedly on top of the list of a lot of Davao-based offices or groups that hold team building as they have a team challenge course program. This program includes activities that imbibe trust, communication skills, problem solving ideas and varied leadership styles that can be used by the participants in their respective organizations.
Our course started with the trust fall where each team members had to climb up to what looked like a mini stage. From there, the team member had to let himself freely fall to the ground with their hands placed across their chest and their back facing the ground. The concept of the activity was to instill trust among the team…trust that the other team mates would not let them fall helpless on the ground …trust that the person about to fall has placed his or her confidence in the team.
The activity was probably one of the hardest for me. I admit having trust issues since I almost always trust in myself to do everything that needs to be done. I had to redo my fall around three times before the facilitator finally told me that the fall I did was a success. The criterion that the facilitator relied on was the body language of person falling as it really says whether or not there was trust.
Next up was what I and my friends called the Great Wall of Outland. In the activity, all team members have to climb up to a wall measuring around eight to nine feet tall without using a ladder. What the team has to do was to help each other climb to the top. The catch? How would the team help the last man on the ground reach the top? This is where teamwork, planning and strategy come into play. Well, hurray to group for finishing the activity! Everyone was able to come up. I think our success can be greatly attributed to the fact that most of my classmates are big, muscular men who are used to carrying heavy load.
We were then given an hour to eat and rest from the strenuous activities. After the break, we were heading toward the rope challenges.
The facilitators from Outland told us that the adventure-based programs were made similar to an obstacle course however the ones that they have is suspended through the use of ropes. Again, this activity still aims to enhance teamwork, trust and communication. The experience was probably one of the most physically taxing I have ever had. Apart from the use of force, those who undergo the rope challenges need to use their intellect to come up with the best strategy.
I was actually thinking about giving up on the obstacle course as I was sweating profusely and my mind and strength seem to fail me. However, after hearing the cheers from my peers and pondering on my next move, I was able to make it through one tough dare.
The finale for our Outland Adventure was grand! We were able to experience the Zip Line. This exciting activity was made even more exhilarating as we were made to zip from one hill to another. We had to cross a river through a makeshift banca to reach the starting line. It was the best!
If you are up for dare, Outland Adventure is the way to go.
