We’ve all read the books, we’ve
all seen the movies, we’ve all done it, we all think we know all there is to
know. But can you ever truly know, without experiencing it
The mountains are ever changing;
they will never be the same as they where the day, the moment before the moment
you are in them. Stay with me now, this will all come together as more than a
ramble. What I am talking about is experiential learning in the mountains.
Experiential learning is the idea
that learning is not a fixed element, but something that is formed and
re-formed through experience. (Kolb, 1984) Cited in Kolb (1984) Piaget states,
“no two thoughts are ever the same, since experience always intervenes.”
(Piaget, 1970)
Experiential learning is at the heart of all adventure
education, one could even go so far as to say it is the basis of all learning. When
looking at my own experiences (see the word is here again!) I can see clearly
now how only with greatly varied experiences in the mountains, can I progress
to greater learning and understanding of the mountains.
This thought was brought home to me after my Mountain Leader
training in the Lake District. Having gone for training I felt fairly confident
in my leading ability and my knowledge of the mountains. However on the
expedition, I felt that I crossed a line in my experience, where only that
experience can lead me closer to understanding.
It all took place on the last night coming off Crinkle Crags
into the darkness in worsening weather, we began to look for a suitable place
to camp, pre-expedition knowledge was that there was a good spot by Angle Tarn,
the assumption was ‘it’s always pretty much sheltered’. As we made camp the
weather went all out, with gale force winds battering us into are quickly
erected tents.
The night brought weather I have never experienced, low
temps, howling winds and a constant downpour of rain. During the night most of
the group experienced tent brakeage and some even mild hypothermia.
Could this all have seemed from our assumption of the camp
site as a ‘safe’ camping spot, or a lack of experience? I know that myself, the
experience of that night will never lead me to think anywhere is a ‘safe’ camp
spot again. I endeavour in future to listen to myself and my experiences, to
learn from them and be assertive enough to say no to intellectual assumptions of
safety, for my experiences will be my only true understanding of safety for me,
my group and my abilities.
This is because I will have had gone through the processes
in Kolb’s theory of experiential learning, leading me to learn for myself about
my own learning.
To conclude I wonder whether you can ever learn about the mountains
and leading in the mountains from anywhere but leading in mountains.
References:
Kolb, D,
(1984) Experiential Learning: Experience as
the Source of Learning and Development. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Piaget, J,
(1952) The Origins of Intelligence in
Children. New York: Basic Books.
