Gearing for adventure

The feeling you get when you are surrounded by nature in all its rough untouched splendour is really quite amazing. It wouldn't be wrong to say that Sri Lanka is, in fact the land of paradise in terms of beautiful waterfalls in the hills and gushing rivers all around the island, and of course, not forgetting the splendid coastal area surrounding our emerald isle.

However, it is very rare in this day and age, that we spend any time close to nature enjoying all it has to offer. However, since nature has provided us with so much, it is no doubt that Sri Lanka is one place where adventure activities can be done without any hesitation.

For youth, participating in outdoor activities can bring about a lot of positive outcomes in terms of being able to develop self reliance, the ability to be efficient and effective in what you do, physical fitness and also to learn various skills associated with outdoor activities. Most importantly the activities help challenge and develop the mind, and in turn new experiences are created which definitely will help you through life. Therefore such activities are not just packed with adventure but also education.

This is where 'Borderlands' comes in. An international company that conducts outdoor activities, programmes and adventure tours in Sri Lanka, they have been active here for over ten years. Canyoning, rock climbing, trekking, kayaking, mountain biking and rafting are among the activities they offer, as well as Corporate Training and Youth Leadership Programmes.

Where does Borderlands take you, you may wonder. Well, for sea kayaking and canyoning they take you to Bentota and then to Kitulgala for canyoning, rafting, kayaking and hiking. They also offer an expedition-style five day programme through the Mahaweli River. A site in Thulhiriya will be a new addition to these adventure outings. Speaking to Wade Campbell, Managing Director, Borderlands/Edge, he said that safety in accordance to international standards, is one thing they follow stringently.

That aside, they also provide high quality service, their instructors are well trained and follow very strict guidelines as safety is not something which can be compromised, and in addition it is be important to note that the company is one of the islands' most highly insured adventure companies.

The training programmes offered for both the corporate sector as well as youth are said to be very useful. Well, you may wonder why this is so. Through the various activities conducted by them, you learn to build trust, support cultural changes, help facilitate conflict resolution and develop high performance teams. These aside, the activities help energise individuals, teams as well as divisions and also helps improve communication and understanding. The programmes also help in creating an environment which is conducive to risk-taking.

Wade put it this way, "When you are faced with challenges, you have to make decisions," adding that, "in the adventure classrooms, the outcome is immediate," therefore, "you are given a result." It seems there are two options you are faced with, when you are put in such situations, "you face your fear or you don't face your fear," said Wade. Therefore such programmes are definitely useful for youth as facing and overcoming challenges is something we do everyday in our lives.

The programmes also help "give youth life experiences for them to draw from them later," because, said Wade, "you do it right or wrong as you are all in the same boat when taking on these challenges!" When you are out there one-on-one with nature, he said, what you do, "doesn't matter to the river or the rock," adding that it becomes "a humbling experience," as "all barriers and boundaries are broken down in the outdoors."

For further details on Borderlands and their activities and to purchase and necessary equipment for outdoor activities from 'Edge,' the following details will be useful for you:

You can visit them at:

60, Stratford Avenue, Colombo 6, Tel: 441 0110, 250 4602, Fax: 250 1274 or on
www.discoverborderlands.com, www.edgesrilanka.com