TIS Adventure Program

Statement of Philosophy

This program has been created for students to be able to live the TIS mission Explore, Challenge, Connect. TIS prides itself on making students “do hard things”, to go outside of their comfort zone and find out what they are really capable of. The Adventure Program is no different. This program has many options for students of all ability to take part in a variety of different branches to cater for students interests.

These options are in 5 main areas:

Mountains (hiking and camping)
Snow (Ski & Snowboard)
Rivers (Kayaking and camping)
Silk roads (Culture, arts and exploration)
Tanzania Dive & Safari (Diving and coral reef rescue)

It is a voluntary program where students can choose to go on trips to explore the myriad of opportunities Uzbekistan, Central Asian and the World has to offer, they can challenge themselves with physically demanding activities and make connections with friends, the cultures of local communities and the environment.

Mountains

The mountains program is designed to take students into some of the most scenic areas of Uzbekistan. Throughout the program students will learn about camp craft, preparing and packing for multi day hiking trips, the importance of physical fitness and the benefits of being self sufficient and tech free in nature. It is a 5 level program where all participants are required to complete one level in order to move to the next level. The levels increase in altitude, distance, duration and difficulty as students progress. They involve summiting peaks of approx 1700m for level 1, 2300m for level 2, 4000m for level 3, 2 peaks of 4200m for level 4 and 5100m for level 5.

Recommend equipment
Although TIS has most of the recommended equipment for these trips there are some items which are much better to own if you know you will be taking on the mountains regularly. These include but are not limited to:

Good hiking boots
Suitable hiking backpack for your size
2 x 1L water bottles or water bladder
Head torch
Synthetic hiking pants and shirts
Warm jacket
Waterproof jacket and pants

Snow

The TIS snow program takes place During the months of January, February and March. At this time of year the mountains and rivers are too cold, so we head to the ski fields every Sunday. During these trips we employ an Uzbek National skier to teach our students how to improve their technique. Students then have the opportunity to practice and ski/snowboard with their peers. At the end of the season we enter our skiers in the Amirsoy slalom race to showcase their development throughout the season.

Recommend equipment

Ski helmet
Ski gloves
Ski jacket
Ski Pants
Ski goggles
Ski/Snowboard boots
Skis or snowboard
Ski poles

RIVERS

The Rivers program, like the Mountain program, is leveled and designed to teach students about water safety, technical kayaking skills and the importance of clean and healthy waterways. Students will start off on level 1 learning how to be safe in a confined water situation, the basic skills of kayaking and campcraft. They will then progress to touring along the Charvak reservoir in level 2. Level 3 will see them start the first gentle river tour, with level 4 & 5 aiming to navigate from Charvak reservoir all the way to Tashkent.

Recommend equipment

Neoprene water shoes
Waterproof bag
2 x 1L water bottles or water bladder
Head torch
Wetsuit shorts
Wetsuit vest or shirt
Lycra sun shirt
Warm jacket
Waterproof jacket

Silk Road

The Silk Road branch of the program is much more geared to culture, arts, history and geography. It is not levelled and is dynamic in that it takes advantage of annual or seasonal events which are unique to Central Asian culture and landscape. In the spring we visit the Fergana valley and follow the silk journey from the silkworm feeding all the way to tie dying colours into silk material. In 2024 students attended the World Nomad Games where the nomadic sports and lifestyle of Central Asian countries was on display. From awe of horseback archers to the team sport of Kok Boru students were immersed in history, sport and culture. These are just a few of the exciting experiences that students can take part in as part of the Silk Roads.

Recommend equipment

Comfortable walking shoes
Comfortable day bag for carrying all day
1 x 1L water bottle
1 x good quality camera

Tanzania Dive & Safari

The Tanzania Dive & Safari trip is a once a year adventure to the northern Tanzania coast. We take advantage of the traditionally calm and not too hot weather during the October break. In the lead up to the trip students will be training in the Olympic pool in Tashkent to make sure they are physically ready for the demands of this water based trip. They are able to complete their PADI Open Water Dive qualification or their Advance Water qualification as part of the experience so will need to complete Elearning relating to this prior to the trip.

Service is also a major element of the trip. There are many service activities available and all depend on tides, weather and equipment availability. These include but are not limited to:

Coral planting
Artificial reef construction
Artificial reef creation
Invasive species removal
Beach cleaning

Another way students will provide service is by paying to visit the Rhino and African Wild Dog Conservation Program in Mkomazi National Park. Here students get to see the efforts by the National Parks service of Tanzania to breed and reintroduce Black Rhino and African Wild Dog, they camp amongst the big 5 of Africa in a wild campsite inside the park and safari to see unique and breathtaking African scenery and wildlife.

Have Questions?

Contact our Outdoor Adventure Team

Experiential Learning Coordinator
Robin Marsh
robinm@tashschool.org

Adventure Program Co-Coordinator
Felix Amirkhanov
felixa@tashschool.org

Adventure Program Co-Coordinator
Margot Bakirova
margot.bakirova@tashschool.org