Team expeditions for companies
Beyond the
meeting room.
Insight
is not
change
No classic training. Development under real pressure.
Many organisations invest in assessments, leadership training, workshops and team building. Teams gain insights, but behaviour rarely changes for good: daily reality soon takes over again. How a team really works together only shows when it has to perform under pressure, in real conditions. That is why a team expedition is not a one day team building event, but a multi day offsite in the wilderness.
How the programme runsTeams that went on expedition with us
[ 01 | No classic training ]
A real expedition
An intensive off site in nature with one goal: completing the expedition together. Not a simulation, but real challenges in which the team works together, navigates and decides under pressure.
[ 02 | Real pressure ]
No comfort, no hierarchy
Outside you see how a team really works. Deciding and working together are no longer optional, they are necessary. By trying, making mistakes and adjusting, the insight comes right away.
[ 03 | Behaviour in action ]
From the field to the office
Behaviour shows in the moment itself, and that is exactly where lasting development starts. After each experience we reflect together and translate what happened into concrete agreements at work.
Leadership developmentHow the
programme runs
A team expedition does not start at departure and does not stop when you get home. Five steps, from the first conversation to what the team does differently afterwards.
-
Introduction
We get to know your organisation: where the team stands today, what you want to achieve and which expedition fits.
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Team analysis
Beforehand we map out the team dynamics, so we know what to watch for during the expedition.
-
Kick off
The team meets at Kasteel Borgwal. You receive the programme, the planning and the packing list, and the preparation begins.
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The expedition
Days outside together, far from the office, with one shared goal. Our expedition leaders lead the team in the field.
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Integration
Back home we look back together and translate what happened into concrete agreements and behaviour at work.
Who is it for?
With your own team or with your most important clients. We tailor every team expedition to the group and to what you want to achieve.
01 / 02You want your team to work better together
A management team, a department or a team going through change. You head into the wilderness together and bring that trust back to the office.
02 / 02You want to give your clients something that lasts
As an incentive, some companies go on expedition not with their own team, but with their most important clients or partners. A few days outside together, without phones, with one shared goal. They go through the same preparation programme.
For which
organisations?
Teams in transition
During mergers or restructuring.
High performance organisations
With pressure to perform and constant change.
Teams in recovery
Where trust needs to be rebuilt.
Growing organisations
That want their culture to grow with them.
What teams
take home
- More trust in each other
- Clearer communication
- Better decisions under pressure
- Leadership that is shared within the team
- A team that works as one
According to the Gallup Q12 meta analysis, highly engaged teams are on average 14% more productive and, in low turnover organisations, see up to 51% less staff turnover. The biggest effect is simpler: people who trust each other again and work together towards a shared goal, long after the expedition.
Read also: team building for a management team, what an expedition of several days changes.
Who guides
your team
Field experience in demanding environments and years of experience with behavioural change in organisations. The two go together on every team expedition.
Koen De Leeuw
Paracommando and Wilderness First Responder, known from De Expeditie on Play. On expedition he combines his field expertise with guiding teams under pressure.
Meet Koen
Fred Van de Walle
More than twenty years of international experience in leadership development, assessments and behavioural change within organisations. Together with Koen he links what the team experiences outside to what it does differently back at work.
Challenging,
but safe
Every expedition starts from a solid safety base. Beforehand we provide a thorough briefing and clear agreements. In the field we work with experienced expedition leaders who are technically strong and keep an eye on the people in the group.
Safety first
Expedition leaders trained as Wilderness First Responders, satellite communication, GPS navigation and an organised basecamp.
More about safetyPreparation for everyone
Every participant does physical tests and receives training advice, so those who are less fit also leave ready.
The preparation programmeGuidance by X Guides
Larger teams are split into crews of six to twelve, each with its own X Guide.
Personal guidanceLeadership
Reflection after every experience and concrete agreements for the workplace, guided by Fred Van de Walle.
Leadership developmentTeam expeditions
for inspiration
Each format is flexible and we adapt it to your wishes. Or we put together an expedition that is fully tailor made for your team and your goals.
View all expeditions
French Ardennes
On foot through forests and valleys, by packraft over calm rivers and sleeping outside, without a tent.
Untamed Adventure Weekend
Atlas or Carpathians
Climbing rugged mountains, reaching summits and finding your way through the mountain landscape together.
AtlasCarpathians
The far north
A helicopter drops the team in the Arctic landscape. Crossing snow and ice, building a snow cave and facing the extreme cold.
Escape The ArcticEach format can also be booked as an open expedition. With a full team we work with adjusted prices based on group size and duration. All prices exclude flights. Prefer something different? We build an expedition fully tailor made.
What teams ask us
See all questionsHow is this different from a classic team building day?
A team building day is a day of exercises. An expedition is days on end together in conditions nobody can direct. Fatigue, cold and uncertainty expose how you really work together and decide. Read more about that approach under leadership development.
Where do team expeditions go?
From the French Ardennes during the Untamed Adventure Weekend to the Carpathians, the Atlas Mountains, the Scottish Highlands and the far north with Escape The Arctic. Feel free to see all expeditions.
How large can our team be?
Six to twelve participants works best: large enough for real group dynamics, small enough to see everyone. Larger teams we split into crews, each with its own X Guide, that come together at certain moments.
What if not everyone is equally fit?
That is the rule, not the exception. Everyone goes through the same preparation programme with physical tests and training advice. How we approach safety does not change with the make up of the team.
How many days does a team expedition take?
From about 48 hours in the French Ardennes to six days in the far north. An expedition in the Atlas or the Carpathians takes three to five days. Before that comes the preparation programme with the kick off, and after you get home the integration at work.
Where do team expeditions depart from Belgium?
The French Ardennes are a few hours away by car, so no flight is needed. For the Atlas, the Carpathians and the far north you fly from Belgium. Those flights are invoiced separately. The kick off takes place at Kasteel Borgwal.
Can we choose our own date?
Yes. We plan a team expedition on a date that suits your team, usually three to six months ahead. That leaves time for the team analysis and the preparation.
Can we also go on expedition with clients or partners?
Yes. Some companies take their most important clients or partners instead of their own team. We tailor the destination, the duration and the level to the group, and everyone goes through the same preparation programme.
What does a team expedition cost?
That depends on the group size, the duration and the destination. With a full team we work with adjusted prices. Flights are never included and are invoiced separately. After a first conversation you receive a tailor made proposal. For comparison: as an open expedition the Untamed Adventure Weekend costs €650 per person and Escape The Arctic €4,800, excluding flights.
Cannot find your question? Book an introductory call.
