Once a year, it is a must for employees (like me) to get out of the four-corner room and have fun in outdoor activities. One of the best activities to indulge in is team-building.  This motivates everyone to interact, communicate and give their best in every challenge to be done. I was thankful that the company chose Camp Tipolo Adventureland because it was teeming with exciting outdoor games and is surrounded by verdant landscape and tranquil surroundings.

going down was quite tiring but the verdant landscape will whisk off everything

It’s good that our company had chosen Camp Tipolo Adventureland situated in Loreland Farm Resort as our venue in our 2013 team-building. Please read my story “Loreland Farm Resort: Changed and Evolved” for the first part.

I was thankful for the opportunity that I had visited again the resort. And I just can’t wait to play all the activities.

As early as 6:00 a.m., we assembled at Verde Restaurant for a morning body workout. We ate our breakfast after few minutes of sweating. I was so excited when it was time for our activity. We were divided into three groups according to colors, the Purple Rain, the Yellow Submarine, and the Green Tigers.  I belong to the Purple Rain team.

We went downhill through 250 plus steps. It wore me out going down but I paused once in a while watching the verdant scenery. At last, we reached the assembly area in fifteen minutes. We were briefed by our facilitators and explained the instructions very well.  All our activities are under time pressure.

These are our activities in the Lagoon Area:

The Tarzan Jump. This was our first activity. Our team was the first group to play. All our boys succeeded in swinging and landing on the other side without getting wet. Bravo! Honey graciously hit the water, I was next and so with Len! All the girls did not succeed.  But the experience of doing the Tarzan move delighted me much. And though I failed, it never suppresses my eagerness to go on and play again.

The Tarzan Jump

Tight Rope. Crossing the swamp by walking on a rope and holding the rope on neck level was quite tough. It needs balance, focus, and technique. Falling on water affected the score because the player will go back to the base and will cross again. I thought it was easy but I almost fall halfway. I held the rope tightly, regained my balance, and hit the platform!

Balancing Log. This time, we will cross the swamp through thin logs. At first, it was easy to walk onto the log, but halfway, it quivered. I thought I will fall. I paused for a moment and continue walking until I reached the platform.

Balancing Log and Tight Rope

The Mud Crawl. This activity is the reason why all of the girls wore shorts above cycling shorts or tights to prevent our legs from possible bruises crawling on mud. This game was messy. We had mud in our bodies and faces, but certainly, it was fun crawling fast.  We went back to the swamp to rinse.

The Mud Crawl, messy but it was fun!

The next set of the game is on Low Ropes

Spider Web. This game is for 10 persons that will go inside a web-like thread of rope with holes in varied shapes. The first two players did it very well. The crucial part was lifting up the players and carried into the hole without touching the rope. This is the most challenging activity we’ve done because every one of us was forced to think and cooperate. It was tough and time-consuming, but because of trust and collaboration, we finished this activity successfully. Whew!

The last was the Cargo Net. Seeing a challenging set of ropes that looks like a net used for military training drawn the adrenalin rush. But I found out, crossing the entire net was exhausting. My body is pulling me away from the rope but I have to grip firmly or I will fall. My arms and my hands were aching and want to lose hold. But thinking about my team, I forced myself to finish the race. And when it was done, I wanted to scream. Whew!  I will never do this activity again. Haha!

it challenged me much crossing the net till the end

The last activity was the Mud Slide. I skipped this activity because I tried this at Lake Caliraya Resort in Laguna. And because I was half tired, all I wanted to do is to sit and laugh out loud while watching my fellow colleagues glided noisily into the mud! Haha!

We had another game when we went back to the assembly hall and later the winning team was announced.

And guess who won?  It’s the Purple Rain! Yipee! Bravo!

the winning team…. the Purple Rain

Win or lose, it doesn’t matter at all. I did my best and I enjoyed every activity we did. Being with a team that cooperated well was already a winning experience. Indeed, we all had fun. Teamwork, trust, and cooperation are big factors in winning. The facilitators were quite good and approachable.

Our prize? A full body massage and spa at Luljettas Hanging Garden and Spa.