High Mountain Institute

I completed an Erasmus+ internship at Alice and Beltran's diving school (as part of my biology studies) and would like to share my entirely positive experience here: As I had never been diving before my internship, I arrived a little earlier to get my diving license in the days before. I was able to do this directly at the diving school where I also did my internship afterwards. To get my diving license, I had to pass a theoretical test and complete five practice dives. From the very beginning, I noticed how much importance the owners of the diving school placed on safety - both for the divers themselves and for the marine life under water. I was very happy and grateful about this, as I had unfortunately already heard about various negative experiences at other diving schools. Then the internship began, which was roughly divided into a practical and a theoretical part, with the practical part clearly predominating, especially in the second month. The owner of the diving school, Alice, is herself a marine biologist. She informed us about the classification of various animal phyla that can be found in the Atlantic, as well as the structure of the sea as a habitat. I was able to build on my previous zoological knowledge from my basic module at the FU Berlin and deepen this knowledge, especially underwater, when we were supposed to actively identify the individual organisms. We also exchanged ideas about writing a scientific paper and about common statistical methods for data analysis in ecology. This also enabled me to supplement my existing basic knowledge. My boss's main research focus was the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa, which is particularly important for various species of sea turtles, as they use it as their primary food source. We mainly measured the density of seagrass per square meter in a defined area in order to be able to better characterize the species. For these dives we always went to the Abades Reserve, an area protected from boats and anglers in the southeast of the island, about 25 minutes by car from Los Cristianos. During these dives we often saw turtles frolicking on the seagrass meadows to feed. The internship consisted of various other dives: we went diving twice at night to observe nocturnal organisms. We also collected garbage from the ocean on so-called "Dives against Debris", which we then documented on the PADI Aware website and disposed of separately. I really enjoyed that, even though it is always sad to see the underwater world so polluted. We also went on a trip on land to one of the many natural pools on Tenerife to get to know the coastal ecosystem better. Here too, our theoretical knowledge played a major role. Alice also organized a lecture with a scientist from the north of Tenerife who reported on his research on the shark species that live there. My internship mostly consisted of a four-day week with an average of six to seven hours per day. After the dives, tidying up and cleaning the equipment was part of the daily tasks. Since we often had two dives in one day, we made sure to take long enough breaks. Our boss always provided snacks and drinks, which made for a very relaxed and almost familial working atmosphere. I also quickly became friends with the other interns and we went on many trips together outside of the internship. All in all, I would recommend this internship to anyone who is interested in marine biology, as it offers a great balance to the university environment of the course. I am very grateful to have gained additional experience in the field of marine biology through this opportunity. I hope I can come back soon to complete my PADI Advanced Open Water Diver. :-)

I learn much better in an outdoor environment. My love of learning absolutely flourished as I got excited about learning the ins and outs of the environments I was getting to live in and be a part of. For instance I was so excited about learning about the geology of the canyons and felt my curiosity about the world expand.

I’ve come out of this experience with a matured sense of self. My time at HMI has allowed me to better my understanding of who I am, how my experiences leading up to the present have shaped me, and how I can grow into the person I want to become. My confidence in myself has grown exponentially, and I find myself with an increased ambition to seek out experiences that will force me to think differently. Learning about environmental ethics while in the backcountry allowed me to better understand the readings and curriculum, putting myself in the author’s shoes

I chose to embark on the fall trek 2023 program. I went backpacking in Colorado mountains, Utah canyons, and Patagonian valleys. I had tons of fun getting to know my group on trail and making special moments together. We grew so much as a community and learned a lot about the environment which strengthened our connection with nature. Baking in the field has been a really cool thing to learn. During our trip in the canyons, we decided we wanted to learn how to bake delicious food. Alex one of our instructors taught me and a friend how to make cinnamon rolls! After long, intensive (but fun) work prepping the dough and baking the rolls, we bit into the delicious pastries. And they were so worth the effort and time.

I’m not usually a very active person, so HMI was a massive change for me. I learned I was capable of things I’d never thought I could do. I learned how I react in tough situations, and got better at i

My favorite day on the semester was my 18th birthday where we were lounging about and one of our instructors gave us the idea to dunk in Lago Verde in Patagonia and so our entire group ran into the lake holding hands.

I spent 80 days traveling to world class climbing destinations and backpacking through breathtaking environments. I formed strong bonds with my small group and learned about myself. Goal setting and an encouraging environment made it easy to push myself and others to better themselves. I learned about the importance of self confidence, vulnerability, and mindfulness. I learned a lot about my future and what I want to pursue next year. I gained a lot of confidence in my ability to make decisions.

We hiked everyday and saw amazing views! I met so many people and built lifelong friendships with people here. I learned how to be apart of a healthy community and got to travel to many places! I am able to communicate in healthy ways with people around me and learned how to support myself and people around me. I had lots of time to realize what my passions were and what makes me happy.

Lots of independence-- cultural and travel experiences; lots of technical skills developed with ropes and climbing techniques; lots of camaraderie and a few lasting friendships. It allows time for young people to gain experience and self-knowledge without interfering with a traditional college trajectory (Jedi still went on to get a Master's). This period allows for the development of maturity.

Carrin's experience with HMI Gap shifted the entire trajectory of her college journey. After her semester with HMI Gap she decided to apply to schools in CO rather than attending Clemson University where she had been accepted. She is a rising senior at Colorado State University and continues to pursue the activities she engaged in with HMI Gap. She plans to pursue a career in community prevention and intervention programming. I believe her expeirience with HMI Gap helped Carrin shut out the noise of the world and find her passions. The camaraderie she found with the other participants and staff was especially important for my daughter. Shee participated in HMI Gap in the fall of 2020 and had been isolated for months before entering the program. She maintains relationships with the other participants she met at HMI to this day. the HMI Gap program helped her gain insight and self-confidence that has stayed with her to this day. The staff was supportive and fun. The activities were challenging and rewarding. The college credit she was able to pursue was an added bonus!

Zak's 3-month expedition with HMI was a profoundly positive experience for him, in many ways: it helped his body get in shape, helped his mind by getting away from society and shrinking his universe for a few months, helped his sense of confidence and built his leadership skills, and it helped him learn more about how to deal with adverse conditions. If you are considering gap year programs, I highly recommend HMI - not only because the expeditions are amazing and a once in a lifetime experience, but also because the process helps a young person build confidence and learn how to get along with others. The staff know their stuff and our son learned a ton about himself, others, and the outdoors. He said that while on the trip he was the coldest and most uncomfortable he's ever been, he loved it and would do it again in a heartbeat.

HMI Gap was extremely transformative for my daughter. She truly learned to value her independence, use her voice and trust her instincts, all in the best possible ways. HMI Gap introduced her to the natural world around her, it's resources and wonders that helped guide her educational choices as she entered college the following semester. HMI Gap is a great bridge between high school and college. It offers independence and personal growth, lifelong skills and friendships, while providing an educational component without pressure. My daughter chose HMI Gap over other programs because of the educational component and took what she learned and was able to get off and running in college, having a better idea of what she was interested in studying.

I would recommend gap time for all students. Work and life can wait. A more mature student is more capable and ready to engage and learn when they do go (or go back to) college. What is important is the kids do something productive during their gap time. HMI Gap programs are producing and teach skills maturing adults want and engage them in their own passions to make them better citizens.

Devon's HMI Gap experience helped him develop greater resilience and expanded his capacity to handle both physical and emotional challenges. He gained the kind of confidence that comes with confronting raw nature, and in so doing, learned so much about his inner resources and strength. It was a transformative experience, and the other students who shared the experience with him have formed a real community that he enjoys to this day. Truly transformative!

Obviously our son learned a lot about outdoor skills, but that is almost secondary. More important was how he learned to "lead himself" - with more confidence, independent thinking and resilience. Apart from creating a lifetime memory, it will prepare your daughter/son so much better for college and life in general.

She learned of an entirely new world in which she could apply herself, and gained crucial leadership skills. Her experience resulted in her changing the plan for her remaining gap year in order to pursue more thoroughly the skills she learned there. We are very proud she was selected as one of the co-leaders for their final trek in Patagonia. She will spend this summer leading younger children in overnight expeditions at the Keystone Science Center, a world of which she knew nothing before HMI.

Having our son do the HMI Gap program was the best decision we ever made! He came back energized and full of incredible experiences and adventures along with practical life skills. He matured greatly, learned a great deal about himself and his capabilities and was much more prepared to enter college. He has now graduated from college and is into his career and still mentions HMI and how much it meant to him. He also formed deep relationships with his fellow HMI students and improved his social skills.