Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

Help me prepare and run the exercise below. First ask for my participant count, time, setting, access needs and intended result. Check these against the stated limits. Use the supplied rules and materials. Explain any proposed changes before using them, and label them as adaptations. Do not invent source claims or require personal disclosure. Give me one step at a time when I say start. I manage the people, physical activity and clock; do not claim to observe the room. Ask me what happened before choosing a next step.

Reference revision: 12d4fc99ef4a9e4654f889a8e9b2b0774c7f61e1a80549cfca64dc4803772bea

# Sherpa Walk

Participants form a line connected by touch or a shared rope, close their eyes, and navigate an obstacle course relying on verbal warnings passed down the line from a sighted guide.

**Time:** 15 minutes. Playmeo recommends up to 5 minutes of guided walking; UWT allocates 15 minutes total to allow setup, safety briefing, a 5-minute walk, and debrief.
**People:** 4 to 24. Lines of 4 to 12 participants led by one sighted guide; multiple lines can run in parallel if space and guides permit.

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Practice passing verbal safety information down a line to navigate physical obstacles without sight.
**Use it when:** Use during in-person team workshops when exploring communication breakdowns, relaying clear instructions, and mutual safety support.
**Skip it when:** Skip if the room lacks open space, when tripping hazards cannot be controlled, or if participants cannot safely navigate without sight.

## Materials and tools

- One 3-meter to 5-meter piece of rope or webbing per team of 8 to 12 as an optional holding line
- A room or outdoor area clear of sharp edges and steep drops
- Everyday obstacles already present in the space such as chairs, flat carpet thresholds, or low curbs

## Before participants arrive

1. Scout a safe route in advance. Remove dangerous hazards such as sharp edges, loose cables, or steep drops.
2. Identify mild, safe obstacles such as gentle turns, a flat door threshold, or chairs to step around.
3. Check floor surfaces for slip risks.

## Say this to open

Today we will complete a blind navigation walk called Sherpa Walk. You will form a single file line. You may close your eyes, look down at your feet, or use your full sight as an outside safety observer. Each person stays connected to the person ahead by holding hands, touching a shoulder, or holding a shared rope. I will lead the front of the line along a slow, safe path. When you meet an obstacle or a turn, verbally describe it to the person behind you so the warning travels down the entire line. You may open your eyes or release your grip at any point if you feel uncomfortable.

## How to run it

### 1. Form lines and choose connection (3 minutes)

Organize participants into single file lines of 4 to 12 people. If the group has 13 to 24 people, split them into two separate lines, each with its own sighted guide. Offer connection options: holding hands, resting a hand on the shoulder ahead, or gripping a shared rope. Ask participants to either close their eyes or keep their gaze fixed strictly on the floor directly ahead.

### 2. Establish communication rule (2 minutes)

Demonstrate the verbal relay rule. Give an explicit neutral example: when the leader says 'small doorframe threshold ahead, step up two inches,' the first participant repeats this aloud to the second participant, who repeats it to the third participant, until it reaches the end. Remind everyone that any person may call 'Stop' at any moment to pause the entire line.

### 3. Navigate the route (5 minutes)

The guide takes the lead position and begins walking at a slow, deliberate pace. Guide the line across the pre-scouted path around gentle obstacles such as chairs, doorways, or wide turns. Encourage continuous verbal descriptions down the line. Stop the walk when the line reaches the designated arrival spot or after 5 minutes.

### 4. Debrief the experience (5 minutes)

Instruct everyone to open their eyes and release holds. Gather the group in a circle. Ask two to three debrief questions. Collect observations from 3 to 4 participants across different positions in the line within the remaining time.


## Debrief questions

- How did the clarity of verbal warnings change as they traveled from the front to the back of the line?
- What specific verbal cues were most helpful for anticipating an obstacle before you reached it?
- If you were near the back, what adjustments did you make to maintain safety and momentum?

**Finished output:** Completion of a shared obstacle route with verbal information relayed to the final person in line.

## Remote

This activity requires physical movement and cannot run as an equivalent remote exercise. For a remote setting, run a related verbal instruction exercise: in pairs, person A keeps their camera off and attempts to draw a simple geometric arrangement using only sequential verbal directions given by person B.

## Hybrid

Sherpa Walk cannot accommodate mixed remote and in-person participation simultaneously in the physical line. In-person participants run the walking line. Remote participants can serve as remote navigators viewing the room via a camera and calling out top-down navigational warnings, or they can complete the paired drawing alternative in a breakout room.

## Access and participation choices

- Closing eyes is entirely optional; participants who prefer not to close their eyes may look down at their feet or serve as sighted safety spotters walking alongside the line.
- Physical contact is optional; participants may hold a shared rope, touch a backpack strap, or walk close behind without physical contact.
- Any participant can call 'Stop' at any time to halt the line, open their eyes, or step out without giving a reason.

## If the session gets stuck

**The line moves too fast and stretches apart, breaking physical contact.**

Call 'Pause.' Remind the front guide to match the pace of the slowest person and ensure every verbal warning finishes passing before stepping through.

**Information fails to reach the back of the line, leaving the last participants surprised by turns.**

Remind participants to speak loud enough for the person behind them and wait for that person to echo the prompt before moving on.


## Terms used here

- Sherpa: In outdoor and adventure facilitation, a term often used to denote a sighted guide who leads a group through an unfamiliar path.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Playmeo, where the activity is attributed to Mark Collard.

Retained the line navigation mechanic, blindfolded or closed-eye convention, verbal hazard relay, and 5-minute walk limit from Playmeo. UWT replaced mandatory eye-closing and hand-holding with explicit consent-based access options, including holding a shared rope or serving as a sighted spotter, and added structured timing and debrief questions.

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/team-building-problem-solving-activities/sherpa-walk)

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/team-building-problem-solving-activities/sherpa-walk/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/fun-trust-building-activity-develops-communication-sherpa-walk/