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Chennai Public School Global's IAYP Bronze and Silver Adventurous Jour...

Chennai Public School Global's IAYP Bronze and Silver Adventurous Journey in Coorg

Category Experiential Learning

By Harshitha Polathula

2025-03-27

A group of participants from Chennai Public School Global recently joined us for their IAYP (International Award for Young People) Bronze and Silver Adventurous Journey in Coorg.

According to our Trek Leader Yashwant, the participants not only met but exceeded the requirements and expectations of the programme. 

Participants from Chennai Public School trekking together on the Nelji Hill in Coorg.

One student, during a nature walk, reflected, “Whatever we do, we do it for ourselves. Whether saving bees or saving fig trees, it’s all for our benefit.” Their words resonated with the group’s growing awareness of how intertwined their well-being is with the environment’s health.

Trek Leader Yashwant engaged in one of many conversations with the IAYP participants on the flora and fauna found in the region.

Yashwant and Vishal, our trek leaders, shared how touched they were, to see the impact of the Adventurous Journey on the participants when they raised how, more often than not, our attempts to “save the environment” do not come from a genuine love and concern for the planet that we share with other creatures.

Another student emphasised the beauty of hard work and resilience by sharing, “The harder the climb, the better the views. If we went up in a helicopter, we wouldn’t have savoured it so much.” The sentiment reflected their realisation that genuine achievement and fulfillment come through effort and perseverance.

Participants enjoying the summit views after a difficult climb. Picture Credits: John Xavier, Video Editor, Indiahikes.

The journey proved to be an incredible bonding experience. Students who often spent their meet-ups buried in their phones now found themselves cooking, chatting, trekking, and even playing games like UNO together. They noted that this was the first time they truly connected as a group while facing and overcoming various challenges together.

Participants pitching their tents and setting up campsite.

Participants neatly arrange their prepped vegetables and spices. All participants eat in their own lunch boxes.

Participants preparing their own meal.

With continuous insights from our trek leaders about the natural world, the students became more conscious of the importance of conserving nature. What started as curiosity quickly grew into genuine admiration and love for the outdoors. 

They even handled instances, such as leech bites, with newfound resilience. While the initial panic was evident on the first day, by the last day, they remained calm, assured by sessions on insect bites and safety conducted by the trek leaders.

By the end of the journey, the students didn’t just earn their IAYP certifications; they gained invaluable life lessons about resilience, teamwork, and their relationship with the environment. 

More importantly, they left with a shared experience that brought them closer to nature and to each other.

Participants at the Coorg Nelji Hill Summit.

Learn More About IAYP at InSOUL

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Harshitha Polathula

Content Writer (InSOUL)

About the author

Harshitha curates content for the InSOUL team at Indiahikes.

Before joining Indiahikes, Harshitha worked as a project officer in EU-funded projects in the fields of Education and Social Innovation in Germany. As she worked in a start-up, her core work included everything from writing proposals to managing social impact events.

Harshitha grew up in a valley surrounded by hills and spent a lot of time hiking. This upbringing in the hills has shaped her as a human being. Over the years she has reflected on how spending time outdoors and especially trekking impacts the mind, body and spirit. She wants to share that joy with everyone through her work at Indiahikes. Interestingly, her journey with Indiahikes goes back a long time as she was initially a Green Trails intern in 2018 during her undergrad.

Outside of work, Harshitha loves exploring new cultures through cuisine. She also enjoys reading and baking with friends. Yet spending time outdoors and watching the sunset is her all-time favourite. As she said this, she recalled a line by Jhumpa Lahiri from her book 'Whereabouts' that, "sunset is an everyday miracle that most of us manage to miss."

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