My Father Said I Will Not Be Able To Climb The Hill

43 students from Vidyanjali school stepped out of their comfort zone to scale a hill for the first time. And it left a lasting impression on them.

At 7 am, on a balmy Tuesday morning 43 students gathered in the open hall of Vidyanjali school in Bengaluru. These 11 and 12-year-olds were going on their first trek, to Brahmagiri.

A nervous start

antakshari

“My father said I won’t be able to climb the mountain”

But what followed was a trek that brought out beautiful camaraderie in children. Out of their comfort zones, the children only had each other’s support. And they knew it well. So on this difficult terrain we saw one student carrying the other one’s bag to help him climb; a girl hauling up her friend over a steep rock.

The challenging section spanned for close to an hour and half, till the children reached the saddle – a low point between two hills. Children had crossed the trickiest and most difficult part of the trek. And it was a moment of elation and relief when the students saw the trail getting gradual. This climb had brought all these students recognize their inner strengths. Now, they were a happy, confident lot who were raring to explore the rest of the trail.

Lunch and back

Post lunch was a quick climb to the summit followed by an easy descent. Soon, the children were strolling down a wide mud path that led to the tarred road where their bus waited.

“It’s like a dream”

“We all collected and are carrying it turn by turn,” Tejaswini said, proudly looking at the all the garbage.

To start Hiking Club in your school, write to 

Saranbir Singh : saranbir@indiahikes.in