My Father Said I Will Not Be Able To Climb The Hill
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My Father Said I Will Not Be Able To Climb The Hill
Category Experiential Learning Outdoor Leadership Program
By Latika Payak
2015-09-05
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.
View en-route the Nandi one summit.
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
Latika Payak
Senior Content Writer
About the author
Latika is a Senior Content Writer and one of the rare team members who has seen Indiahikes from its initial days. She was among the first few to begin creating content at Indiahikes, documenting treks around Maharasthra, interviewing trekkers and writing their stories.
Latika started trekking after joining Indiahikes and has trekked to Roopkund, Hampta Pass, Kedarkantha, Dayara Bugyal, Tarsar Marsar, and Har Ki Dun.
With a strong background in print media and have worked with several publications. Latika is always hunting for great stories hidden in the folds of the mountains. Horror stories from ancient routes and villages of the Himalayas are her favourite.
She is presently working on bringing out news from the remote trekking regions of our country.
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