TRANSFORMATIVE JOURNEYS

18 November 2024

Camp Stories by a Young Trailblazer

Ever since my brother Rishab and I got to know about Trailblazers from our cousin Nayantara, we were looking forward to an adventure vacation with other kids of our age group. We felt really sad when some of the dates on which camps were scheduled conflicted with our school schedule. The Uttarakhand camp in May this year seemed perfect; it was during our school holidays and the trip brochure mentioned biking, adventure and a lot of fun. This was the first time we were travelling on a week-long trip without our parents accompanying us, so we were super excited!

Trekking was an activity I actually quite enjoyed. We explored a local village, met the locals, trekked up small climbs and also had a small walk to the rappelling area, and sure, thorns and bruises are just a small price considering the fun we had. Moving on, rappelling as I said, was held in an area a little far away, and I did enjoy the walk. It was interesting, I had done rappelling on cliffs before, but this cliff, but not on one so high, but still worth the challenge. River rafting in the mighty Ganges was one of the most engaging activities we did during the camp. This one required a 20 minute car ride to Rishikesh. It felt much longer than that. But rafting was amazing, the water was cold and just right to dip in. We spent about half an hour in the raft until finally reaching the end point.

I was a bit disappointed when it ended. A dip in the freezing waters of the Ganges relaxed our tired muscles. On the final day, we had a talent show where we all showcased our talents. It was good fun being among friends our age (Pratham Sir and Krusha Didi included!) and it ended with some music and dancing. We were given certificates along with feedback to the facilitators. The next day, after breakfast at the resort, all bags packed, we left for the airport a little earlier than usual . We landed at Delhi, and as a thanksgiving gesture to Pratham Sir for all their efforts, ate at a Subway sandwich!

Overall the trip was great fun, adventure, bonding and learning, and I really look forward to attending more such camps in future.