On a very nostalgic and excited note, accompanied with the heavy realisation that this would be our last school trip together,class 12 bid farewell to Delhi on 22 March, 2013 for Viraatkhai. 35 students accompanied by 4 teachers left for the hills in an air- conditioned coach. Fun and frolic filled the 8 hour bus drive with a halt at Mcdonalds for a midnight snack! Early morning on the 23rd, we switched buses for a final 3 hour uphill drive to the camp.
Exhausted as everybody was, we had breakfast at the camp, washed up and were ready for the first activity of what was to be the 2 most scary and adventurous days of my life! Our first destination was Tiger Falls.The scenic falls had an exhaustive 800 metre trek to and fro, simply to enable the tourist to appreciate the breathtaking beauty.
After an exhausting trek and an impromptu tingling bath beneath the waterfall, we beat a retreat to the camp to a welcomed with hot snacks and tea/coffee. The evening saw a warm, playful bonfire followed by dinner and then, all of us sleepy-eyed, crawled back to our tents, zipped our sleeping bags and dropped into deep slumber! Next day,much like our school routine,we were woken up at 6 am. We dressed hurriedly, had breakfast and were bubbling with excitement and enthusiasm for what was yet to come, namely, the most anticipated activity-river-rafting.
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Armed with towels, food and a change of clothes, we reached the river. Face to face with the a fear of heights, bridge- slithering and rappelling were the first 2 activities before the most awaited-river rafting. A unique experience of actually rowing the raft oneself, whilst managing the currents and rapids, the 9 km rafting stretch was crossed rapidly, it only seemed a few meters.
After lunch, we students navigated the river currents to cross to the opposite bank.Exhausted yet fulfilled we retired to the inviting and cosy camp, had dinner and dozed off.
The next day,we headed home and stopping in Roorkee for lunch. Relieved and happy faces of our parents received us at the school gates and our thoughts wandered to our warm waiting beds at home. for us.
What a memorable trip to kick-off the final year of our school lives. The experience and memories shall be preciously preserved in our hearts and in our photo albums.
By Anubha Saggar,12B (Commerce).
THE PHYSICS OF QUEST
It was a fine March evening when the students of class 12 boarded theirluxury bus. Not a single person knew then, that the ride to the campsite was just a prelude to the amazing moments that were to come.
Being with friends on a night journey is always fun. More so when you have an endless supply of Nakul Chodha's cake and rocking party music. All this made our journey exhausting but eventful. After a brief stop at the McDonald's outlet on the highway, we were drained adequately to fall asleep on the bus. The rays of the dawn reclined in readiness to light the landscape. We were treated to a spectacular sight of the Shivalik range; one can imagine the awe experienced when turning a corner on the mountain! Momentarily we were numb.
Our journey came to an end upon reaching the Himalayan Eco Lodges campsite at Viraat Khai. Here we would spend our 2 days of adventure and experience nestled between incredibly high mountains and equally deep gorges. As the name suggests, Viraat Khai is one of the deepest trenches in the Himalayan region.
Upon our first day after arrival, we got ready for our visit to the Ti Falls, 45 kilometres from our campsite. A 2 kilometer trek from the village of Jaddi, across very difficult terrain, landed us in
What we felt convinced was one of the most beautiful places on our planet. The Tiger Falls dynamically emerge from a tiny crevice in the face of the mountain, to create a pool in corner of the gorge.
We crossed the rapid currents of the river to the nearest spot possible on the waterfall. Its hard to describe the bloom and beauty of the whole scene. The only thing we can say is that the activity was worth a repeat (And so, many of us did).
bonfire night back at the camp and some light snacks cheered our limp limbs. All of us retired early following a tiring but marvelous day. It rained heavily all night. But we didnt complain. Our tents were robust and easily stood upto the precipitation.
We then made our way to Yamuna Pul for a day filled with activities such as rappelling, bridge slithering and river crossing.
Imagine your body leaning backward into free space. All that holds you are
your toes clinging to the periphery of a bridge. Down below is the River
Yamuna running at a rapid pace coupled with tiny water droplets only
beginning to appear from the sky. Then, as heaven and earth seem upside
down, you are asked to let go. Unnerving as this adrenalin-pumping
experience of bridge slithering was, all of us enjoyed it thoroughly.
The main event of the day was the highly anticipated white-water rafting:-
Row forward, row back, sit down and up,
All these instructions and more to follow,
With cold river-water splashing in your face,
Only a moment to catch your breath as another current came by,
And, a lot more jokes on our way,
A beautiful landscape or two to gawk at,
Leaving with us a strange kind of weariness,
Which was pleasurable as well as gratifying
That night again we witnessed a wondrous spectacle. It was pouring as if the heavens themselves were rejoicing the culmination of our journey.
Knowing that hot and dry summers awaited us back home, all of us took delight in witnessing such the acute downpour.
We took a final trek to our bus that would take us home,
A moment of silence followed, For the last time in what we knew would be a very long time,
We took in a deep breath of fresh air,
The calmness and serenity of the moment,
And the first rays of sun falling on us
Left us with a pleasure that was felt,
Long after the expedition got over.
By Ishan Mehandru and Sanchari Banerjee, class 12, Humanities).
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