A Journey with Difference

Bronze and Silver Award participants from Sanjay Ghodawat International School, Kolhapur, completed their Adventurous Journey at “92 Acres barren land” opposite Ghodawat Rice Mill near Kolhapur Reserve Forest from 25 - 27 November 2017. Sasikrishnan (Award Leader) is sharing a report on this Journey.

Adventure sports are being enjoyed by people from all walks of life in a big way. The reason for this is that there are new sports being conceived every now and then, which are a thrilling and exciting experience. While people these days are so caught up in their social world, tirelessly busy to maintain their digital profiles, there seems to be no time for them to enjoy the marvels of nature and to have fun outdoors. It is these adventure sports that provide an addictive adrenaline rush, which is refreshing and rejuvenates people from the monotony of daily life -- to give young people a feeling of excitement and thrill and with the aim of experiencing learning outside the classroom.

There were eighty-two Bronze and five Silver Award participants from Sanjay Ghodawat International School who undertook an Adventurous Journey to 92 Acres barren land in front of Ghodawat Rice Mill near Kolhapur Reserve Forest from 25th to 27th November 2017. They were escorted by 8 teachers and 5 sports teachers and 6 attendees.

Though they had been briefed about the Adventurous Journey during a preliminary training session, had understood the importance of safety and use of different equipment, the process of pitching tents, use of different types of rope knots, first aid and navigation techniques, the actual Journey proved to be a personality changing experience for each one of them.

When they reached base camp, they were divided into SEVEN groups named Gora, Sambhaji, Shahaji Raje Warriors, Halloweens Shivaji Maharaj, Badal, and The Shield, and the instructors appealed to their competitive and leadership instinct right from the very beginning.

On the first day of our journey, we learnt about tent-pitching, essential knots and different kinds of camping gear. On the same day, we also went for a three-hour trek to Sunset Point and returned at 6:30 PM. The day was full of experiential learning for all of us. Everyone noted the important points in their diaries and record keeping journals.

"Each time, on time" was a clearly communicated motto. Each member of each team had to report right on time. There was always an ongoing competition between all teams regarding punctuality, keeping the tents clean, serving and eating meals in a disciplined and cordial manner, putting shoes and utensils in place... in short, in an effort to score over other teams, participants tried to imbibe the right values till it became a habit with them.

The day’s activities were exercises, treks, adventurous games, and leadership games. Treasure Hunting, etc., was organized in such a way that besides being challenging and entertaining, each team was back in time for hot, sumptuous meals and full of enthusiastic anticipation for the next fun-filled activity. Participants and teachers both marvelled at the level of excellence in planning and execution of camp activities.

The participants had no access to smartphones, television and other gadgets that have become an inseparable part of their lives, and they did not miss them. It was back to basics. With a clear star-lit sky, a bonfire in the centre and fellow participants around it, each narrating her experiences of the day, scaring others with ghost stories and imaginary incidents of the night trek, playing antakshari, celebrating birthdays and friendships, they enjoyed the human interaction which has been lost in the digital world.

It was amazing to see that even asthmatic participants undertook long treks, rappelling and zip-lining sessions, without difficulty. The air was truly invigorating! Leadership games and cooking a meal after an uphill 12-km trek, saw the best of volunteering, taking responsibility and delegating it to fellow team-mates, recognition of individual talent and excellent coordination among participants even in such a short span of time.

The perfect weather and the scenic surroundings of Kolhapur Reserve Forest became secondary to the admirable transformation in these youngsters, who came to realize their own potential after going on the IAYP Adventurous Journey. It is always going to be a memorable experience for all. Click here for the pictures ...