How We Enhanced Our Skills and Expanded Our Horizons

The following report has been submitted by Manasi Pathak, an Award participant from Delhi Public School, Gurugram, who shares her experience of visiting Mountain Quail, Mussoorie as part of her Adventurous Journey. Highlighting IAYP’s role in her experience, she narrates how this visit has been an eye-opening experience for her.

Nature keeps us grounded, obstacles make us perseverant and adventure makes us tough. We could reflect on these words when we began our journey to Mountain Quail, Mussoorie. Organised from October 10 to 13, 2018, Camp Anubhav offered us myriad activities to undertake. As campers bubbling with energy and excitement, we reached our school by four in the morning and left the school premises by quarter to five. On reaching Mussoorie, we were divided into two groups, namely the Red Rangers and the Blue Battalions, with two guides for each group.

Having played amazing games like ‘where’s my monkey?’ passing the parcel, air hockey, and ‘straw and bangle’, we concluded our first day by writing our activities for the day in a journal. The second day commenced with heavy rain and we were kept busy with interesting indoor activities. Once the rain ceased, the two groups engaged in Burma bridge crossing and raft building. Post lunch, the Red Rangers went stream running while the Blue Battalions went rock climbing and rappelling. Following this was a steep trek. On the third and last day we played an interesting game, the Guerrilla War. This game was worth eight hundred points and was a game changer for both the teams. The last day concluded with Red Rangers being adjudged the best group and a vote of thanks by the members of Camp Anubhav. Towards the evening there was a DJ session for all the campers, after which we sat around a bonfire telling ghost stories. For me, the most soothing time of the entire camp was the journal writing time when we could quietly pen down our thoughts for each day.

We learnt a lot during this camp, such as helping each other and not belittling other’s fears. The Award Programme has truly been a life changing experience for us as we got to enhance our skills and expand our horizons. While games like Guerilla Warfare have inculcated teamwork and sportsmanship in us, thrilling adventure sports like stream running have made us more patient and have enhanced our decision-making skills as we played this game of faith with rocks, deciding which ones would not make our trip. We’ve gained patience and fearlessness. The trip would have been unaccomplished without the presence and support of our teachers. The absolutely mesmerizing experience at the camp has given us innumerable memories to think of and cherish for a lifetime.