Towards the end of grade 11, my friends and I wanted to go on a trip during the summer vacation and with adventure world, we planned a 9-day trip that consisted of a 6-day trek in the peaks of Manali up to 12500 ft. We wanted to increase our endurance as well as have fun with our friends as for the past 3 years we were not able to go for our yearly school trips due to Covid-19. The entire trek is registered in my core memories because not only did I enjoy these days without technology but I also learned a lot about myself in the days spent in the mountains with the people I love most.
L1.Identify your own strengths and develop areas for growth
My strength was definitely my agility to move and balance across huge rocks even during rain and hail without a walking stick, this was also pointed out by our trekking guide who in so many years of experience has always seen first-time trekkers struggling with the incline and climbing. My areas of development would be to increase my endurance for an even more difficult terrain as treks in certain weather can be unpredictable, so maintaining my agility working out, and staying fit should be my areas of growth.
L2. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills
The biggest challenge that I faced was that due to the harsh weather conditions a lot of my friends were getting sick and since there is a lack of adults there except for the trekking guide team, so to help them persevere through difficult terrain. My best friend also twisted her leg and other friends caught a fever on Day 4 of the trek, so taking care of them during the night with minimal facilities was a challenge. Another was my inability to sleep properly which often resulted in some exhaustion as we were supposed to trek for around 5-6 hours every day but I overcame both these problems by working with the instructors and my friends, making sure we followed any precautions necessary.
L.3 Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.
After all the trip details and bookings were scheduled we had approximately 3 months before departure, in between which we also had exams. I am not a particularly unhealthy person but I was told that stamina is very important for a trek like this, especially since it was a medium-difficult trek and it was my first time. So I took to working out every day for 45 minutes to an hour with the help of exercises recommended for trekking for the next 3 months until the day we were leaving. This helped with focus as well.
L7. Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions
Till the day the actual trek began, we were traveling without any adults and all of us made sure that we acted responsibly and that our parents back home knew how we were managing things but after the trek began we didn’t have any network which rendered our devices useless for the most part. in the midst of such beautiful nature, it still surprises me how fast time went by without any technology. it made me reflect on how there is so much in this world that needs protection, from the pure river that was flowing beside us all throughout our route, freshly melted from ice caps to the forest we were surrounded by. So to respect our surroundings and not let human impact affect the beauty I found, I was careful about discarding any sort of non-biodegradable objects and picking up any trash that I found.
This trip has to be one of the best experiences I have had so far, it made me realize my strengths both physical and mental, as much as it challenged me, it was also very liberating from the life of a DP student.
