Friday, February 3, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Rafting Trip
The Rafting Trip is the most eagerly anticipated event that the Hiking Club organises for the students of the college in collaboration with Aquaterra Adventures. Like every year, this year also the Hiking Club did not fail to deliver when it came to the Rafting Trips.
The Club organised two 50 member trips on 19th and 26th of February, which went to Shivpuri, near Rishikesh, to quench the thirst for adventure (quite literally). The teams left on Friday night (I was on the team that left on 19th of February). The journey to our destination was a fun filled ride. The students enjoyed the bus ride up the hills to Shivpuri where the camp Silver Sands was located. We reached there at around 7:45am, a bit later than anticipated because we had a hard time finding it. That was supposed to be our home for the weekend.
Once we reached the camp, we were welcomed by a delicious breakfast and also a brief introduction to the camp and its rules and regulations. After that we settled into the tents that had been provided for us. It is imperative for me to state here that the tents were exceptionally well maintained, clean and sufficient. The tents looked absolutely eco-friendly and gave us the feeling of being outdoors.
After an hour of relaxation and exploration, at around 10am, we were asked to assemble near the rafts that were placed on the bank of the swift flowing stream. We put on the life-jackets and helmets and carried a long, sturdy paddle each, like warriors going to war. Once at the bank of the river, we were given extensive instructions on how to go about rafting in these rapids. All the safety precautions and protocols were followed before eventually settling in the raft. Even after all this, we were made to practise a few strokes in the calm waters to enhance the coordination amongst the members in a raft. There were 8 rafts in total, each captained by an adept guide. And for additional safety there were 4 life guards who would constantly monitor the progress of the rafts.
Finally, we set off on our 28km downstream battle with the rapids. We were greeted head on by a rapid called “Good Morning”. After that came other rapids like “Three Blind Mice”, “Black Money” etc. But the pick of the day was a rapid called “Roller Coaster”. True to its name, it actually gave us a scare initially and threatened to tip our raft over. But we managed to hold on and survive the rapid. Other rafts were not so lucky. Although people fell into the water it wasn’t much cause for worry because the life-jackets served their purpose pretty well and they were up and about in no time. Amidst constant paddling and shouting, we enjoyed the beautiful views of hills provided by nature. They looked majestic and enchanted. Thus we completed our day’s rafting. Everyone was completely exhausted by the end of it and by the time we finally dragged ourselves uphill to the transport waiting to carry us back to the camp, we were extremely tired and hungry!
We reached the camp and had another bout of very tasty food. After that, while half of us slept through the afternoon in exhaustion, the other half still managed to play volleyball, basketball and some Frisbee. There was also some kayaking done by a few students and it was a fun experience.
By evening the bonfire had been lit and we were served snacks. The students ate, sang, danced and had fun till dinner time. At about 10pm, most of us retired for the night to wake up to another day of adventure.
Next morning, we took a bus ride further uphill to reach our starting point of rafting. Once again, after the safety measures were repeated to us, we settled into the rafts for another ‘bumpy’ ride. This was to be an 11km downstream paddle. We encountered fewer rapids this time, so we started relaxing our minds and enjoying the breeze in our hair. But little did we know that danger was lurking just around the corner.
The biggest rapid was just half a kilometre away when we were asked to halt on a bank so that the life-guards and the guides would go up ahead and assess the huge rapid. This rapid was called “The Wall”. When they returned with news that the conditions were perfect, our hearts were already pumping fast in anticipation of what was to come. We settled back in and off we went to face the challenge The Wall posed. As we approached this huge whirlpool of white water, I am sure; each one of us could feel the adrenaline coursing through the body. The first strong wave hit our raft and almost managed to knock us off, but we persevered and survived. But as the second punch from the rapid knocked us our raft was vertically upturned and we were in the water. Baring the first few seconds when we were under water, and everything seemed to go upside down, we regained our composure and were swiftly rescued by our fellow rafters. It was an experience of a lifetime to have come so close to danger and survive it.After The Wall, it was a smooth sail through the other rapids and soon we floated into our camp.
Thereafter, we had our lunch and lazed about or played till it was time for us to leave. At 4pm, we moved out of the camp and headed for Rishikesh. From there we took our bus back to
Next time when someone tells you, “The Rafting Trip is the best experience in college life”, trust me, they are not lying. It truly is a wonderful experience and we, the Hiking Club would like to bring this experience to you every year and if possible, in a more enhanced way.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Hike-a-Mania
The stress-buster and life saver for some, but the Harbinger of glee for all.
As the January Test had ended and everyone needed the break from their regular studies, the Hiking Club put the show and launched its very own fest “Hike-a-Mania” with an aim to promote adventure in one’s life.
The fest was inaugurated with its photo exhibition in the S.C.R. Lawns in the morning of January 25th, 2011. The exhibition covered all the recent treks, rafting trips, natural rock climbing excursions, cycling trips etc that happened in last 4years. With students walking around in the lawns and enjoying one of the best clicks of those memorable trips, we started off with the registrations for Rappelling.
Rappelling, our second event, was organized against the gymnasium wall under the experts guidance. The participation received was overwhelming for the event and we had to extend the duration of the event from 120minutes to 160 minutes.
To end the first day of the fest, we had the camp fire set in the J.C.R. Lawns and the projector on to showcase the memoirs of club’s year-round activities and treks. With the camp setting, bonfire and hot tea and snacks served in the late evening of the
It was the end of Day 1 of the fest, we had somehow succeeded in giving everyone the much deserved break after the in-house exams. The task was not yet over but it had just started. With the next day of fest on January 27th, 2011 and the preparations for the
On the second day of the fest, club had its most-awaited and successful event from its last year’s fest, the Obstacle Course. And this time again living upto its expectations, the event received great participation. Set-up with one of the most interesting obstacles like tires, ropes, nets, the wooden planks and slippery and soapy panels, the course tested not only one’s physical strength but also the agility of the mind.
To end the fest on a high note, club screened the recently released blockbuster “127 Hours” in the A.V. Room. The beautiful movie attracted the students and filled the A.V. Room to its capacity. With the adventure thriller ending on a happy note, we called the fest off.
-Tarang Gupta
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