April, 2011 TODAY Camp 2011 Camp Purple, Mukteshwar · 2016. 9. 12. · Fifty kilometers from...
Transcript of April, 2011 TODAY Camp 2011 Camp Purple, Mukteshwar · 2016. 9. 12. · Fifty kilometers from...
Camp 2011 Camp Purple, Mukteshwar Camp Purple, Mukteshwar Camp Purple, Mukteshwar Camp Purple, Mukteshwar Camp Purple, MukteshwarFifty kilometers from Nainital, Camp Purple is perched 4 kilometers fromMukteshwar on the Mukteshwar ridge
in the Sargakhet village. Mukteshwarliterally means ‘Abode of Shiva’ and at7290 feet. is one of the highest ridges incentral Himalayas. The camp issurrounded by apple and peach orchardsand its name is inspired by the colourwhich blends perfectly with nature asthe sun sets over the snow coveredmountains. This was the destination forthe class X camp. The campsite wasbeautiful with a great scenic view of thevalley it overlooked. There was abasketball court, a common area thatwas used for bonfires at night and various tents settled at distances from eachother with names of the peaks and glaciers in the Mukteshwar region. On the veryfirst day we were made to do a small treasure hunt and were sent to the neighbouringareas to look for clues. After enjoying the bonfire, we slept like babies that night.Early the next morning we got ready for a trip to a waterfall that was situatedclose-by. I think this was the most memorable moment of camp this year. It was
long downhill trek to this particular spot, but it was worth it. The water was freezing cold and all 58 of us had a dipin this wonderful stream. The water fell from a 15-foot cliff, which we used as a slide and had amazing fun with. Oneincident, which we will all cherish, was when Mr. Kakkar tried the rockslide, hit the water and not knowing how toswim, came up gasping for breath and tried clinging on to whatever he could find. Unfortunately his findings cameout to be Tejas Sharma, who was dragged underwater and given quite the time trying to save Mr. Kakkar. Whenevening arrived, we practiced rappelling and rock climbing for the following day, which led us to discover a cavewhich was completely dark and emerged from the other side, which was pretty interesting.
The following day we headed out towards Mukteshwar to intake a seriesof activities, which included complex rock climbing, rappelling andjumaring. Out of these the most fascinating was rock climbing since themoment you started climbing the given cliff face you looked down 100feet, which was really bizarre and completely terrorizing. Personally,my hands and feet started shaking. That night the teachers and instructorshad planned to scare us, by inviting a babaji who would make us levitate.Even though they tried hard, they really failed at frightening all of us,because we knew all along how fake this whole act was.On our last day, we woke up really early to watch a beautiful sunrise
that took place rightabove the Himadari snowcapped mountain range.It was a spectacular siteand a wonderful way tobegin the day. Later thatday we visited the quaintSargakhet village thatwas spread across 100acres of land and wasvery close to Mukteshwar.We visited households ofthe village, ate lunch
cooked by the families and helped them with whatever work wasneeded. It was a great experience and an amazing opportunity to visita remote village and learn about how life was conducted there.
Abhiveer Arjun, 10
SCHOOL WATCH
T O D A YT O D A YT O D A YT O D A YT O D A YApril, 2011
Alaknanda Expedition 2011How long does it take from being starry eyed junior to a senior getting ready to go white water rafting on the
Alaknanda rafting expedition? The moment was sooner than we thought; we had barely found our feet in class
12 after bidding farewell to our seniors and giving our first exams when camp was just around the corner. Like
any other, the trip was not sans flaws! Some were separated on the train, some were homesick, many were
unwell and last but not the least, we were asked to stuff our luggage into a quarter of its size and carry only the
bare necessities in a flimsy polythene bag that tore by the end of the expedition . Despite all these imperfections,
even a critic would find it hard to scorn about the fabulous time we spent together at our last camp.
We started rafting on the very first day after a tiring 17 hour journey. Our antics started in the first 5
minutes when Vikrant Puri fell into the water in his party attire the minute he got on to his raft- this was
definitely going to be a camp to remember. There weren’t many rapids on the first day but our good
humoured guides kept the euphoria alive by starting water fights and teaching us rafting chants-
“Chwa Chwa Chicken Chwa” and “Yo Ala Phurkhee Yo!”
We reached the beach camp where we received the
news that we had to pack just ONE change of clothes
into a plastic bag for the next 3 days. We awoke early the
next morning and scrambled around desperately wondering
what these ‘bare necessities’ were, packing practically everything
in sight.
Finally, we were all packed and ready to set out on Day One of the expedit ion.
By the end of it, we all were drenched- whether it was by jumping into the
water, getting pushed in or being splashed into oblivion. On the s e c o n d
day, one raft nearly capsized on something that wasn’t a rapid at all and was even
more petrifying than Daniel’s Dip (highly overrated- none of us even got wet!) The n i g h t s
thereafter were spent under rafts supported by
paddles and rope, covered by tarpaulin sheets. The weather w a s
amazing and we fell asleep snug in our sleeping bags to awake to the
beautiful scenery of the river and the mountains. Getting ready in the
morning was an expedition in itself- brushing our teeth in the freezing
river water and running to grab a spot where the water was ‘clean’. That
night our batch indulged in a game of Dizzy Sticks till 11pm which left
everyone in rather high spirits. Then came the last day with the most
anticipated rapids, The Wall (which was entirely worth it- 3 rafts capsized
completely), Three Blind Mice and Roller Coaster. We were especially
impressed by the classy names of some rapids (beginning with Tee-Off,
followed by hitting Golfcourse and wrapped up at Clubhouse). The feel of
floating in the water along with the current and all our batch mates was
something we knew we’d never experience again and we definitely made
the most of it. However, our experience would have been incomplete without our guides Vishal, Dhruv, Pawan,
Anil, Pappu, Santosh, Baba and Titu aka ‘Green Sir’, who
lovingly called us all losers when we failed to splash him. The
train journeys deserve a story of their own but let’s just say
that we made some new friends and conversed with some
friendly members of the Indian population. The best five days
ended too soon and it was only when we entered the gates of
Vasant Valley that we realized it had been our LAST camp. It
was a landmark trip for a landmark batch and will be etched
in all our memories forever along with the distant echoes of
“Forward PADol” and the sound of the waves against the
rocks- the best and last camp of the batch of 2012.
Juhi Bahl & Pallavi Saini, 12
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Five days of over heated, non-stop fun,
The interminable fiesta had just begun!
Playing volleyball under the open skies of Dudhwa,
Exhilarating, sun drenched day with no flaw.
Our safari commenced from the river Suheli,
Anxiously I wondered where this would lead,
When we unexpectedly got stranded in our jeep!
Prancing towards the tranquil river,
Splash, splash, splash, drenched, we danced the day, away
Camp Syatt This year’s camp was adventurous; there’s no other way to put it. We had 7 kilometer treks along some of the most scenic landscapes we had ever seen. The activities were challenging and well planned, stretching our bodies to its limit. Body surfing in an irrigation canal and cooking our own food by the river were the highlights of this camp. For our entertainment, a volleyball net was pitched on the campsite, which we enjoyed immensely. The campsite was built in a valley and needless to say our surroundings were green and breathtaking. LOL moment: Finding the trek in the forest a little tedious, the majority of us started showing signs of disinterest. Noticing this attitude, the instructor was angered by our misbehaviour and asked which one of us wanted to leave the group and go straight to the river which was our final destination. With one swift movement, most of us got up and walked off in the direction of the river. From changing in the wilderness after our refreshing swim in the river to posing for pictures in the jeep with our hair flying, we had, to sum it up, an experience of fun, adventure and excitement. Aakanksha Jadhav & Mallika Kishore, 9
Camp Kalsi, Dak PatharBest moment: Going rafting. Unlike the previous years,this year many of ourclassmates fell offtheir rafts! Therewas one rapid,Clubhouse, inwhich all therafts gotstuck. It was atrial gettingout of the rapidand later veryamusing watching the othersstruggle.
Worst moments: Waking up repeatedly at nightbecause our tent kept shaking in the wind. Even afterbarely getting any rest we still had to wake up at sixthirty in the morning to the sound of a shrill yet loudbell. Immediately we were bustled out of our cozy bedsinto the cold morning air.
Scariest moment: Our first night as a whole was veryscary. Some of our classmates created a rumor that theysaw a ghost in a white saree near the bathrooms. Ourhighly gullible batch was terrified and many were eventoo scared to go near the bathroom!
Happiest moment: Getting to drink a glass of Pepsiafter two long days. Even though the nature wasamazing, we were all terribly missing civilization and sosomething as common as Pepsi really lifted our moods.
Loudest moment: Watching India beat Australia in thequarter-finals of the ICC world cup from the middle ofpractically nowhere. Everyone started screaming andquite a few lost their voices. Many still haven’t got themback.
In all, Camp Kalsi was awesome and we’re pretty surethat all sixth graders going next year will find it amazing.
Ashraya Harish and Ananya Jagoorie, 7
VASANT VALLEY TODAY PAGE - 3
The mandate of that day was exclusively fun and play! In
the midst of a rhino and tiger reserve,
We watched the electrifying cricket match, heightened
emotions preserved,
To our greatest joy we saw India’s victory, it much deserved!
The ‘campathon’ was diverse and fun,
Boy! Did we run!
Scores of activities exhausted we were, when we were done!
In Swahili, ‘hello’ is Jambo,
In Spanish, ‘wool’ is Lana, in the land of Mambo,
For me, Jambolana meant absolute and pure fun!
Gurbani Kohli, 8
“A beautiful beach with crystal clear water.
Kids playing volleyball or sitting and
making sand castles. Clean tents lined up
in neat rows and adventurous fresh air all
around”-Ashna Sethi, 6
Jumping into the Ganges!It was our first morning at the Shivpuri beach camp. Our group, ‘The Tigers’ was
all set to go rafting when our instructor told us that we would be kayaking instead.
Within ten minutes we all were geared up in our shorts and t- shirts
and the kayaks were ready. First we were taught how to use the
kayaking oar and then we got to try it out. After I finished my turn
on the kayak I saw Divij standing on the big safety raft. SPLASH!
He jumped into the water. ‘That was cool!’ I thought. I would love
to try it out. I wasted no time to get onto the raft and SPLASHED
into the cold water. I felt a rush through my spine. My heart started to
beat faster and faster. For a minute I felt as if the water was sucking
me in and I would never come back to the top. But still there was a voice
inside me wanting to do this again. JUMP- JUMP- JUMP! One by one
everyone joined us. As far as I remember, I jumped every time. With the
other people cheering us, it seemed as if I was competing with the boys. In and out
of the water, till every part of my body ached. Till I was scraped everywhere
including my face, I tried again and again. For the last time I gathered myself and
SPLISH- SPLASH-SPLOOSH! I was down in the water again. I had definitely had a blast.
It was the time of our lives. A day none of us would forget. Atleast I wouldn’t. It was
something that would go down in memory lane as the craziest day ever!
Ananya Jain, 6
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Camp Shivpuri Quiz By Trisha Bansal, 6
Q1. What were the names of the lower 3 rapids?
a) Three Blind Mice, Mickey mouse & Butterfly
b) Initiation, Double Trouble & Hillturn
c) Bodysurfing, Butterfly & Crossfire
d) Black Money, Mickey Mouse & Hillturn
Q2. What were the 3 rope activities that we did?
a) Sloth climbing, river crossing & flying fox
b) Valley crossing, river crossing & rope climbing
c) Burma Bridge, valley crossing & flying fox
d) Rope climbing, river crossing & sloth climbing
Answers: Q1. b) Q2. c)
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Our Trip to BotanixWe left at 9:00 am from school for
Botanix. We reached around 11:00 am.
When we reached Botanix, we ate
delicious food. We went to our tents and
got our luggage. After taking some rest
and getting fresh we played games like:
football, tug of war and danced for some
time. Around 7:00 pm we had our dinner
and went to our tents. The next day we
got ready and went for a nature walk.
We saw
beautiful
t r e e s ,
p l a n t s ,
colourful
flowers,
the China Orange tree. We also saw
Humming Birds. Later, we went for a
village walk. We saw women making huts
with cow dung and people weaving
cloth. After that we had a rain dance
with sprinklers. After eating lunch we
prepared for the ‘Talent Show’. We went
for a bullock cart ride and then to see
the potter’s wheel. We also went to Dam
Damma lake-it was a long walk. Around
5:00 pm we sat around the bonfire and
presented our ‘Talent Show’. The last
day we did
m a n y
activities like
Burma Bridge,
O b s t a c l e
Course and
other team
games. We ate our lunch and left the
camp site at 3:00 pm. We reached school
at 4:00 pm. We had a fun trip!!
Ayushe Nagpal III- A
Adventure at Rajaji
National Park
Excited I woke up, nice and bright
Thought adventure camp would be a
wonderful delight!
We went for tiring nature walks,
and collected many different shaped
rocks.
Jungle safari was a lot of fun
Leopards, wild hen, elephants, sambar,
Spotted deer, bara singha &Indian rollers
were basking in the sun.
Zip Line and Mission Impossible were so
thrilling,
India’s victory over Australia was exciting
and fulfilling.
The play we did
had everyone in splits.
The whole scene was a hit.
While at the camp on all cylinders we
fired
When we reached school we were
suddenly tired!
Rohil Bahl IV- A
Camp Byasi- RishikeshAt 6:00 a.m. on March 22, the morning was
dark and cold
but filled with
many excited
voices. We
were leaving
for Camp Byasi
and eagerly
l o o k i n g
forward to the trip. The buses rolled- out
on time and we reached Cheetal Grand at
9:30 a.m. for breakfast. We finally reached
the camp site at 3:30 p.m. After a steep
descent on foot, we got to our tents. We
were hungry and a great lunch energized
us. There was a briefing about the rules and
then we were allotted our tents. Thereafter
we were given free- play time. At night we
lit a bonfire and sat around singing and
enjoying ourselves. The next morning, after
breakfast my group left for rafting. There
were four rafts ready for us. We all wore
lifejackets and helmets and took our places
in the rafts. A few of us had paddles. The
first rapid that we crossed was Initiation,
and it drenched us completely. Then we
crossed Double Trouble and Hilton without
much trouble. After lunch we went for a
dip in the river wearing lifejackets. The
water was freezing cold and we were all
shivering. Later, we had fun preparing plays
which were to be enacted by each group,
playing on the sandy beach and having hot
chocolate. Then we lit a bonfire and sat
under the clear sky, dotted with a million
stars. We managed to spot a few
constellations. Some groups performed
their plays while others watched. The next
morning, my group left for trekking. Our
guide enthusiastically told us to be ready
for a tough uphill walk. Huffing and puffing
we covered much distance and just when
we thought we had finally reached ‘uphill’,
our guide proudly announced again, “And
now BEGINS the uphill!” We all took up the
challenge and continued ahead.
We were told to beware of 'Bichhu Buti',
a weed which causes itchiness. We learnt
about the local plants and trees. On the
way back, we had to cross the river by a
boat. Our creativity was put to test as
we all got on to making sand sculptures.
Pappu Bhaiya, our rafting guide, kept us
updated with the cricket scores all
evening. There was a loud cheer as he
announced India’s victory over Australia.
Then, it was 5.30 a.m. on March 25, and
we found ourselves up with the birds. We
reached the school back at 6 p.m. It was
a great trip and I look forward to many
more in future.
Rabiya Gupta V- A
VASANT VALLEY TODAY PAGE - 5
Surjivan FarmOn Monday, the 7th March we went to
Surjivan Farm. There we saw huts, open
fields and how cowdung is used for so
m a n y
things. My
partner was
J a y d i t y a .
We saw
medic inal
plants and
had a trac-
tor ride. We rolled on the grass and
learnt to make chutni. But the most in-
teresting thing was that Jayditya and I
had a race when we were rolling on the
grass. We felt very tired. After a nice
lunch we came back to school.
Agastyaa Gupta II - C
A Mystical EncountA Mystical EncountA Mystical EncountA Mystical EncountA Mystical Encountererererer
On Tuesday, the 29th of March, the students of class 12
along with teachers and some parents had a rendezvous
with Sadhguru Juggi Vasudev. Clad in a lungi, with a long
white beard he is a mystic, visionary who amalgamates
spirituality with reality. He has attended the World Peace
Congress and World Economic Forum. It was indeed an
honour to meet him. The session varied with questions
about life, to which the guru very wittily answered, “I
dont know where the world is going, it’s spinning!” to
cricket, “If you know the result of the world cup matches,
you are a match fixer!” and finally to astrology, “I wouldn’t
advise you to read your horrorscope.” He was real,
interactive, approachable and one could really connect
to what he was saying. He believed that the human body
is the most sophisticated of machines. It is the one that
has made the cell phones, buildings and computers today.
But he also believed that no human body should rely on
someone else to start them up, rather everyone’s life
should be on self-start. Sadhguru Juggi Vasudev was a guru
with a difference and a great example of being rooted
but moving with the times.
Suvira Raj Chadha, 12
Kanha Tiger Reserve 2011
Our group of sixteen class 9 and 10 students travelled to a lodgein the world famous Kanha Wild Life Sanctuary, which isclaimed to be one of the best national parks in the country. Wewere warmly welcomed by the students of Clemson University,South Carolina, who, like us, were very perturbed about therapid decline in the tiger population and the loss of jungle habitatin our country. They presented some money for tigerconservation to the trip organizer which they had painstakinglycollected through a marathon.The next day we left for our first safari into the Kanha WildlifePark. Needless to say, the sanctuary was simply stunning! Ourjeep was welcomed by a herd of over two dozen Spotted deer(Cheetal). Several square kilometers of elephant grass wereevident throughout the park and the Sal canopy blocked themorning sun from hitting our backs. Beautiful peacocks andherds of Barasingha, Swamp deer and Sambhar were in sight.We saw both the Crested Serpent Eagle and the ChangeableHawk Eagle in the park, not to mention half a dozen Shikhras!We feasted our eyes on one of the rarest sights in the forest-agigantic, almost 2 ton, lone, male Indian Bison (locally calledthe Gaur) coming towards us. The largest Bovine species inthe world was just a meter away from our jeep!To our sheer delight, we were told that there would be anothersafari in the afternoon! During the latter half of the safari, neara murky pond, we saw a dead Sambhar deer whose head hadbeen eaten off !The guide claimed this to be a tiger’s kill andsaid the incident must have occurred barely an hour before. Sowe joined the convoy of jeeps and waited. The wait seemedendless and my heart beat rapidly. Suddenly, a young RoyalBengal tigress appeared! She was standing majestically barelya hundred feet away and seemed the least bit bothered to see somany people around. She walked with a stunningly superior airto the pond and bathed there, leaving us all spellbound. It was agood fifteen minutes later that the tigress faded into the thicket,leaving her kill for a more private time, probably dinner, whenwe all would have made ourselves scarce. Awe-struck, we wentback to Mukki Gate and drove back to the resort, hardlybelieving our good luck.
Indraneel Roy, 9
Editorial BoardAnanya Jain, Aakanksha Jadhav, Indraneel Roy, Ojasvi Goel,
Tarini Sardesdai, Aastha Kamra, Namrata Narula, Pia Kochar,Sharanya Thakur, Vasudha Dixit, Akhila Khanna, Amira Singh,
Ishan Sardesai, Rishabh Prakash, Vandita Khanna, Ramya Ahuja,Suvira Chadha, Vani Shriya, Vedika Berry
Editor: Mallika Pal
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