Coorg: A story carved on trees

DAY 1, 21^st March 2011
The flight was scheduled to take off at 6:15am. I'm pretty sure every single person was insomniac that night. Waiting in anticipation to be away from family and civilisation! An aerial view of Mumbai, the city that never sleeps, was undoubtedly the most striking sight I've ever seen. Observing the variant shades of the horizon that separated the sky from the land was a phenomenal sight.

Landing at the Bangalore airport, we loaded our rucksacks onto the bus and started our long but enjoyable drive to the green spurs of Coorg. We arrived at the campsite by 5:30 pm. The Campus Chief delivered a briefing and subsequently, the 45 of us were divided into 3 groups of 15 each.

DAY 2, 22^nd March 2011
After an early morning wake-up call, everyone hurried to the common area for a freshening and replenishing morning exercise, which was followed by a much-awaited and scrumptious breakfast. Soon after, the three groups dispersed for their respective activities. My group initiated its ultimate camping experience with the Ropes Course where each student was taught the art of using ropes and applying that knowledge to use them in productive ways. Lunch was followed by a session of valley-crossing, once more, using a rope and hook that tested our endurance no end. By the evening, the three groups got back together once more and sipped some hot and delicious soup, which was followed by dinner and a few hours of slumber to come.

DAY 3, 23^rd March 2011
By now, waking up, exercising and eating a filling and healthy breakfast had become more of a habit. This day, my group embarked on a little trip of embracing the breeze and the fresh air of the mountainous side of Coorg while speeding downhill on well-equipped mountain bikes. Lunch was trailed by an interactive and knowledgeable session of juggling and other creative arts.

DAY 4, 24^th March 2011
After continuing the usual morning routine, my group departed on a short trek where we were educated on the usage and methods of outdoor survival like pitching tents, using sleeping bags efficiently and camping out. We walked back to camp, ate our lunch and brought some equipment and supplies together and went back up to camp for the night. Nevertheless, this unique activity was enjoyed by all three groups on different occasions and days. To add a little spice to the gravy, we reached the campsite to discover a forest fire blazing not more than 2 km ahead of us. After a slight turmoil, everything turned out to be just fine and we employed the aforementioned skills and put them to good use by cooking good pasta and khichdi and of course, pitching our own tents.

DAY 5, 25^th March 2011
This day was intended for the students to spend together, as a whole. To give a musical start to the day, the entire morning was covered with musical notes created by our very own indigenous band of 45 Grade IX students. The synchronised orchestra taught us much more than the best - patience, coordination, team work and self conviction.

DAY 6, 26^th March 2011
Our bags were packed and we were ready to head back to our very own city, Mumbai. The whole group walked down 4 km to the buses, which marked our nine-hour journey back to Bangalore, and then an additional two hours of air travel to Mumbai.

All in all, the entire trip was a major success and each student was sure to either have learnt a life-changing trait or overcome one of his/her most feared phobias. Every single student had the greatest time of his/her life. It would be horribly unfair not to commend the unsurpassed and most talented instructors of all time. Each and every one of them worked towards perfection, they worked their hardest only so that we could have a great time. I owe the experience of my lifetime to the school and to the organisers, Inme.

— Madhav Warawdekar, Grade IX A

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