Almost a fortnight long camp was the highlight of this summer. As anxious as we were about the outcomes of the camp to Shama RamGanga, Uttarakhand with a group of 29 kids along with Maitri group (Borivali, Mumbai) ranging from 10-18 years, the success of it was well proven by the happy faces of all the participants throughout the journey. The journey in itself began with 36 long hours to reach the first destination: Corbett! Having retired in the cottages at night, the next morning started with a trek and bus journey to next venue: Ranikhet!
Aww gaped from every child’s mouth seeing the beautiful cottage of Ranikhet which were to be their quarters for next day. Refreshing juice of the Buraans (Rhododendron) flower quenched their thirsts every time they were tired! Local plantations, first long trek for 5kms, visit to the village temple and games at night kept the kids active all the while. And then began a bus ride to the next destination: Shama, a heavenly abode for the city-ites! The scenic beauty of the region was extremely pleasant with a lot of butterflies in the stomachs due to the ghats, but nevertheless, playing antakshari for 6hrs kept boredom away!

Shama stay
was packed with never-done-before activities like Hay stack building,
Earn-ur-meal, Egg Hunt, Present the location, entertain the locals and of
course the campfire each night before the day ended! 29 aspiring enthusiasts
with their heads high trekked for 15kms in the jungles of Shama without a
single hurdle to stop their steps. The kids were amazingly supportive for each
other and extremely careful! Guess it’s natural for all of us to get tamed in
the demands of nature!

The last of
our destinations was Mukteshwar who welcomed us with chilly winds due to rains!
The campsite couldn’t have been better than what we had. Apple plantations all
around, with lovely flowers planted all along the tracks, the colors of nature
surprising everyone with each step towards the massive tents well protected
from the cold! Next day the kids did rappelling, rock climbing and flying fox.
The adrenaline rush was felt right from the youngest to the eldest member in
the group! Overcoming all their fears, may be for height, water or fall, the
kids made sure that all their friends participate in each activity, boosting
the ones who were hesitant! The sportsmanship spirit was indeed remarkable!
The camp
came to an end but the journey continued… On the way to Kathgodam station,
dinner was arranged at an South-Indian restaurant and to every one’s surprise
the tiniest one in the group commented “We are eating with the lights and AC’s
on after ages, it seems so out of the box after all these treats in Nature” .
That is when Kshitij smiled, having served its purpose.

Thus the
journey continues…from being in the laps of Himalayas… to the countless
memories running in our minds, waiting eagerly for some more sun’s to shine…
Dr. Charmy Gada
Dr. Charmy Gada
drcharmigada@gmail.com
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