Before the winter break, our school organised a trip to Mount Abu for 4-5 days. This trip was exceptionally a trekking experience, so we had to prepare ourselves accordingly. The weather in Mount Abu was extremely cold; we carried our woollen-packed luggage bags ourselves to our camping site which was on a high hill. We did many mountaineering activities like rock climbing, rapling, zip lining, caving and boating. We lived in natural surroundings and had to adapt to different food, cold and dry weather. We also got to know about different types of vegetation, trees, living conditions and the history of the Aravali range, on which Mount Abu is located. Overall, it was an educational, adventurous and fun experience.
Learning outcomes I have achieved throught this CAS experience:
LO-1- Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth.
I have been to a few trekking adventures earlier, we had to survive in harsh conditions like this, so my mind was already conditioned for such weather and conditions, where other students faced some problems. The only thing I lagged was stamina. This trekking experience was a step to help me grow in this field. I concentrated on my breadth and coordinated it with the pace of my footsteps, which helped me walk continuously without many breaks.
LO-2- Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.
Before 2-3 months from this trip, I had met with an accident which resulted in three minor fractures and a ligament injury in my left foot. It had not completely healed, but I wanted to take up the challenge and give my best. Walking with pain was a bit difficult but I enthusiastically participated in all the activities and completed the entire trek; I was very proud that I did all of it with the injury.
LO-4- Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.
The trek along with all the activities we were supposed to do were very challenging and tiresome. Performing them in normal condition was difficult, I had an additional injury in my foot. Also, the weather was different and we had to adapt to it. I didn’t give up on any of the aspects and tried to adjust to everything. I showed perseverance in walking continuously throught the entire trek.
The final takeaway of this CAS experience for me was that I found that I love being around nature alone which helps me spend time with myself and retrospect. I also learnt how to adapt to different atmospheres and coordinate with everyone, take into consideration others’ preferences along with your own. No matter what challenge you face, you should never give up and stay optimistic.
