I often wonder how do real mountain climbers feel, when they reach the peak of the mountain. I felt like Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary after my little self created and self imposed adventure rather attempts to adventure.
On 18th of these month, that's ten days back, we had our college field work for our subject Environmental Studies. The trip was to take place on 16th but due to bandh it was postponed. So on the appointed day the lazy me woke up at 6am. We were to reach Pink College by 9.30. my walking partner, the green page friend was there in front of my home by 9. We reached college and found in this group we had minority of girls compared to the second group which was all girls group. Three rickety buses were standing. Off course the boys grabbed the better two. My walking mate and me, were the first to climb the old bus, but as fate had it due to our greedy nature for window seat, we ended up in a seat with three people and far from window.
Well our destination was unknown to us. Rather we were so ignorant that we never bothered to find it. Then soon we found out we were going to Kakoijana Reserved forest, that protects Golden Langur and many other species. We reached there, after few words from our supervisor we were left on our own. So we could have been compared to grazing cows. First we were planning to visit the village, but then our teacher asked us to explore the hill. So we the small group of girls went on our hill climbing mission. But soon our delicate nature started to groan and moan about how tiring it would be. Someone said that teacher called us back and our hill climbing and photo session was halted for a while. When we climbed down, someone cut her feet, someone was afraid. When we reached the foot of the hill, we found no one called us, but our major mates played a trick to stop us from climbing. Hence they escaped from hill climbing. So again the leader of our pack, lets call them RK and PS started to journey back. We five followed them, a group of seven, but not all were dwarfs. This time we aimed to climb the Shiva Temple. Let me give no impression that RK and PS are very strong and healthy. If both can be compared to any object, RK is a pencil sharpened to lower side and PS is a freshly sharpened pencil. RK the most enthusiast of all, always soft spoken and silent was leading us. Her enthusiasm led her to over look a good well maintained path, to harder one. So PS landed second and third me to the hill temple, followed by our scout friend DS. At that point I received a text message from our mate Meow-kill, that's what I call him. He said he reached the top. Now, we all got high energy to reach the top just to compete against Meow-kill. By that time three of major mates including green page mate were hankering somewhere. So we left them and grabbed few boys, with whom we were playing the wolf shouting game. So this three boys became our rescue team. They lead us on top, and teaching us methods to climb. So after tripping, resting, drinking, sweating and loads of photo sessions, we managed to reach the top. But Meow-kill was gone.. I was slowest of the four, due to my limp left feet, I had to rest after a while. But my sport shoes helped me survive. Our climb was not so rough, because photo session were taking place, after every five minutes. But the climb would have been easier had we not wore our uniforms. To climb with Salwar, and dupatta around your neck in midst of jungle and stumbling stone was more difficult. It complicated a easy climb that's one of the key points entering to my ANTI-SALWAR Campaign. The only thing that drove DS to climb was of taking pictures. She is a beauty who needed to be clicked in beauty of nature. When we reached on top we feasted on my tasty fried rice cooked by my dearest Mom. We offered the boys, but they did not eat. But like camel in desert they drank water. The view from the top was beautiful. Enchanting would be a bigger word to describe it, but sitting there one could see the highway and the monstrous truck passing by like ants. The hill was covered with dried leafs, but the top was a canvas with different hues of brown leafs. It was so earthy and core yet the feel of nature ingrained. I wonder why haven't I found any poems on the fallen and weathering leaves yet. Climbing down was not easy, we climbed down after top view photo session. Our rescue team boys lead us down. I should be really great-full to them for enduring us. They are our classmates, but we had never spoken to each other in last three semesters. Sadly we study in Pink College yet pink has never been colour of communication. This time we took another path. Sadly we did not see a single langur or any other animal. May be our fake wolf cry drove them away. So next time if we ever go hill climbing I wont howl.
We visited the village, took beautiful pictures and of a family who agreed to give me their picture.
After climbing down we were given horrible food, by horrible I mean horrible. I ate the salad and egg, rest of my rice, mix vegetable and daal went to stray dogs moving near us. I was not the only one, RK to failed to eat a single morsel. But what we did wrong in our field trip. Our sole purpose was to understand nature and the biodiversity of the area. We were given food in paper plates. We did not put the paper plates in one place after eating, but we scattered it around. So we dirtied the environment. SO the only lesson we learned was never care for nature. Yes paper plates will decompose, but it will take time and we dirtied the beautiful scenic beauty too. I regret for not speaking up then. Please don't repeat our mistakes.
Climbing the hill made me feel like a superwoman. I texted every body about the achievement. I felt like Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. Well compared my mother's childhood, what I did was nothing. But I still feel proud, off all the delicate darlings we four reached the top of the hill. I was drove by the sole motive to prove girls are strong and Rk and PS just for the sake of experience and DS off course for photos.
clicks from the trip
and here is my version of the climb in nutshell....
the girl with flag is RK, followed by PS the one with green bag is me and the one holding stick n smiling is DS.
P.S- I had one of the best days of my life on 18th.
thanking you to bear with me
paulOaries
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