Middle School Camps by Varsha Pandanda Gr 6, Asmi Khungar Gr 7 & Tushar Gupta Gr 8

Camps at Pathways school are a much-awaited time of the year. These three days are that time of the year when we are with our friends, away from our homes, and yet, happy.

Each grade went to a separate place for the camp.

Form 6 went to Camp Tusker, which is in Haridwar, Rishikesh, with Snow Leopard as the organizers. Form 7 went to Junga, Camp Chrysalid, a camp placed amidst the scenic mountains near Shimla and at an altitude of 5000 ft. with Youreka as the camp leaders. Form 8 went to Chail, a place promising adventure along with nectar for the eyes. This place is right above Shimla. Inme were the camp organizers for grade 8.

Camps for all the three forms began on the 15th of March and ended on the 18th of March.

The grade 6 camp treated the children to a variety of activities like, nature walk, trekking to a temple, playing games, adrenalin rush inducing activities like zip line (from a tall building onto a mountain back), wall climbing, gymnastics in the sand etc. The most adventurous and exciting part was cycling. We cycled for more than an hour and completed around 7 km most of which was uphill. Another highlight of the camp was the visit to an orphanage. We went there to have fun with the kids who do not have any near and dear ones. We interacted with them and learnt a lot about their lives. We also sang songs and danced with each other. We gave them a bag of goodies and left with some never to forget memories. On our last day we also went for “Ganga aarti” hosted by the orphanage children. We learned a lot, developed many new skills and overall enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. We would like to thank Snow Leopard Adventures for this amazing trip.

Grade 7 had the most adventurous camp. Most of our activities

were team building ones and taught us how to leverage our strengths for the collective performance of a team. We did thrilling activities like ‘The friendship ladder’, ‘ Zip Line’ and Rappelling’. The best part of the grade 7 camps was a night out atop a flat mountain to reach where we undertook a long uphill trek of two and a half hours. On reaching our destination, we first learnt and then pitched our tents, made preparations and cooked our food, had fun around a bon fire and finally went to sleep in our tents. It was a never before experience and has enriched our lives with a lot of memories and experience. During the adventure trek we all worked as a team and bonded like never before. We have come out having honed our survival skills from the camp. Our achievements were recognized and most of us received badges in recognition of our behavior, participation, achievements and camaraderie. We carried lovely memories back home and wish to come back again for an amazing fun filled time next year.

Grade 8 had a long and tiring journey, which became worthwhile when we saw the breathtaking view from our campsite. Snow-capped mountains with the sun setting over them, was a captivating sight. Taking this lovely sight with us for motivation and energy, we proceeded towards various warm-up games and activities. We tried our hands at jumaaring, obstacle rope-course, and the most thrilling of them all, rappelling. We used to get scrumptious meals and at the same time we were taught to be mindful of wastage.  Evenings were very relaxed as we sat around the bonfire to sing songs, while sipping on hot cups of soup. Those three days helped us realize our true potential and learn how a challenge can boost our confidence. Overall, the time spent at camps was unforgettable and something no one would want to miss.