We traveled to Mount Abu in December 2022, a hill town in western India’s Rajasthan province located in the Aravalli Range. This trip was a part of my activity and featured strenuous exercises including 4 hikes, rock climbing, caving, and other activities. Being in school since almost 13 years now, I’ve never missed a single trip but this particular one stood out from the others. It was the first time we were taken on a trek, the idea seemed uncomfortable and boring at first but nothing mountains and friends can’t fix.

LO1 : Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

This was the first trek I ever went to and fair to say, I learnt a lot of things. There were a few instances where the trekking was a bit challenging, but I was able to complete it under the guidance of my mentors and the motivation and help from my friends. One of my strengths is stamina and the trait of not giving up; I didn’t find myself stopping often or losing motivation. However, one of my weaknesses that I came across during the trek was my lack of stability. I lost my balance a couple of times which can turn out to be dangerous depending on the situation which I am looking forward to improve upon because trekking is one activity I love now. Other activities like rock climbing and rappelling are ones i’m more familiar with and had no difficulty in.

LO2 : Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process

As this was my first time trekking, some portions of it were difficult. For example, the peak of the Golden Horn trek required us to sit on a rock with nothing but depths below us and a narrow road to get there. At first, I panicked since I didn’t know where to keep the right step but with the right guidance I learned to keep my step right and acquire the best grip. Being a first-timer at caving, it was also a little frightening. A small slip could have resulted in a mishap, but I quickly realized this and picked up the necessary knowledge. Another major challenge was going without a phone. I was used to checking social media constantly and posting even the smallest of details, so going without one for a few days seemed out of the ordinary. However, as the days went on, I stopped feeling the need for my phone or for social media, and instead learned to appreciate the present and the people I’m with.

LO4 : Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences

To go past such difficult obstacles and tough terrain along with waking up super early, this journey required a lot of perseverance. Every time my mind wanted to give up, i had to push in order to complete the hikes. We had to commit to being responsible, patient, and, most importantly, to venturing outside of our comfort zones. The trip was successful because I was committed to seeing it through and remained persistent in the face of setbacks. 

All in all, this trip is forever gonna be in my memory books. I would pick one highlight of the trip, but the whole trip was one. From a few of my friends deciding to come last minute, to the train fun, to seeing sunsets and sunrises amidst the cold, to seeing so many shooting stars all in one night, to fun at the campsite, to finding a secret spot to every smallest detail, it was all a dream. Like i said, nothing friends and a mountain cant fix, always a good time.I developed the learner profile, risk-taker and caring during this experience, evidently so.