In Rajasthan, India’s Aravalli mountain range, is Mount Abu, a stunning hill town. Our school just took us on an informative excursion to Mount Abu in December. There, we completed approximately 4 hikes and learned how to conduct realistic rock climbing, rappelling, and caving, all of which were a lot of fun. Throughout this trip, we discovered how to become more in tune with the natural world and how to adapt to and make use of the resources at hand.
Learning Outcome 1 – Identify your own strengths and develop areas for growth.
Throughout this experience, I gained a wealth of knowledge about myself. Prior to embarking on these lengthy treks, I had no idea that I was capable of completing them, but the sense of accomplishment they provided was absolutely exhilarating. Although the treks were undeniably exhausting, the rewards they offered were immeasurable. I was able to identify my strengths and improve my endurance as a result. Prior to this experience, I lacked stamina and had never attempted such lengthy treks. However, by pushing myself through these treks, I realized that I was capable of improving my stamina. As a result, I have started working on enhancing my stamina, which has left me feeling empowered. The breathtaking views I encountered at the end of each trek have bolstered my confidence, making me eager to participate in similar activities in the future. The experience has also ignited my interest in identifying and developing my strengths and weaknesses. It is crucial for everyone to engage in this process and work toward improving themselves in a positive manner. My once-weak stamina is now a strength that I have developed, and I have seen significant improvement in myself since making this a focus.
Learning Outcome 2 – Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills.
During our trip, it was crucial to remain brave and persistent while engaging in treks and rock climbing activities. We embarked on a particularly daunting and lengthy trek known as the Golden Horn Chimney, which included a perilous location nicknamed the “suicide point.” Although I enjoyed reaching the destination at the end of the trek, the real accomplishment was overcoming my fear of the suicide point and completing the challenging journey. This was a new experience for me, and I found it to be quite difficult, but I was determined to push through and achieve my goal. Personally, I believe that taking on new challenges is essential for boosting my self-confidence and motivating me to work harder towards overcoming obstacles that I encounter.
LO4 – Show perseverance and commitment in CAS experience.
As we visited during winter, the weather was quite chilly there. Although enjoyable, the return from the trek was not as pleasant due to a sudden drop in temperature. The extensive trekking was exhausting and required a significant amount of determination to persist and not abandon the task. It felt like stepping out of my comfort zone and pushing myself to commit to the trek, avoiding the temptation to give up and complete the challenge. My aim was to enhance my strength and perseverance so that I could improve my level of commitment and avoid procrastination in regular situations. I feel elated that I was able to complete all the treks, climb and descend the rocks, and even go caving despite my constant fear.
In summary, the ‘risk-taker’ learner profile was applied in the CAS experience, which ultimately boosted my strength and self-assurance. I gained insights into various aspects of myself and made several mistakes, but I’m currently working to overcome them. During the trip, I realized that making mistakes is acceptable as long as I am willing to acknowledge and rectify them. While it may take time, the key is to remain committed and persevere through the process.
    