‘The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul.’ Forty three junior school boys along with the headmaster, Mr.P.Chaturvedi, Mrs.J.Chaturvedi, Mr.Paresh Mahawar, Mr.Pradeep Upadhyay and Mr. Praveen Sharma embarked on yet another adventure in the mountains. This was the tenth trekking expedition by the young trekkers of Mayo College, Junior School, Ajmer.

We set out as the school closed for the summer vacation on May 2, 2009 far away from the oppressive heat of Rajasthan to the cool mountains. To the dauntless Mayoites, the mountain does not seem a lifeless thing of rock and ice, but warm, friendly and living.

On the first day at Rishikesh, the boys went for a walk to Lakshman Jhula to warm themselves. The boys visited a thirteen storey temple and worshipped the idols. In the evening they attended Ganga Arti at Swargaashram Ghat.

India , still rich in flora, is nowhere so prolific as in the Himalayas. Our base camp was at Ukhimath, a place from where we have completed three treks. Our first trek was of Deoriataal, a high altitude lake at 8500 feet. We started quite early in the morning which is a safe bet in the hills if you want to avoid the afternoon showers. It was a challenging climb for most but all managed to accomplish the goal with sheer grit and vigour. The boys enjoyed sumptuous lunch near the lake steeped in a tangle of blossom and verdure.

On the following day we paid homage at Tri-yugi Narayan temple and Kaali temple. Boys played in the cold water of the river near Kaali Temple.

Give Mayoites the tools, and they will finish the job. The next day was the main climb to the Tunganath (the highest Shiva Tample in the world). We started from a picturesque place called Chopta which is known as mini-Switzerland of India. Boys played with snow while climbing the steep trek of three and a half kilometers. There the boys had this rare opportunity of going above tree line. Only mosses and some types of grasses were present at that height. Oliver Cromwell has rightly said , " None climbs so high as he who knows not whither he is going."

Rivers sustain and stimulate. They are there to remind us that life has its beautiful moments. The rafts become a place of delight. Up next on the action packed itinerary was river rafting from Shivpuri experiencing five interesting rapids up to Ramjhula. This ride was just right for unwinding and washing away all the fatigue of the journey. They splashed and rowed, laughed and danced in glee.

Boys enjoyed Artificial Wall Climbing, Confidence Course, Burma Bridge, Double Rope Bridge, Tarzan Jump, Dry River Crossing Race etc. at HAI – Himalayan Adventure Institute. They visited Gun Hill Top at Mussoorie through cable car. When people are put into positions slightly above what they would expect, they’re apt to excel.

Next Day was a full day scheduled for sightseeing in Dehradun which include visit to the Robbers’ Cave, Forest Research Institute and Gompa- The Buddhist Monastery.

On our way to Delhi we visited Crystal Water Park on Haridwar-Delhi highway for some more amusement and this time all broke loose on the thrilling rides and winding chutes leading to little pools. It was truly a fabulous trip for everyone and everyone will vouch for it. The memories will be cherished forever.

The trekkers will remember the smell of pine needles, the silver of oak leaves and the red of maple, the call of the Himalayan cuckoo, and the mist, like a wet face cloth, pressing against the hills. Odd, how some little incident, some snatch of conversation, comes back to one again and again, in the most unlikely places. Standing at the Bikaner Pavilion, when Old Boys meet during the Prize-Giving Ceremony, years later these memories linger on as very fond flashback and bring a wide grin on the faces of the trekkers. Long live our alma mater – the echoing ‘Mayo’ Amen.

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