Fifteen persons including some children from the city participated in a rock climbing expedition on Kondapalli Hills near here. The participants of the expedition organised by the Vijayawada unit of the Youth Hostels Association of India (YHAI) were taught rock climbing, rappelling (controlled descent down a rock face using a rope) and Jumaring (ascending a rope using a device called Jumar).
The YHAI city secretary N. Vishnuvardha Rao said that the participants in the adventure sport trekked 3 k.m. from the Kondapalli Fort to reach a spot that was 430 metres high and convenient for rock climbing, rappelling and jumaring.
The YHAI Adventure Promotion Committee state chief K. Ranga Rao and YHAI Hyderabad unit secretary Kiran taught the participants the required skills. Mr. Vishnuvardhan Rao said that the Vijayawada Unit of the youth hostels association had been conducting treks for hundreds of people in the Kondapalli hills for the past six years.
He said that the Kondapalli forests that cover 30,000 acres very close to Vijayawada city were ideal for trekking and rock climbing. He said that students residing in the youth hostel frequently go on such trekking and rock climbing expeditions, Mr Rao added.
