The lure of the outdoor sports seems to have smitten the youth of the city like never before. From high-altitude trekking in the Himalayas to scuba diving in the Andamans, the lure of the adrenalin pumping outdoor sports is greater than ever before. And with summer holidays around, it is the great outdoors that beckon and Himalayas is by far the most favourite destination for those with a streak of adventure in them.
As many as 35 people from the city are headed for the Himalayas on Sunday for a week-long trek that will take them above 13,000 feet in altitude in the Himachal Pradesh. Incidentally, it is the 37th Himalayan Expedition being conducted by the Mysuru-based International Academy of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (IAMAS).
They are a part of the 43-member group from Karnataka who will join 22 others from the rest of India for an expedition to the Rumtu Top in Himachal Pradesh. Passing through Chandrakhani pass, the trekkers will get a panoramic view of the mighty Himalayas, according to Deepak Solanki, founder of IAMAS, who has been conducting such trekking camps since 15 years. And this is a small speck among youngsters who have taken to other forms of adventure sports, including cycling, river water rafting, rock climbing etc., as evident in the spate of adventure sports camps being conducted by various groups.
“But it is the Himalayan expedition that is growing in popularity each year and this is in contrast to our experience when we had to plod people to join the expedition camp for trekking”, said Mr. Solanki. This sea change in attitude is not only perceptible among the students and the youth but also their parents who see this as an opportunity in leadership training, building team spirit. Incidentally, more than half of the participants from Mysuru joining the trekking expedition are girls and women.
The schedule
While the first expedition — to Rumptu Top — is from May 1 to 14 and will be flagged off from Mysuru on Sunday (April 26) so as to reach the base camp by the month-end, the second expedition is to Kedar Kanta in Uttarakhand from May 16 to 26 and will take the participants above 12,500 ft.
Mr. Solanki will also undertake an exploratory expedition to Bhrigu Lake above 14,000 ft in the Himachal Pradesh to ascertain if that could be a new route for future expeditions.
In the run-up to the trekking expedition, the participants have gone through acclimatisation programme at the Chamundi Hill, Kunti Betta, Talakadu, cycling to KRS, Yedamuri, jogging around Kukkarahalli lake among other exercises to enhance their fitness levels.
