A map of the route taken by the Whitley Secondary School expedition.

After flying into New Delhi, we had to travel by train and road before we arrived at Uttarkashi. This was the starting point of our 56-km long trekking route, to be covered over three days. In fact, we would be the first Singaporean group to attempt this trek.

Leading our group was Mr Subramanian, the Head of Department for Pupil Development at Whitley Secondary School, who has many such trekking trips under his belt, such as to other Himalayan ranges and even Inner Mongolia. In India, we were joined by Mr Rajesh Negi, who has 16 years of trekking experience in the Himalayas. He was the logistics man for our trip, overseeing important details such as where we would camp and organising our porters and cooks.

Crossing rivers was a matter of teamwork.

Then we were off! Our journey took us through rough yet beautiful terrain: beautiful valleys, soaring cliffs and impressive mountain ranges with snow-capped peaks and serpentine rivers. I don’t know about the students, but I was really pushed to my limit as we braved all the elements, from rain to snow to hail.

As the beautiful scenery kept us going, the students also learned to take care of each other. Safety was, of course, paramount, so everyone took proper precautions. When there were slippery river crossings or narrow and rocky paths, the trek leaders would give the “single file” command and we all obeyed and moved cautiously. The sure-footed ones would lend a hand to those who needed it.

Morning stretches to keep the cramps away.

When some students fell ill due to high altitude sickness, we were prepared as we had contingency plans for those not well enough to scale the peak, such as having them rest at the campsite or return halfway with a teacher. Fortunately, we did not have to execute those plans - everyone made it to the top, despite the challenging 6-km burst at the end. I barely made it myself, but my gallant boys rallied me through the excruciating last 50 metres, not to mention the encouragement of our guide from Singapore, Mr Andrew Chng, and the other students and teachers.

Our triumphant moment on Dharva Top was unforgettable but the trip wasn’t just about getting to the summit. I also got to see and experience close-up how my sons and their peers learned to cope with different situations: some learned how to take care of themselves better, some learned to exercise more patience to help others; some got a chance to test their endurance; some learned to accept disappointment; some learned to solve problems; some learned the importance of simple details like what clothes to wear and what important items to carry for the trek. All learned more about India, its culture and the Himalayas - and ultimately learned more about themselves. The mountains have taught us much indeed!

I encourage other parents and students to take part in such activities. Last but not least, I thank the school and the teachers for making this trip possible.

Contributed by:
Soh Lay Khuan
Parent
Whitley Secondary School