Trekking our way out!!!! ( Original article written by Shanti )

Trekking our way out!!!!........Shanti M Shenoy ...."Sare Jana Se Acha Hindustan Hamara"

The general opinion of postgraduate students of U.I.C.T is that they are geeks and nothing can excite them as much as research does. But something is different when it comes to our batch, the 2008 batch of m.pharm and m.tech(B.P.T).We all do enjoy research, and work hard the whole week, but when the weekend nears, there is something that makes our heart beat race. It’s that something that makes us put in extra effort the whole week through so that, we can enjoy our weekends. That PASSION of our lives is TREKKING.

Trekking is so much fun that it’s very hard to explain, those beautiful mountains half hidden by the fog, the crystal clear streams, those gleaming rocks, that smell of the wet mud, the eye soothing greenery all around you just astounds you and touches your heart. Walking through that jungle in the rains is super cool, with waterfalls which come as the most welcoming and awaited surprises. Climbing on rocks, at times choosing the most difficult path to reach our destination what we term as “ADVAVENTURE’, thinking of which way to go by at times is fun and gives us all that adrenaline rush. The most heartwarming moment is when you reach the top of the mountain, you feel like you have reached heaven. We scream out aloud at first, then sit quietly for some time and enjoy the sound of the gushing wind. After reaching our destination we celebrate that moment by then eating our lunch. Unlike other trekkers we don’t litter around and make it a point to collect all the non degradable stuff back home, taking turns to hold it.

The most memorable trek was the trek to PRABHAL GADH where we celebrated the INDEPENDENCE DAY. One of us made the flag (me); we hoisted it at the top of the GADH and sang the national anthem with utmost pride. It was the most beautiful moment. Some of the other treks where we have had the opportunity to go are MNIKGADH, NANEGHAT, RAJMACHI, HARISHCHANDRAGADH, NATIONAL PARK etc…

Trekking has actually now become our hobby. The boys of our gang Pratik Patel,Vishal Parekh, Ninad Pandit, Mukesh Pednekar,Haresh More,Sushant Patil search for unexplored places in and around Mumbai,and find out the routes to reach there. The girls Vanita Sharma, Arundhati Lele, Disha Vithlani, Galvina Ferreira make all arrangements for food. We have PhD. students and friends from other colleges who occasionally join us. We all stay in the hostel a day prior to the trek as we leave way before dawn.

Trekking is test of physical endurance, gives you that peace of mind as it is break from your routine and away from the bustling city life that we lead. And actually it’s a much better alternative than watching a movie in a multiplex or going to a water park. Every trek has its own story to tell and beautiful memories that we shall cherish all our lives. What make our treks even more memorable are those beautiful 20 minute movies that our classmate Vishal Parekh has developed an expertise at making for us.

Life is too short, and do not want to let it go just like that. As all of us have a common passion and love for nature and animals, we have decided to “Trek our way out” through our masters…see as much as we can manage in our free time to explore the unexplored and the forgotten mountain ranges, cliffs, forts of Maharashtra……….that’s the least we can do till we are together.