Adventure Camps 2014

Camp Sher Bagh (Ranthambore National Park) Class 7

This year we class 7 students were lucky as we got to wake up leisurely and reach school by 10 am to leave for adventure camp. We were all very excited to be heading to Ranthambore National Park, the famous tiger reserve (home to 46 of the big cats!). Once we assembled at school we set off by bus for the Nizamuddin Railway Station where we boarded the JanShatabdi and were on our way by one 'o clock. We arrived at Sawai Madhopur and found four canters (open topped buses) waiting to take us to Sher Vilas. We reached the campsite early evening , had glasses of bournvita and were appointed our tents, though some of us had to stay in rooms. Later that evening we watched an interesting short film about the famous tiger Machli, who is the oldest tiger in the wild till date, and her three daughters T-17, T-18 and T-19.
We woke up at 5 'o clock the next day and got ready to go for a safari.Two canters went to zone 5 and the other two went to zone 1 where we spotted Sultan (T-27)! He was sunbathing on top of a steep hill side and was striking majestic poses specially for the cameras. Our guide informed us that his father had killed 9 humans! We were very fortunate to spot Sultan as soon as we entered the zone but we could't BELIEVE our LUCK when we sighted him a SECOND TIME! He was half hidden by the trees but we could see his stripes, there was an absolutely disgusting smell there so we put 2 and 2 together and guessed that he had just been feasting on his kill and was now resting. The distance between us and the tiger was just a few yards and we were tingling with nervousness and delight. We returned to the campsite elated at our little adventure! After lunch and free time we visited the well known fort where Machli used to roam. After an exhaustive climb of numerous long steps we reached the top. Our guide told us about the interesting history of the rajas who used to inhabit this grand fort. We were tired after our adventures and fell asleep early after a satisfying dinner of naan and sabzi.
The next morning we woke up late and just lazed about and later visited 'Dastkar Ranthambore' a women employing non profit organization that sells handmade goods crafted by the local village women. This was a highlight of our trip as we all immensely enjoyed watching the skilled workers making beautiful creations like patchwork blankets, printed bedsheets, clothes and cute toys. In the evening we went for another safari and watched the amazing wildlife around us. Sadly we didn't spot any tigers this time. This was our last night and we wanted to make it memorable so we watched Rajasthani dancers breathe fire dance and soon all of us (okay, only the boys) were dancing to the lively beat.
Waking up at 5 the next morning was tough after sleeping late and narrating scary stories to each other and we slowly realized that adventure camp was coming to and end. We solemnly boarded the train and fell asleep during the long journey. We finally reached school and had quick reunions with our family. I'm sure we'll all have our fond memories of this years camp. As for me there's nothing more I'll miss than looking up at the glittering stars at night.
- Arusha Nirvan