Class 10 - Camp Koudiyala, Rishikesh-Devprayag Road, Uttarakhand
25th - 28th February, 2019

It was that time of the year again. Excitement surrounded every household. From people who slept early to the people who stayed up all night playing video games and talking to each other; everyone awaited the highly anticipated 'School Camp.'
We left Delhi, in a flurry of early morning mist and excited stirs, for a much required getaway. There was a certain tension in the air. All of us were concerned about our tents. The train ride was packed with the first rounds of tuck and meticulous tent plans.
Nestled away into the verdant Himalayan hills, in an embrace of air, that our lungs aren't used to, we reached our campsite. From building a fire with flint stones and dry wood, to brewing our own hot chocolate on it, we managed to not give everyone a severe case of food poisoning and took away a worthwhile learning experience. From kayaking in a thunderstorm and braving ice-cold rapids to building our own make-shift raft, we learnt values of team work and unity. With a resonance of bursting balloons and giggles; we even aced the team games.
Even though our stay followed a rocky path of laughter, exhaustion and glimpses of sunshine, we manoeuvred through it with a duffle-bag load of excitement. Camp as usual served as an adhesive for numerous friendships; one where new bonds developed and existing ones strengthened! It's safe to say that this was an experience that none of us will forget.
- Katyayani Jha and Kavin Bhatia (Class 10)

Camp 2019
The sky, as if a blanket draped,
Visible, standing on the green grass blades,
Our tents in rows, right below the line of trees.
Trekking up the mountains, guided by muted sunlight,
Crossing waterfalls and step farms, reaching the heights.
Huffing and puffing after the three hour long trek,
Only to discover the monkeys, waltzing in and out of our tents with no regrets.
Since no one bathed, nature decided to purify us,
Buckets poured, giving the breeze a cold rush.
At night, the sky, freckled with stars that hour,
Bestowed upon us Orion's Belt, his sword, confidently reading to the North Star.
At night a bonfire, with its dancing flames,
In the morning; activities and team challenge games.
We made T-3 tents and served our own tea,
With friends we laid back, in our own ecstasy.
Drifting through the waters, paddles slicing through,
But building our own raft with nothing but sticks, ropes and tires,
With eyes lit up, keen
With the usual rafting and kayaking,
In the river between the mountains, brown and green.
There was much we gave,
And much we took.
Camp Kaudiyala was worth the wait
- By Nikita Gupta