BENGALURU : The mountain calling has beckoned me to go on my expedition and I am excited to climb the Himalayas,” says Shwetha Bullanavar, a resident of Bengaluru, who is among 40 youngsters, including 16 tribal girls, participating in a trek to Mt Rupin Pass in Uttarakhand and Himachal region from May 19 to June 2. Besides Bengaluru, they hail from Ballari, Mangaluru and Mysuru, while the tribal girls belong to Bandipur and Nagarhole.
The 16 girls will also take part in Asha-2019, a trek to Saurkundi Pass in Himachal Pradesh being organised between May 2 and 17. The event has been jointly organised by the Tiger Adventure Foundation and Ladies Circle India. The youngsters are looking forward to learning from the experience, involving a lot of adventure. “I’ve had an adventurous streak in me since childhood. I became part of the all-women expedition ‘Nari shakti’ trek to Baradsar pass in 2018.
This success story gave me an impetus to soar higher,” Sunaina, a doctor in Bengaluru said. “By spending two weeks with the tribal girls, we will get to know them better. I plan to venture out on more such trailblazing callings.”
The girls will undergo physical training and survival skills till April 28 at Chamundi Hills, Kunti Hills, cycling and road trails. They will also get trained for two hours at Kukkarahalli Lake and participate in a 12-km Josh Run on April 28. The expedition will be led by 14-year-old Riya Solanki, who has eight expeditions to her credit. The tour is supported by adventure enthusiast DSD Solanki and M Mohan Kumar, naturalist from Kanha Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh. The project will cost `8.5 lakh.
“Trekking up the Himalayas was a dream for me. Now, we have the opportunity to come out of our hamlets and explore the world. The fitness training will be helpful to improve our endurance,” adds S G Sumithra, a tribal girl. “Being my first trekking expedition, I am eagerly waiting for the day. Earlier, I was hardly concentrating on physical exercises. But now I dedicate one hour every day for fitness. I plan to trek with my husband next year,” Bullanavar says.