Nestled in Nature

A shout-out to Soma's Camps!

Time visited: December 2024

Time spent: Four days

Being a history enthusiast, I usually prefer to visit historical places during vacations, but this year, it was different. My mother suggested that this year I attend an Adventure Camp organised in the Purulia district of West Bengal. At first, I was hesitant to go without my parents, but after an enlightening discussion with the wonderful Camp Director Soma Majumder Pal, I was convinced. I was on pins and needles the entire week before the trip.

Our camping group of about 20, which included both children and adults, boarded the Chakradharpur Express from Howrah station at 11:45 pm. I slept soundly and woke up early the next morning. Our adventure began soon after we stepped out onto the platform of Tamna, a sleepy and quiet station, and got onto the Jeep! We discovered that one of our fellow campers, an uncle, was missing! Even though he was an adult, we were worried since he wasn't answering his phone. We headed back to the station while Soma Mashi kept calling him. He eventually picked up and told us he was still at the station. He'd lost the detachable rain cover of his rucksack on the train. When he realised that, he dropped his rucksack immediately on a bench on the platform and went to the Station Master to ask if the cover could be located and returned to him. The Station Master said no! Only then did he switch his phone back on and Soma Mashi's call finally connected. All heaved a sigh of relief when he was found!

Day One

On reaching the campsite, we were served a piping hot breakfast of luchi and alur dom. Then started our first lesson - how to pitch a tent. After that, we went rock-climbing. The first type of climbing we learnt was step climbing. We first practised on a steep rock that was relatively low in height. I went up and came down easily, thanks to the valuable instructions given to us by our instructors. We then did hand climbing. I did the first half easily but struggled at the last stretch and had to be hauled up by one of the members. I was so scared that I sat up there for nearly 10 minutes and refused to come down. When I finally summed up the courage to climb down, I actually found it quite easy! We all then sat down under the trees and had some nimbu pani, which greatly relieved us all from the sweltering heat.

Then it was time for the real deal! We crossed the fields and went up a smooth slope. I was intrigued by the various types of stones lying here and there and started collecting some in my backpack. Reaching our destination, I was stunned by the scenic view around me, all full of vegetation and with the nearby hill visible. Our task was to climb a rock steeper and higher than the one we practised on. I have mild acrophobia, which caused me to stress out a bit, but I went up slowly and steadily. After everyone had a go, we all returned to the campsite and ate a fulfilling lunch of rice and vegetables.

The evening was reserved for various group activities, which greatly enhanced our flexibility and team spirit. One was a fun game where a bunch of numbered papers were left jumbled up inside a circle made with a long piece of rope. Each group had to locate the papers in numerical order and stand on them. If anyone stepped on the paper in the wrong order or if anyone stepped inside the circle out of turn, then points were deducted.

For another exciting game, the participants were blindfolded and had to follow the instructions given by their teammates to cross over to the other side without stepping on the pieces of paper scattered on the path.

Well, my group wasn't so lucky that evening since we lost, but it was still quite a lot of fun and a joyous close to the first day.

Day Two

I woke up pretty early the next morning and sat on one of the chairs placed outside the shared tents, enjoying the cold mist of the morning. Soon the camp grew abuzz with activity and a round of coffee for adults and Bournvita for children. Then we were called to assemble and left the camp to start the activities of the day.

The entire morning was devoted to hand climbing using a rope. I watched in awe as the instructor climbed swiftly. Although I felt encouraged at first to try it myself, my acrophobia held me back (and I do regret it a bit). I sat at a distance, observing how my fellow campers climbed to the top and then rappelled down. As I sat alone, Soma Mashi took me for a short walk, showing me beautiful butterflies and flowers. As soon as we returned to the rock, a delicious lunch of ruti and ghugni arrived from the campsite, and it was so good! I wish I could eat such food again!

We were excited about the activity planned for that night: building a wilderness survival shelter and doing wilderness cooking. We all proceeded to the spot not far from the campsite and were divided into groups for making the shelters and cooking. The shelters were made using large plastic sheets and nylon rope and the dinner of Maggi was just PERFECTION. As the night crawled in, we shared funny stories and anecdotes for entertainment. Some of us decided to spend the night in the shelters we'd built. It was really an interesting experience. The young boys took one shelter. The two uncles slept in another - it was perfect since they were partners in crime and teased each other about snoring in their sleep! I shared the third shelter with another girl. whose name was also Rai and who was referred to as Rai 2. Our characteristics were very similar.

Day Three

The next day, we had a bunch of activities near the campsite. The first activity was the friendship ladder, where two people had to climb two ladders at the same time to reach the top (I couldn’t do this, unfortunately, because of acrophobia). This activity took almost the entire day. After that, we were again served some nimbu pani followed by lunch.

The activity for the evening was Mission: Impossible. I suppose everybody knows about the famous scene where Tom Cruise hangs from the ceiling in the CIA HQ to retrieve a computer disk. Well, the same happened at camp. A person was lifted midair with the help of a pulley system and was guided towards certain objects with the help of multiple ropes so they could pick up those objects as fast as possible. It was a timed activity; the team that picked up the items the fastest would win. It was interesting and an innovative team activity.

The next one was to cross from one tree trunk to another by means of two ropes suspended parallel to each other. I gave this activity my best and nearly reached the end. It really made me happy to be able to put in my best effort.

We celebrated the last night of camp with a bonfire, where we all showcased our talents, shared stories and did a group dance as the final act. The bonfire was followed by an extravagant dinner of fried rice and chilli chicken, which was followed by the highlight of the camp: the night trek. We all went out in the absolute darkness of the night. It took my eyes some time to adjust to the dark. I looked up at the night sky in awe and spotted many constellations, including the Winter Triangle and Orion, a rare sight in the city. The experience was exhilarating and really made me appreciate the wonders of nature. I fell quite a few times, once dragging the Camp Director with me!

Day Four

Then came the last morning of our camp. The finale was to hike to the summit of a hill. Although it seemed easy at first, it soon proved to be difficult. I went through a brief mental breakdown and burst into tears midway. I was then helped by the instructors and finally reached the summit. The view of the miniature world below was fantastic from there. After some time on the summit, we headed back to the campsite. I was one of the first ones to come down!

The certificates were then distributed, and everyone expressed their gratitude towards the Camp Director and the instructors. With heavy hearts, and a hearty meal packed in our lunchboxes, we proceeded to the station only to find out that the train was four hours late!

We reached Kolkata the next morning, bade everyone goodbye, and returned to our busy lives.

The camp was an experience of a lifetime, and I would like to attend such fun adventures again.

Photo Courtesy: Soma's Camps