OCT15,2019: The movement of Scouts and Guides is very much in outdoor activities. The Scouts and Guides of Don Bosco Yerwada went on a Hike on Sat.,13th Oct. To Tungarli Hill,Lonavala. 245 Scouts and Guides along with 13 teachers this outing. The journey started from Pune station by local train at 8 am. Reaching Lonavala at 9.30, the Scouts and Guides walked up to the DB, Laonavala campus. They were warmly welcomed by Rev. Fr. Valerian Pereira(Fr.Rector,DB Lonavala) and Fr.Johnson Kshirsagar. The Scouts, Guides and teachers were offered snacks. After this delicious Pet-pooja, they all started their trek journey to Tungarli Hill. In the company of lush green grass, bushes and trees blooming with colourful flowers, listening to the melodious chirping of the birds, they all were experiencing the vicinity of nature. Marching through the thick bushes and trees, they were striving hard to reach the peak of the hill. At many places, the rock steps were climbed up by offering each other a ‘hand-pull or hand-push’, dropping the differences of class, division, student or teacher etc.
After hiking for almost one and half hour, they reached the peak. The cool breeze from the back water of Tungarli dam and lush green mountains took away all the exertion and everybody was filled with sparkling energy once again. A few games and activities were enjoyed by all the scouts and guides on the top. The journey down the hill was also an altogether a different experience. Within an hour they reached back to DB Lonavala. The hospitality of Fr.Valerian and Fr.Johnson made all of them feel at home. After the sharing lunch, journey back to Lonavala station started. On the way, good amount of shopping of the special ‘Lonavala Chikki’ was done by almost everybody.
The hike proved to be a unique experience for everyone. Expressing his feelings, a scout said,”I cried in the morning as my parents were not allowing me to join the hike as I was not well. The fabulous experience of hike makes me feel now that my crying was really worth.” One Guide said, “I was scared to see the height of the hill from the foot and thought that I won’t be able to reach the top. But in everyone’s company, I didn’t realize when and how easily I reached on the top. I felt as if I was on top of the world as it is my first trek experience ever in life.”
Scout Master Prashant Gaikwad, Madan Nair, Guide Captains Nayana Gamare, Deepti Panpatil, Nancy Pillay and 8 other teachers made the hike a great experience.
......Report by-Prashant Gaikwad