It was something very new and very different, which all of us had never done before. It was a huge roller coaster ride where you had your ups and downs, but at the end of it all, you felt like you never wanted it to end. I am talking, of course, about our trip to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) in Darjeeling, which was a milestone in our lives because it taught us how to endure hardship. It also made us realise how hardships bring us close together and make the experience more beautiful and memorable.

Like all courses, in the first few days, we got to know the staff and about the institute — how it began and gained popularity. We were shown around the campus and were fascinated by the two mountaineering museums, and of all things, a zoo!

But the real HMI was revealed to us after we started trekking with enormous loads on our backs. It was both fun and painful, so we walked with a smile on our faces — we enjoyed the pain. The difficulties we encountered made us rely on each other — we sang, we joked and we laughed at every step.

We saw the natural beauty in places like Rimbick, Sandakphu, Tiger Hill, and Singla. Looking back, it was difficult to choose one as the best as each place had its own significance. I can close my eyes and go back to those days and even feel the impact of the whole trip, which was totally different from anything we had experienced before.

After walking all day, the lodges we stayed in felt like palaces. We would just lie down as soon as we reached there and talk for hours under the star lit sky. Our conversation was mostly about the magnificence of what we had seen, about the warmth and hospitality shown by the HMI family. They were kind, helpful generous and made us feel that HMI was indeed a home away from home. We also met complete strangers on the trip, but by the end of it, we were just people sharing great times together.

Leaving HMI was difficult for us and many of us promised to return. The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute changed us in so many ways — in the way we thought and the way we viewed the world. We felt that we had all grown up a bit, it was the beginning of maturity in our lives. We learned how to cope up with the world, with each other, and with highs and lows we had to face.

— Duksangh Dolma

Sherpa, Class IX,

Rato Bangala School