Footprints on the Mountainside

Amid rumours of Goa being targetted for terrorism, and the government assurances that security is adequate and things are under control, my mind travels to the recent past, where the bomb blasts in Mumbai caught us all unaware.

As helpless, unknowing people, ignorant of the true intentions of horror, we can do little to prepare ourselves from dangers that could strike in any direction. I was just wondering about what we could do as normal citizens to make such situations easier to handle. I came up with a few ideas.

• Curiosity is healthy. It might help to be aware of people around us, and their behaviour. Small things could make a difference. Alert citizens can act as the added eyes of security services.
• As an adventure professional and outdoor enthusiasts, we have a strong network of brave people trained in rescue. We could plan to be alert for situations where we could help, in a bad scenario. Small drops make an ocean.
• Helping maintain calm, and staying tuned to media for information and opportunities to pitch in and help out.

It is sad to see the usually bustling Goa desolate in this season. I wish everyone alert and safe holidays. May our contact be more out of celebration than sorrow.

I found this out, in my quest to find out ways people can connect with social awareness issues and do their bit to be aware, spread the awareness and encourage support.

The Peacock Project and MAM Movies are coming together to launch a film project where youth will be invited to create a short film based on a local Mumbai charity organization within a short period of 101 hours. This short film will capture the organization’s mission, their achievements as well as difficulties that they face. The filmmakers will also attempt to capture on film, the heart of the people who are making the organization work and are making a difference in the world.

The goal is - through the medium of stories – to strike a cord within filmmakers to inspire and make films that matter. It also gives the filmmakers and other youths an opportunity to connect with local charities, who have dedicated their lives for the betterment of the society. These films can be used by the charities to create awareness and inspiration among their current and future donors and volunteers.

Some of the 101 Charities they are working with are CRY, PETA, SPCA, MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION, SMILE, HELEN KELLER INSTITUE……

In a society that appreciates films as a medium, the opportunity for the filmmakers to get involved with such issues is indeed bound to have interesting results. Let us all pitch in, and see what we could do to help.

You can help us spread the word among filmmakers who would like to make these films, youth, publications, bloggers, websites from around the world. Because this is a complete grassroot level competition any help with sponsorship is much appreciated.

Contact Information:
Ajesh Shah
9820781666
101 (at) genesisfilmproject.com

Flashback time.

A client just called, asking for rock climbing training. He wanted to learn, but he was alone and didn’t have anyone to share the price of sessions with. I was wondering what to do, as we also are really packed with work, when I remembered the date. It is December. The time of the glorious rock climbing camp tradition started by Girivihar way long ago, long before I took my first uncertain steps on a mountain even.

This is where I first learnt to climb. It was an annual routine. Every year, members of this club take time off from the 24th to the 29th of December (regardless of day of the week), and volunteer their efforts to teach the new generation of enthusiasts the fine art of climbing. This volunteering of effort and extremely basic facilities make the camp affordable to many young climbers (young climbers are always broke - they spend their money on heading out every weekend). When I did the camp, I paid Rs. 350/- as fees (or was it Rs. 550/- I don’t remember).
A lot has changed since then. Our old venue - Kanheri Caves is no longer available to us, where we could avail of really cheap accommodation (a government bunglow, which was basically two huge empty rooms). The camps now take place at CBD Belapur and 14 years later, cost Rs. 2,000/- and should be well worth every rupee paid.

I did the unthinkable. I forwarded a professional client to the place I learnt in. There is no way I can match the level of instruction, hard core climbing ambience, and the company of fellow enthusiasts for that kind of a price. I would love to attend it myself again, for the experience.
May this tradition of old mountaineers dedicating time each year to produce new ones live long!

Those who are interested in this years camps, may download the file here - Girivihar’s 35th Annual Rock Climbing Camp - Entry form

It is a confusing image that India has and on all fronts. On one side we have our rich cultural traditions and diversity, on the other, we have orthodox beliefs and discrimination. We are growing as an economy, yet we have too many poor people. We worship the goddesses and we kill the female children.

Quite a paradox, aren’t we?

I started this segment to see if I could share ideas that occur to me with other like minded people. Ideas that make the world a better place, ideas that mean that we quit whining, and move our own bottoms slightly out of our comfort zones to “walk our talk”. Ideas that mean, while we can expect things from our government and politicians, we far outnumber them in terms of capacity for individual effort. All this effort could be put to better use than airing opinions alone.

This first post is likely to be jumbled, since there are too many things I care deeply about, but I guess I need to make a start somewhere and take it from there.

I’d like to mention an interview I saw on Doordarshan, of a man called Prof. Subedar Surve - a writer, teacher and social reformer. This man stayed in my mind for a very long time. I didn’t have the time to see it in great detail, but the gist of it is that this is an old, retired person with highly educated children, well into their respective careers. This man noticed the children on the streets and their lack of education. He started a learning centre for them and applied for funding support from the government. He got a grant. Moving to a different area, he did the same and got a grant again.

Applying this method over and over, he ended up with about 40 of these small education centres that are free of cost for poor children to get a basic education! We are speaking of about 1,200 kids! He noticed that some people were using the school premises to stay in at night, and expanded his programme to include night classes for grown ups.

Definitely old in terms of age, this is one of the most vibrant and youthful personalities I saw in a long time. Chirpy and cheerful, he speaks of the support he got from the government, once he took the initiative. He praised his wife for the unfailing support over the years through some very difficult times. He spoke of some of his stories that got national awards. He spoke of his enthusiasm to take his work further. He spoke in very supportive terms of todays youth that the world sees as “reckless” and thinks that it is a generation growing in a different world from what they know, and they are really very good people at heart, and they are going to take the world to new heights. This is one man who can retire, but not stay out of action. Kudos to him!

Jovial, extremely willing to talk of anything the interviewer requested, he had all of us “youngsters” spell bound and disappointed that the interview got a little abrupt toward the end for want of time. I could have listened to this guy for the whole day.
For all those who sit and speak of what the government should do, what the society needs, and what is the problem with everything, this man is a inspiring example of what can be acheived if we care to put our ideas into action.

May we all WALK OUR TALK

A passion to follow ones dreams always makes for an inspiring tale. I came to know the story of Malli Mastan Babu, an IITian from Andhra Pradesh who has scaled the world’s seven highest summits in record time. What’s more, he broke the existing record for speed as well. The whimsical part of this inspiring acheivement is that he has also done the seven summits on seven days of the week.

He has applied to the Guiness Book of World Records, and is now awaiting recognition. What a feather in the cap of India’s climbing community!

We are proud of you Babu!

An article about this from the Daily India site:

Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), Dec. 14 (ANI): Malli Mastan Babu, an adventure-sportsman, is set to enter record books for scaling seven of the world’s highest peaks in over just 172 days.

Babu from Andhra Pradesh achieved this feat earlier this year between January and July. A unique feature of his record is that he conquered the seven summits on seven different days of the week.

“I am the fastest of the seven-summiteers in the world. I did that in72 days. And, I am also the only person in the world to climb these seven summits on seven different days of the week. It is a unique record. I have applied to the Guinness Book of Records. They would be coming for their next edition,” said Babu.

The first South Asian to do so, Babu scaled Mount Everest in Asia, Mount Denali in North America, Mount Elbrus in Europe, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mount Vinson Massif in Antarctica, Mount Aconcagua in South America and Mount Kosciuzsko in Australia.

Babu had the zeal to climb peaks since his formative years. He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (Kharagpur) and Indian Institute of Management (Kolkata).

Through school and college, Babu won several state and national level recognition for achievement in adventure sports.

He left his white-collar job in a top software company, after three years to pursue adventure sports. He has enthusiastically lined up his future plans.

“My next mission is to climb Mount Everest and Lhotse without oxygen, which nobody in the world has achieved. I would also like to do another national feat- to run a marathon in each state of India - 29 states, 29 marathons, 29 days in February 2008 to encourage the spirit of fitness and health among Indians,” he said.

Babu, who had to expend his own resources to pursue his love for adventure, recently got support from the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) to support his future plans. (ANI)

Link:http://www.dailyindia.com/show/93043.php/Andhra-Pradesh-mountaineer-set-to-enter-record-books