For the love of adventure & trekking

Two words, ‘what’ and ‘why’, were M Prem Shankar’s main concerns prior to floating Vijayawada Adventure Club, a year ago. The words continue to intrigue him. Vijayawada Adventure Club has been a hit amongst the youth who love to explore the city through trekking. Talking about what prompted Shankar to start the club, Shankar explains, “The historical Kondapalli Fort can be reached by two routes that were established long ago. I have been to the fort several times, but during one of my visit a small idea sparked in my mind. Why does everyone use only these two routes? Why didn’t anybody find a new route? This was when I developed the idea of starting an adventure club.”

Shankar was also disturbed by the fact that kids these days are not fascinated by the promise of adventure. He keeps motivating the youth to be adventurous and find new things.

“People in the city can only visit a couple of parks and theatres to enjoy. So this got me thinking about doing something out of the box. Kondapalli Fort trekking was the outcome,” Shankar says.

“I motivated a couple of my friends and then trekked the hill on a new route. I knew the target – to reach the fort on top of the hill. I knew the direction. What I had to find was a new path through the copses on the hill,” he says, recalling his first trekking adventure with his friends in the city. Shankar led his friends to explore the Kondaveedu Fort, Paritala forest, Hamsaladeevi and Khajaguda Hills in Hyderabad. The team is now planning to trek to the historical Sitanagaram Hills on the banks of Krishna River.

“Trekking is like delving into the unknown, which is an experience in itself. It refreshes the soul. Of course, there is the thrill of adventure, also. It gives you a great feeling when you reach the target that you set out for yourself before starting off,” Shankar shares.

“Adventure allows people to improve their decision-making skills, leadership qualities, creativity, and, more importantly, people learn how to face challenges,” he adds.

Shankar also dreams of leading a big team to explore the Penchalakona waterfalls in Nallamala forest. He plans to introduce hiking, scuba diving, paragliding, mud games, rock climbing, kayaking and all adventure sports in the city.

By D Gopi