Breaking the vertical limit

In the heart of the Himalayas where the towering peaks stand both as challenges and silent witnesses two young womenmdashDeepa Jaat and Nidhi Ahirwarmdashdiscovered the power to reclaim their stories Their journeys werenrsquot paved with privilege but with grit resilience and the lifechanging force of an Outdoor Experiential Learning programme led by Outward Bound IndiaHimalaya OBIH in collaboration with Giving Together Foundation and the Himalayan Adventure Institute in Kempty MussoorieTwentysevenyearold Jaatrsquos life had been a series of battles Pulled out of school early she faced early marriage and domestic violence Escaping her abusive marriage she found refuge with her parents Quiet and introverted she carried her trauma silently However her daughterrsquos karate classes sparked a change within her Jaat secretly began learning the sport eventually becoming a karate trainer to empower other girls Despite her strength selfdoubt still lingeredAhirwar 20 a nationallevel judo and Thai boxer grew up in a protective household where her every step was monitored She found freedom through sports in which she excelled However she struggled with a fear of heights During the programme her teamrsquos encouragement pushed her to conquer her fear while wall climbing ldquoThis was the first time my fear loosened its griprdquo she sharedThe climbing wall the participants practise onBoth Jaat and Ahirwar faced their own unique challenges during the ldquoBonds for LifeThere is More in Yourdquo programme For Jaat the rugged hills mirrored her inner struggles and she hesitated at every step Wall climbing and group activities challenged her but she began to feel a shift within ldquoI didnrsquot think I could do itrdquo she admitted ldquobut now I know I can face anything I am capable of so much morerdquo By the end Deepa stood taller both figuratively and literally her voice stronger and her confidence renewedSimilarly Ahirwar despite her initial fear of heights conquered her anxieties through the programmersquos support Reaching the summit of Benog Tibba 7300 ft marked a significant mental victory for her proving that even the most daunting challenges can be overcome with courage and supportBoth were part of a larger group of young women karate trainers from Tinka Samajik Sanstha an NGO based in Madhya Pradesh that works with survivors of violence abuse early marriages and societal constraints and empowers them by teaching them selfdefence and karate The outdoors proved to be an equaliser and a teacher Activities like hill summiting wall climbing and group tasks such as navigation pushed the girls beyond their comfort zones For Radhika Gaur another participant the programme helped her regain the confidence she had lost ldquoI learned what it means to be a leaderrdquo she shared ldquoA leader must think of the team and make decisions with firmness and empathyrdquo she assertedldquoThe outdoors pushes you in ways you never expectrdquo says Ajay Kandari Director Programmes at OBIH ldquoIt forces you to tackle obstacles headon and discover strength you didnrsquot know you had The outdoors reveals hidden strengths within us leaving a lasting impact that extends far beyond the mountainsrdquoFounded on this philosophy by the late Col Narendra ldquoBullrdquo Kumar and Akshay Kumar OBIH believes the mountains teach patience resilience and confidence ldquoThe mountains are the perfect playground for young mindsrdquo they emphasised shaping lives through adventure and learningThe young women from Tinka arrived at the programme carrying invisible burdens but their transformation was remarkable ldquoAt the start they were quiet unsure of themselvesrdquo said Jyoti Sharma Course Facilitator ldquoBut by the end they were laughing cheering each other and taking pride in their achievementsrdquo The lessons went beyond any certificate Jaat felt empowered to inspire others while Nidhi gained newfound selfbeliefAs Sharma said ldquoThese girls walked away with something that canrsquot be taken from themmdashpride in themselves and their strengthrdquo The mountains tested them but also healed and empowered them In four short days they learned that challenges like mountains are meant to be climbedmdashnot avoided They left with the mantra ldquoIf we can climb this mountain we can do anything in life ready to face whatever lay aheadrdquo For Tinka this programme was a natural extension of their mission As Mana Mandlekar CoFounder of Tinka explained ldquoWe come from a society where girls often face gender discrimination and violence I fought to break those barriers and today wersquore empowering other girls to do the samerdquoTogether with cofounder Ritesh Kumar theyrsquove reached over 76000 children with more than 50000 being girls As Mana added ldquoThis Himalayan programme showed how outdoor experiences can empower girls to confront fears challenge norms and unlock their true potentialrdquoThe programmersquos success proves the transformative power of outdoor experiential learning Combining challenges with selfreflection equips participants with lifelong skillsmdashconfidence compassion and resilience As Kandari said ldquoThe mountains teach you to rise to the challenge and discover your strengthrdquoFor the Tinka Youth the Himalayas were a turning point They remind us that anyone can overcome challenges and emerge stronger As they showed us itrsquos not just about reaching the summit itrsquos about discovering the strength to keep climbing