Adventure camp for the northeastern youth

Churachandpur (Manipur), May 29 (ANI): About a hundred youngsters from across northeast region of the country are attending a fortnight long adventure camp at Churachandpur area.

At the camp, training in basics skills of mountaineering, trekking and rappelling is being given to the adventurous youth of the region.

Organised by the Manipur Mountaineering and Trekking Association (MMTA) under the civic action programme of paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), has drawn many youngsters.

"Potential is lot (aplenty). But due to lack of financial help we cannot conduct more of adventure training camps here at Manipur. This time we got some sponsorship from CRPF (India's paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force) under the civil action programme. This time plenty of students are coming from different parts of Manipur. We received more than 100 applications out of which we selected only 100," said Surjit Singh, President of Manipur Mountaineering and Trekking Association (MMTA), Imphal.

It is hoped that the camp will help the youngsters in future to join higher-level training camps like the courses conducted at Himalayan Mountaineering Institute at Darjeeling.

Youngsters, mostly from the Seven Sisters of the North East-states of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh-are attending the camp.

At the camp, young trainees are camped in tents and provided nutritious food.

The adventure activities being taught at this camp include cave expedition, crossing obstacles, rock climbing, parasailing, trekking and hiking in and around the hills of Imphal valley.

An added attraction of the training camp will be the motorcycle relic hunt and sight seeing spread over the last two days.

According to Manipur Mountaineering and Trekking Association, such camps should be held on a regular basis in the region. Since these would help the youth to develop a positive focus in life and also prevent the young minds from going astray.

Manipur has produced a good number of famous mountaineers and also champions in adventure sports who have won medals at national and international level.

Having commenced on May 24, the camp will last till June 8. By L.C.K. Singh (ANI)