The rehearsing of script lines for a play and the countless practices for a debate competition was ‘my kind of world’. The summit of Rinjani certainly did not fit in my little world of the arts. Before the trek to Gunong Rinjani, neither did I nor most of my peers think me fit or cut out for the rough tumble of Mother Nature. Well, I certainly surprised myself and shocked a lot of my friends when I returned a week later having completed the trek. Although I looked 2 to 3 shades darker, endured several grand falls while descending Rinjani, and injured several toes, it was worth it!

The Rinjani trek has become one of the best experiences of my life. It is something I would want to relive again. Initially, I was apprehensive about joining the trek especially since I could not persuade any of my friends to join me for it. However, the fun I had with my new friends far exceeded my expectations. At every point of the trek I felt as though I was reliving some part of my favorite fantasy book as the scenery at Rinjani was surreal. I will definitely be a regular on treks and hope to see all my new trek friends with me in the near future.

Talisa Kaur Dhaliwal