Prelude
Basic rock climbing course with Himalayan Mountaineers' Association (HMA), (23/6 Sarsuna Main Road, Calcutta 700061) is my first step towards the 'mountain-life'. To aim for big, to dream, or to push yourself beyond the limit, there is always a first step, which can ignite your passion to drive you crazy. I think introduction to basic rock climbing techniques can be enough to motivate one, at least it worked for me! The duration of the course was from December 17th to 22nd, 2011 and I was in a 35 member team. Our destination was Gumroh Hills located at Jamtarah of Jharkhand district in India. This course was not only a mere climbing course for me, I've learned a lot of things related to the real life. All the members of HMA are very cooperative & familiar and the same applies to my team-mates too. I always miss those nice days of my life...
After a long desire of doing a basic rock climbing course (actually the main resistance was coming from my parents who were not willing to let their son to a 'life-risk sport', but finally somehow I had managed to convince my mother & got the green signal) I got a break of few days from my schedule to fulfill my dream & accordingly registered my name at HMA for this course.
 |
| Gumroh hills, Jharkhand |
17th Dec, 2011(day1): On 17th we were scheduled to meet at Howrah station to board Mokama Passenger at 22:50 hrs. I was so much excited about the trip that I was the first person to report at Howrah station before anyone of our team had reached. There I met Sudip, my first friend in the mountaineering world having the same 'climber-mentality' as me. We've been good friends thereafter till now. Within an hour, other team members came in and after some official checking on behalf of the organizers, we walked towards the train. The train Departed on-time and everyone took their respective berths. Me & Sudip decided to stay together & chose two consecutive berths for sleeping at night. We were so excited about the activities we are going to experience, it was hard to sleep! Met some other members of our team including Asoke da, Santu da, Gopal etc.
18th Dec,2011(day2): The train was running two hours late, & we reached Jamtarah station around 5 AM. It was a chilling weather and the fog was so dense that we could not see what is 4/5 meters ahead of us. We took a local bus to reach our camp area around 9 AM. Breakfast was served in bus with bread, boiled egg, banana & sweets. The camp area was decorated beautifully by the advance team members and they welcomed us with flowers :)
After the fresh-up and opening ceremony along with the speech of our Camp Commander who grouped us in three ropes, we marched towards the rock face with our instructor team.
Demonstration started with Biplab Sir and simultaneously practices were going on. Because this was the first day, we started with relatively easy boulders. The instructors were demonstrating how to grip pinch holds, side cut, upper cut, lower cut, thank-god, etc.
First day was all about free climbing sessions.
The instructors were very cooperative & were trying their best to teach us. I was in rope-1 and in the group of Raju da (oops, Raju sir :P), a very good climber.
Probably there is no rock surface in the world where Raju sir can't 'fly'. In between the breaks we were joking that Raju sir can demonstrate 'confidence-walk' on ceiling also.
The day ended with basic sessions.
19th Dec, 2011(day3): This was the day of 'rope-up climbing'. In the theory classes we were demonstrated several types of knots such as fisherman type guide-man, middleman, end-man knots, figure of eight both in single & double ropes, clove-hitch, safety knot, etc. In the picture below Several types of knot is demonstrated in a board (the boy in the picture was the junior most member of our team, Gopal).
The demonstration started with Soumen sir's scary & hair rising guide man-climbing demo. The rock was really tough to climb. He has an amazing climbing skill. Did his basic & advanced courses from HMI Darjeeling...
Then it was my turn & I did it !
Anup sir always acted as upper-belay holding the "full tension"... :P
and Raju sir had chosen the steepest rocks for us..
 |
| (bad foot-holds :P) |
Our breakfast was always ready on time and all rope members & instructors used to gather at 'breakfast point'. These sessions were amazing with full of fun!
20th Dec, 2011(day4): This was the day to learn climbing using equipment. Before the practice session we had a theory class on the use of instruments like Carabiner, Jummer, Piton, Screw, Hammer, Harness, Dead-man, Choke-nut, Ice Axe, Eittheir, Steer-up, Crampons, Ropes(fixed, line, rappelling) etc.
First of all a demonstration on 'runner-change' was given.
Then it was our turn to climb wearing harness & instruments.
Climbing with Jummer was demonstrated by Raju sir & it was a bit tough.
The rock face had about 90 degree inclination & the overhang was really tough to cross.
 |
| Tarikh da struggling... |
After day's hard training we were almost exhausted & were trying to relax as much as possible (though we didn't have enough time to relax because of CC Kajal sir's warning bell). Following picture is the group photo inside our tent (Rope-1, tent no. 2 members: with Sudip, Debasish, Ayan, Pinaki and Baccha(Gopal)).
That was the last night of the course. A big camp fire was organized in the evening and everyone enjoyed to the fullest by performances both from students & instructors. It was one of the best evenings of my life.
21st Dec, 2011(day5): On the last day the weather was too much foggy & we had left only the morning session to practice. We reached to the rock face little bit late because of bad weather condition.
The whole day was training on Rappelling & chimney climbing. The practice place was really nice & I got some opportunities to take some snap (the camera battery had already warned me & I was very cautious about it).
The rappelling session was very enjoyable & I was feeling it as much easier than surface climbing (this is also because I suffered some injuries in my finger tips in course of previous day's climbing session & could not grip pinch holds properly. Later I realized that I was using wrong techniques & that's why got injured. A good climber always uses his feet mostly, not hands).
Raju sir's demo was like a 'confidence-walk' on the rock face.
A monkey sat nearby & was watching our practices. Probably he was telling to us: "I'm a natural climber, you the hell practice more or less, can't beat me" :P
In the 'chimney-climbing' session the instructors had searched out the narrowest & longest chimney in the hill & Biplab sir was climbing as if he is climbing on a short wall.
Ultimately everything was over & our training was completed successfully. We were about to leave the place. In the meantime we had managed to take a group photograph from the photographer Prakash sir.
The bus came at 4 PM. and we reached Jamtarah station at 6 in the evening.
As usual Mokama passenger came 4 hours late & we boarded around 10 PM. Me & Sudip occupied two adjacent upper births and was chatting till midnight.
22nd Dec, 2011(day6): It was the time to bid adieu to all. I came home with the precious last five day experience with the determination that I will certainly keep in touch with the club & with all the team members...
