Grade 10 and 11 were accompanied by 3 Candor staff to “Guru Freddie’s Survival Camp”, situated in Kanakpura, Bangalore. The students were very excited about this camp as it is the first time Candor has organized an overnight camp for the students. We reached the camp site at 11am on 17th Jan. Snacks were provided after which we went to a nearby village to witness pottery sessions. Students were given a demo by the potters after which they were allowed to make their own pot. It was truly amazing to see the creativity of the students as they came up with different shapes and sizes of the pots. Later during the day the students were taken to the organic farm where demonstration was given as to how to grow organic fruits and 
vegetables, how to maintain crop, when to harvest etc. The students were then allowed to harvest vegetables like palak, turnip, beetroot, which was cooked for the next meal. Post lunch and rest, a trek was organized for the staff and students. It was a night trek and the students enjoyed themselves.
On 18th Jan early morning the students were engaged in different obstacle courses of increasing difficulty for an hour. Later on the camp organizers took us for Cave exploration which was 
thoroughly enjoyed by all of us. This activity was a first for many of the students so they therefore found it very challenging and exciting as fear of the dark was a concern for many. This was a good time to see how the students bonded with each other, helped each other and encouraged one another when someone fell down or found it difficult to climb. In the evening the students were taught how to rock climb and tree climbing using a harness. A few students were able to face the fear 
of heights and overcome it too. The task for the evening was Survival cooking where the students were given a few match sticks, two cans of water, a cooking vessel, few plates and spoons, two packets of maggi. The students had to go in the midst of the forest, find firewood, light up a fire and cook the food that was given. The students were divided into 2 groups- grade 11 and grade 10. This task has judges who were the teachers. This was done only to bring
in excitement and fun into the activity, and also to see how people manage with bare necessities in the forest. A campfire was organized in the night where the 2 groups had to come up with a performance. Grade 11 performed a musical act without using technology which was very creative. Grade 10 relived the show “Mind your language” which made each of us roll with laughter.
19th was our last day at camp. Students were engaged in obstacle course just like the previous day, for an hour. After breakfast the camp organizers took us for a ten minute walk where we were taught River crossing and rock climbing (these tasks are mainly done during rescue). The students had a good time. Post this, time was given to clean our tents and pack up and rest.
This camp was truly an adventure packed one. It kept each of us occupied and on our toes. Definitely a good suggestion for other grades too.
