ODAC’s De-UrBURNised Traverse gets things sizzling!

Saturday (27 January 2007) began with a flurry of activity for NY ODAC-ians and the J1s who joined them for a full-day outdoor orientation programme. ODAC’s De-UrBURNised Traverse promised much, and delivered more, judging from the wide (although tired!) smiles of the participants and organisers at the end of the day. The enormous effort was led by Wen Hui, chairperson of the event.

Don't let me fall!!!

First on the itinerary was a trek from Venus Drive in Upper Thomson Road to the central catchment reserve, a total of four hours on foot. Along the trek, it was easy to see that the J1s were enjoying themselves, conversing with their seniors and fellow J1s alike. Some, despite having a fear of heights, were still able to appreciate the refreshing sights and sounds from the HSBC Treetop Walk. Ms Seah Xinyi, one of ODAC's tutors in charge, was pleased to see that the JC1s were "full of energy" and that they were "enjoying themselves despite the rain" earlier that morning.

To rouse the J1’s team spirit, the ‘pipe’ game was played after the treetop walk. The groups were to sit on a long pipe, and together as a team, help each other to stand atop the pipe in spite of the sand and mud on it. The drizzle did little to help. Eventually, with trust and teamwork, the teams succeeded.

*Gulp* That's a long way down..

The J2s played efficient and friendly nature guides to the J1s, taking care that the enthusiastic J1s did not slip or fall on the wet ground. “We had to make sure that they had enough energy to carry on with the journey. All they had were packed lunches,” said Sun Leng, Publicity Manager cum Treasurer of ODAC.

The next leg of the traverse was an exploratory hike along the KTM railway track (affectionately known as the "Death Railway" to ODAC-ians), which has not been used for more than forty years. It provided a rugged and challenging route for hikers, and definitely an eye-opener for the J1s!
I wonder why this is considered therapeutic. Soon, they arrived at the Tunnel of Mud – it was time to get down and dirty in thigh-high mud. The dirt and grime served to get participants out of their comfort zone and square up against the elements. Another slimy activity was the Rope Game, where participants had to scale a muddy slide with a rope while blind-folded, with instructions from a friend. With team-building activities like these, it was no wonder that the J1s bonded so quickly. “The mud and the rain were most memorable...The spirit, teamwork and bonding has been very strong!” enthused Priscilla and Peak Siah from 0706. Jia Jie, ODAC’s Secretary proudly claimed, “My group is like a mini-OG already!”

One of the highlights of the event was the outdoor cooking programme, where the J1s had to cook their own dinner from fresh food they were provided with and tommy cookers. Thankfully, some of them had already had experienced outdoor cooking from previous secondary school CCAs. They were in turn able to help the others. In fact, the only time the seniors had to intervene was when the solid fuel ran out, and they had to start a fire from dry branches. Still the food turned out yummy, despite a few culinary malfunctions.

Smiles all round! With their tummies filled, it was time for the Night Confidence Walk. As the name suggests, each participant was to walk alone through a wooded path filled with overgrowth that ran between the railway track and Maju Camp. Even more worrisome, they were not allowed to use their torches. Girls were given a concession for safety reasons; they were allowed to go in pairs if they were afraid. However, most rose to the challenge and faced the walk alone. Before the walk, the J1s were briefed on the whistle system, where they could whistle for help if the need arose. Fortunately, all the J1s made it through, emerging stronger and most certainly braver than before. “They never gave up,” commented Henry, ODAC’s First-Aider.

The ODAC’s De-UrBURNised Traverse brought out the strength in all participants. For Ms Seah, despite feeling that the route was very long to walk, "ensuring the students' safety" was what motivated her to complete the trek. For Priscilla and Pek Siah, though they were quite "tired and drained," they found strength by continuously "motivating each other".

The event ended around 11 p.m., but the memories were there to stay for a long time to come.

To find out more about ODAC and its activities, please refer to their notice board outside room 3-46.

By: Christine So

Additional reporting by Mr Seah

Photos courtesy of Wong Sun Leng