Four UGM students joining the UGM International Expedition III "Peak of The Ancestors" have undergone their second try out.
They are Dita Novita Sari (Psychology), Eva Lutviatur Rohmah Ningsih (Social and Political Sciences), Ria Verentiuli (Cultural Sciences), and Chordya Iswanti (Agriculture), having been trained for almost one year to ascend Mt. Stok Kangri in India scheduled for 5-22 August.
During this tryout, the athletes had to climb four mountains (Sumbing-Sindoro-Merbabu-Merapi) all at once in a fixed duration to meet the required stamina essential for the Himalayas ascent.
From 27 May - 1 June 2016, the athletes need eight hours to get to the top and back to the base camp. This was done everyday under different challenges.
"Despite the hard target, but this process is fun and creates optimism among team members,” said Verent on Tuesday (14/6).
Her colleague, Chordya, said the tryout was her first experience, “Obviously there are many things to be done still to achieve the target on the Himalayas not usual for people from tropical countries,” said Chordya.
As is known, Mt. Stok Kangri on the Himalayas is one of the highest peaks. In the Mahabharata epic, the Himalayas are the place of ancestors and gods. That explains the tagline of UGM International Expedition III, being “Peak of The Ancestors”.