The group in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, May 4: Where there is a will, there is a way. This seems to be the article of faith for a group of seven differently abled youths from the state, who are about to scale new heights by trekking the Stok Kangri Pass on the Himalayas.

The team will leave on Sunday for a weeklong training camp at the Kalath base camp in Manali that starts on May 9.

Led by adventure sports lover Susant Kumar Das, the seven bravehearts today visited governor M.C. Bhandare, who wished them good luck for their journey.

Along with many other aspiring trekkers, the team will undergo training in several activities such as rock climbing, crossing rivers, jumering (hoisting oneself up on a fixed rope) at the camp. At the end of the gruelling seven days, the final selection of trekkers will be made on the basis of physical fitness and mental strength, who would subsequently set off for the 20,086-ft Stok Kangri Pass in Jammu and Kashmir.

Of the five visually impaired members of the team, four were also a part of an eight-member team, which had trekked the 12,900-ft Saurkundi Pass in Kullu.

“I had to persuade my parents to let me go on the expedition. Reaching the Saurkundi peak was an experience of a lifetime. This time, too, we hope that we will be able to achieve success,” said K. Khetrabasi, a resident of Ganjam, who works as a volunteer at block level events. “Given an opportunity, I would attempt climbing the Mount Everest,” he said.

Team leader Susant, a final-year economics student of Ravenshaw University in Cuttack, may be a novice trekker, but is determined to overcome all barriers.

“We want to prove that we are not different from other people. Last time, we were scared of the heights, but we managed to rise above our fears. We are keeping our fingers crossed this time,” he said.

The team, after completion of their training, will undergo a medical test and start trekking in August. They are expected to reach the top of the Stok Kangri Pass in about 12 days. “The training camp is aimed at acclimatising the participants with trekking. At a time when people are afraid of adventure sports, the willpower of these seven youths is praiseworthy,” Susant said.