(Top) Vinod Kumar Singh does the Tyrolean traverse to cross a chasm; trekkers help swimmer Masudur Rahman Baidya up an uneven stretch

Rimo Saha suffers from post-polio disabilities; Prabir Sarkar has lost a limb under a train; Namita Pal cannot see.

But that did not stop the trio, and 13 other challenged men and women, from trekking through inhospitable forest terrain in Bankura’s Sutan, home to scorpions and elephants.

For three days and four nights — from February 14 to 17 — the group trekked, rafted across a rivulet and crossed deep chasms with the help of rope and harness. In the group was Masudur Rahman Baidya, 38, a double amputee below the knee, who had crossed the English Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar.

The 16-km arduous journey has resulted in a film, Beyond Belief, which captures the determination, teamwork, fitness, and above all an indomitable spirit that enabled the 16 trekkers overcome their disabilities and reach their goal.

The members of the expedition, organised by Sukriti Foundation and Lions Club International, were felicitated at The Park by Lions Club president Mahendra Amarasuriya on Sunday. Former army chief Shankar Roychowdhury was present.

“We had read about such adventures or watched them on TV but never for once thought we could do the same. Danger was lurking amidst a dense forest where we camped but when we started the journey, it was just joy,” recalled Bholanath Dolui, who was felicitated as the best leader.

Every member attributed the success to team effort. “To those who could not see, we described the terrain ahead. They walked with a hand on our shoulders,” recalls Rimo, a three-time national swimming champion in the special category (as many as 13 members were national or international-level sportspersons).

At the training camp at the armed police headquarters in Barrackpore, a sand model was created to enable the visually-impaired to have a feel of the terrain by touch.

“The trekkers who could not eat with their hands were fed by their team-mates,” said Vishal Shroff, one of the four instructors who travelled with the group. Sukriti had arranged for custom-made wheelchairs with low centre of gravity and special wheels that could withstand the rigours of the rocky terrain.

Divided into four teams, the participants trekked through the Sutan forest on the first day, did Tyrolean traverse on the second and rowed across a rivulet on a bamboo raft on the third. “It was a daunting venture in terms of logistics”, said Abhijit Dasgupta, who directed Beyond Belief.

Struggling through terrain as steep as 60 degrees, with loose earth threatening to dislodge them at every step, was a formidable task even for an able person. “When the terrain would be too steep, I would get off my wheelchair to push it up along with the other team-members,” recounted Prabir, a silver-medalist in long jump at the 2002 Busan Asian Games.

“We thought they might face difficulty, but they are mentally far stronger than other people. Being sportspersons, they do not lack in stamina,” said Shroff.

The participants bore out what the instructor said. Asked whether there were hurdles in the way, their answer was an assertive “No”.

“The expedition disproves the notion that one who lacks eyes, hands or feet is in any way limited. If you have the will, you will make your way,” said Baidya.

The end of the 25-minute film, with Prabir playing football with his mates while supporting himself on a crutch, summed up the spirit of a remarkable journey undertaken by some extraordinary people.