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the-south-asian.com May 2004 |
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SHOOTING THE RAPIDS IN RISHIKESH by Surabhi Khosla
In Rishikesh you can ride river rapids, then relax while floating through the fertile country side of the Indo-Gangetic plains. The experience is typically sunny, with a bit of serenity and plenty of action. The Ganges is a perfect rafting experience and certain to make you a river enthusiast. White river rafting is perhaps as old as the time when man first invented boat and learnt to row down rivers. However, it is only in this century that it has taken the shape of a sport when enthusiasts discovered that speeding down a raging river in an open raft can be one of the most electrifying adventures. The thrill of rafting is just a six-hour drive from Delhi to Rishikesh. The experience is typically sunny, with a bit of serenity and plenty of action. The Ganges is a perfect rafting experience and one that is certain to make you a river enthusiast. The rapids here are graphically termed as 'The Wall’ and 'Marine Drive'. There are 'Baby Patches' for the faint-hearted and 'Roller Coaster',' Double Trouble' and 'Crossfire' for the 'River Rats' as the thrill seekers are called. "The Himalayan rivers are some of the best in the world for rafting," says Akshay Kumar of Mercury Himalayan Exploration. " They offer high grade and moderate rapids and even baby patches. Thus anyone from age five onwards can take to the water." We opt for a site situated on silver white sands on the forested banks of River Ganges, 23 kms upstream of Rishikesh, in the Garhwal Himalayas. There are semi permanent tented camps for the duration of the rafting season on the Ganges, Alakhnanda and Bhagirathi rivers.The warmer weather, starting March, makes river running very pleasant. Accommodation is usually large, twin share, safari style tents. Open, parachute tents serve as the dining area. Toilet tents are equipped with dry toilet facilities western style. There is also a bathing tent for those who don't consider a day out on the river a wet enough experience. The day, we are told, wouldn't end after a rafting trip. There would be activities like beach games of volleyball, frisbee, even baseball if you like. Nature walks, bird watching or just meditating. Evenings could be spent star gazing and sitting around the campfire enjoying the food, which is a blend of Indian and Western. On the first day we are put on an eight-kilometre initiation section of the Ganges river starting from the camp and ending at Shivpuri. On route there are plenty of fun rapids but we also experience 'Grade III' river section. For the uninitiated, rapids are graded on an International scale of 'difficulty rating' from I to VI [see box]. The Ganges is loaded with different grades of rapids on its entire length and at times gradients can drop a mind-boggling 50 feet for each kilometre. Raftable water levels are unpredictable which makes this trip a rare treat. River Runners The Ganges is deceptively gentle in parts, which allows one to perfect ones paddling technique just in time to address the churning rapids that make this stretch one of the most challenging in the world. This river is a thriller and continues to attract both the intermediate and the advanced river runners. Our adrenalin rises in these rides through big waves, some standing 7-feet high before the final bend. On reaching the end of our initiation trip at Shivpuri we park our rafts there and drive back to the camp and settle in for a campfire and starlit dinner. That evening we talk to our guide and nod knowingly at one another when he tells us that the flow at this point is currently 12,000 cubic feet per second. On Day 2 we drive back to Shivpuri after breakfast, where we embark on another day of white water at its best. We experienced 'Grade III and IV' challengers like `Roller Coaster’, which in the layman's language means a very concentrated rapid and `Golf Course' which is said to be the toughest and can have waves rising from 22 to 26 feet. All this keeps the adrenalin pumping and the heart pounding. But the rapids are peppered with calm stretches where one sees nature at its best. Driven down from their nesting areas by winter snows and the hunger for spawning salmon, eagles perch on the trees along the river bank. We bundle up against the chill and enjoy the uniqueness of floating in water viewing these birds in their natural environment. We have a sumptuous river lunch en route one of the 'peaceful' stretches of the river. At the end of the run we drive back to the camp for another leisurely evening around the bonfire followed by dinner. Day three turns out to be the most exciting of all. After breakfast, we drive upstream approximately nine kilometres to a place called Kaudiyala. The rafts are put in water and we embark on another exhilarating white water morning with thrilling rapids like the 'Return to Sender', which is a curler wave. The first of this rapid begins in Shivpuri, 15 km from Rishikesh and flows down to Brahmpuri on to Rishikesh. This is followed by `The Wall' Grade IV, which is the nemesis of any river rafter. It is a 10- foot wave which rises slightly upstream from Shivpuri. The calmer parts of the river ride give us plenty of time to take in the spectacular scenery. The isolated forest makes it a special trip for those who want their whitewater with a little less splash. We twist through plush cool passages of unique flora and pleasant forests only to be popped back into the warming sun of the Indo-Gangetic plains. We have the time to appreciate the surroundings while floating in the calm, just long enough to dig in for the rapids time after time on the river. We revel in the crystal clear and cool waters and one of our more intrepid fellow adventurer even jumps in for a quick swim on the river - climbing aboard just in time for another exhilarating run of the rapids. This time it's 'Marine Drive', a curved wave like the Queen's necklace in Mumbai. A leisurely evening around the bonfire at the camp and we are ready to depart the next morning all charged up for our next trip though tired to the bone. Whitewater rafting, like any other sport, requires physical exertion. Because of this it is important to have guidelines to insure the full enjoyment. All rafters must wear a life jacket as the force of the rapids to turn your boat turtle should never be under-estimated. If you are overweight or in poor physical condition or have a history of allergic reactions to bee stings, asthma, epilepsy, heart trouble or any medical condition that would endanger or diminish the enjoyment on the trip, you should first consult your physician before going river rafting.
But apart from that both young and young at heart can have the time of their lives. Those on the younger side and first-timers might want to first try running smaller water in very small boats, then work up the difficulty ladder from there. Those adventurous first-timers that are in good physical condition may want more of a challenge and go for faster currents. Once you have experienced it, river running will never get out of your blood. We are hardly back and ready to go back again. As a rafter once said, " River time is real time. River life is real life. The rest of this is a life that you lead working hard and saving up for the next time you can get back on the river."
RIVER RAFTING : BASIC FACTS
‘White water' and 'Rapids': White water is the term used for water that appears white due to froth and foam. This occurs in `rapids'. Rapids form due to a drop in the incline of the riverbed accelerating the flow and creating turbulence when it hits the rocks. Rapids are also formed when a flowing river enters a narrow gorge, pushing a larger volume of water through narrower space and increasing the current.
There are eight different grades of rapids.....
I] Easy: Small waves, clear passages, no serious obstacles. II] Moderate: Rapids of moderate difficulty, with clear passages. III]Difficult: Numerous, high, irregular waves, rocks, eddies, narrow passages clear, requiring precise manoeuvring.
IV] Very difficult: Long rapids, powerful, irregular waves and hydraulics, dangerous rocks, require powerful and precise manoeuvring. V] Extremely difficult: Long, violent, extremely unrunnable stretch of river. VI] Dangerous : Very violent and can endanger life due to water velocity. Recommended only for experienced rafter who are also very strong swimmers. VI] Suicidal:Only a fool would challenge these rapids. P] Portage: Boats carried along the bank to avoid an unrunnable stretch of river.
What you need to carry Powerful torch. Windproof nylon jacket. Pair of running shoes for raft, comfortable shoes or slippers for camp. Warm jacket, thermal underwear, woollen socks, sweater for winter months. Light quick drying shorts and T-shirts for raft trip. Camera. Personal toiletries. All gear is carried aboard the raft so it is essential to carry just necessities to keep the raft light and manoeuvrable:
Temperatures to expect Water temperature - varies between 10 C to 15 C winter to summer. Outside temperature: Day Night Months 20-25'C 08-10'C Oct-mid Nov.
15-20'C 02-08'C Mid Nov-Feb. 25-35'C 15-20'C Mid Feb-end Apr. *****
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