Mini Expeditions

The Ganga (Bhagwan – Rishikesh)

The Ganga is one of India’s major and holiest of rivers. With a location close to Delhi, it is a popular choice for first-timers, non-swimmers and families. It is also the hub of white-water rafting in India. It combines an action-packed trip with the best rapids, float sections and wilderness. A perfect introduction to white-water rafting and an ideal weekend getaway to calm overworked nerves.

Itinerary

Day 01 
Reach Camp (Kaudiyala) by evening. Have dinner and rest.

Day 02
After breakfast we drive 55km from Camp (Kaudiyala) to Bhagwan in the morning. After a comprehensive safety briefing & packing the bags on the raft, the rafting begins. We start the trip on the Alaknanda as it enters the last canyon stretch with good white-water, with names of rapids such as ‘Bhagwan’s Pillow’, ‘The Deadly Duos’ and more, until we reach Devprayag. Overnight Camp at Devprayag

Day 03
An easy day with small rapids. Great day to relax, soak in the sun, bodysurf and bird-watch. Raft time is approximately 35 kms to Kaudiyala. Overnight at our camp.

Day 04 
Raft down adrenaline pumping rapids like ‘Daniel’s Dip’, ‘The Wall’, ‘Three Blind Mice’, ‘Crossfire’, ‘Bodysurfing’, ‘Return to Sender’, ‘Roller Coaster’, ‘Golf Course’, and lots of smaller ones too. We end the trip just before the famous Laxman Jhula in Rishikesh. Have lunch at the beach and depart.

The Alaknanda

The Alaknanda is the second major tributary of the Ganga besides the Bhagirathi. It drains through the big mountains of Garhwal and has numerous mighty tributaries including the Mandakini, Nandakini & Pindar. Apart from challenging white water the river offers some spectacular scenery. A self-contained trip is a great introduction to expedition rafting. Our journey starts at Nandprayag below the big rapid – ‘Hillary’s Fall’, named after Sir Edmund Hillary’s up-stream jet boat expedition, “Ocean to Sky”, many decades ago.

Itinerary

Day 01
Reach Camp (Kaudiyala). Spend night at Camp.

Day 02 
Drive 6-7 hrs to Karanprayag, through the pilgrim towns of Devprayag & Rudarprayag. Stay overnight in a hotel/river camp. After settling in, there is a briefing on the river trip and upcoming days. We pack stuff in dry bags and get ready for the next day.

Day 03
After breakfast, help in getting the rafts ready and packing bags. A detailed safety briefing follows with instructions on paddling commands, rapids to be encountered etc. The expedition begins with a lot of grade 3-4 rapids. We raft from Karanprayag to Kaldubagar. Depending on the volume of water, we negotiate or walk around the ‘Hillary Falls’ rapid at Nandprayag. We call it a day at Kaldubagar after a long exhilarating day on the river.

Day 04
Today we raft till Gauchar. Get ready for another exciting day on the river with plenty of grade 3-4 rapids. We raft pass the confluence of Pindar at Karnaprayag. The Pindar brings in more volume to the river, adding punch to rapids to follow. We camp on a big sandy beach, settle in to star gaze around the bonfire and get a good night’s sleep.

Day 05 
After breakfast we get on the river to raft past the confluence of Mandakini at Rudarpryag. Today the section is more “pool & drop” as compared to the start with plenty of class 3-4 rapids. We reach the ‘Kakar Falls’ grade 5 rapid. After a thorough inspection of the rapid we run or line up the rafts to enter the spectacular narrow box canyon. The canyon is narrow enough, about 15 meters, for a Kakar (deer) to leap across – that’s where the rapid gets its name. Finish the trip after running the ‘Holy Hole’ grade 4 rapid. Drive to Camp (Kaudiyala) and spend the night.

Day 06
Depart after breakfast

The Bhagirathi

This is a beautiful trip which packs a lot of elements into 3 days. It’s like ordering an a la carte from a menu. Classy white water, long float stretches, beautiful gorge and a confluence. There’s fun here for all kinds. The Bhagirathi used to be a classic river for rafting before the dam days. This trip will show you just a slice of what remains of the great river. We start with action, take it easy on the second day to appreciate the surroundings, and end the trip with action again. Add in a few cliff jumps, body surfing here and there and you have a super trip on the cards.

Itinerary

Day 01 
Reach Camp (Kaudiyala). Spend night at Camp.

Day 02 
Koteshwar Dam – Devprayag: We start early and drive 70km from our camp(Kaudiyala) to Koteshwar Dam – the put-in point. The drive takes around 2.5 hrs. After a comprehensive safety briefing & loading of the raft, we begin rafting from the dam site. The water levels are controlled by the dam and water is released daily at a particular time. At low water Bhagirathi is a technical river requiring a lot of swift moves on the raft. The Guide has a tough time giving commands while the paddlers have the same following them since everything has to happen so quickly. But when the water level is high it offers some amazing white water. The major grade 4 rapids along this section are ‘Elephant Rock’, ‘Shoot’ and ‘Confluence’. We assure you that atleast one of these rapids will leave you shaken. We have had some amazing adventures on these rapids. All of them require a scout before running. Overnight camping at Devprayag.

Day 03
Devprayag – Kaudiyala: Welcome to the Ganga. We have passed the confluence of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi at Devprayag and now are on the Ganga. After having gone through some heavy action yesterday it’s time to relax and take it easy. Float through beautiful gorges , soak in the sun, bodysurf and bird-watch. It is a mild section from here until our campsite at Kaudiyala. We hit a class 3 –‘Daniel’s Dip’ before camping for the night.

Day 04
Kaudiyala – Rishikesh: Today is again action day. One big class 4 and some super class 3s. This is the most famous day stretch for rafting in India. Raft down adrenaline pumping rapids like ‘The Wall’, ‘Three Blind Mice’, ‘Roller Coaster’, ‘Golf Course’, and lots of smaller ones too. We stop at Shivpuri to have a snack and then continue on to encounter the big rapids on the Ganga. We end the trip at NIM Beach just before the famous Laxman Jhula in Rishikesh. Have lunch on the beach and depart.