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White water Rafting & Kayaking
Trekking
Overland Safaris
Our Camps
Scuba Diving
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FAQs
1) Which Rafting Trip For You?
2) Is it safe?
3) Do I need to be fit to go on a rafting trip?
4) Do I need to know how to swim?
5) I am a first timer - can I join a trip?
6) Do I need to buy some special gear before a rafting trip?
7) What kind of food will I be served?
8) Is the water safe for me to drink?
9) Where are the toilets?
10) Do I have to help out on a trip?
11) Do I have to paddle on each rafting trip?
1) Which Rafting Trip For You?
White water rafting trips come in a number of different guises, and which one you choose largely depends on your experience, fitness and levels of gung-ho.
At one end of the scale are the rapid getaway 1-3 day long adrenaline trips, the supreme example of which are the Ganga and Tons rivers - a roller coaster ride which combines excellent whitewater with camping by the river, with campfire barbecues thrown in.
Then, there are multi-day trips, which combine thrills with access to territory you couldn't visit in any other way. This is expedition, or wilderness rafting where you don't see anybody for 3-6 days, with technical rafting of Grade 3 and 4 (on some rivers, the odd Grade 5). The Alaknanda, Bhagirathi, Kali/Sarda, Zanskar and Brahmaputra rivers are such trips.
Speak with your guides, before you go. We have the rating system below for you to go through, so you can choose the trip of your liking.
2) Is it safe ?
Rafting is one of the safest adventure activities you can take part in. All our trips are guided by competent and experienced guides with atleast five years of experience on all rivers that we run. In addition, all safety gear like lifejackets, helmets, footbraces etc. are provided for. River guides are trained in First Aid and C.P.R and can handle
minor injuries.
3) Do I need to be fit to go on a rafting trip?
Rafting does not require very high levels of fitness.Nearly anybody over 14 years of age can run nearly all rivers on offer. Ofcourse, heart patients,expecting mothers or any other serious ailments are an impediment.
4) Do I need to know how to swim?
All our guided trips are open for non-swimmers as well. A comprehensive safety briefing isgiven before each trip and moreover, the ability to swim is not a consideration when you go down a whitewater river.
5) I am a first timer - can I join a trip?
Yes, all guided trips are open for first-timers as well. You can join a weekend trip or an expedition trip, as long as you are gung-ho about the activity.
6) Do I need to buy some special gear before a rafting trip?
You need only your shorts, T-shirts, a pair of strap-on sandals and your sense of humor on most of our trips. Spray jackets and spray pants, wetsuits are provided for colder rivers, by us. Sleeping bags for expedition-style trips are
advisable.
7) What kind of food will I be served?
On our camps and expedition trips,meals served are buffet stlye - wholesome and delicious at camps (you WILL be surprised!) and easy to prepare on expedition trips. Most adventure travel trips travel on their stomachs - we make sure they travel very, very,well.
8) Is the water safe for me to drink?
On all our trips, water used is spring water (preferably, the first-use kinds) which is boiled and then treated with tincture of iodine.
9) Where are the toilets?
On our camps, we have bio-toilets in use because of closeness to river and Reserved Forest Regulations. You however, do not have to squat - there are proper seats (like the ones you have at home!).The only difference is that you cannot use the flush. On our multi-day trips, the toilets are the great outdoors - each person has to dig a small hole and burn their toilet paper (it does burn quite well).
10) Do I have to help out on a trip?
On our Camp based trips, everything is catered for and you need to only enjoy the few days that you have taken off
for the trip. On multi-dayers, you can participate in as much as you'd like to - helping with the rafts, the tents, the campfire etc., so choose your own pace.
11) Do I have to paddle on each rafting trip?
You can choose to set the pace of your own trip - each raft has one or two non-paddling positions which you can opt for incase you do not wish to paddle. Paddling however is half thefun and you can participate in paddling as much as you wish to.
Grading of Rapids
Rapids are graded from Class I to Class VI depending on the degree of difficulty they present in successfully maneuvering a white water craft (raft/kayak/canoe/cataraft) through it.
Grade 1 : Relax and chill out.
Grade 2 : Keep an eye open for small waves.
Grade 3 : This will be fun - tighten your lifejackets and helmets.
Grade 4 : Getting serious ; paddle well or you could end up swimming.
Grade 5 : Don't mess up - this is the hardest stuff you can raft.
Grade 6 : If you are told you are rafting grade 6, your guide is lying - this is suicide!!
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