Tourist
Attractions | Crafts
| Cuisines | Fairs
& Festivals | Forts
Pilgrimage Places | Adventure
| Tourism Offices
Adventure
CHILLS
AND THRILLS
She
symbolizes the essence of the Indian way of life, containing in her
rippling, sparkling reserves of life-giving waters the message of
eternity. The Ganges is more,
much more than a mere river. In
its upper reaches, she flows through the picturesque mountains
of Garhwal, now part of the Uttranchal, rightly known as the abode
of the gods and home of eternal snows.
The river Ganga takes its name from Deoprayag downwards, where the
Bhagirathi and Alaknanda come together.
The
religious uses of the waters of the river Ganga takes its name from
Deoprayag downwards, where the Bhagirathi abd Alaknanda come together.
The
religious uses of the waters of the river have been extolled too often to
elaborate. But now the Ganges
beckons also the daring. Ganga
plays the gracious hostess to river running, a sport introduced to India
by a group of foreigners who launched the exciting concept of white-water
sports in 1976. Now the
floodgates have opened and there are innumerable centers for rafting,
kayaking and canoeing across the country.
Highly professional, with experienced guides, luxury camps along
river banks and the promise of unlimited thrill lures the adventurous soul
from all corners of the world.
The
backing of prominent corporate houses to adventure sports like heli-sking,
paragliding and river rafting speaks volumes on their popularity.
The local authorities
and the newly formed state government of Uttranchal, have promised to give
all assistance and aid to such sports.
Rishikesh
is the accepted capital of white-water rafting in India.
The Shivpuri-Rishikesh run stretches over 16 km.
Experienced river-runners have set up beach camps by the dozen
along this stretch, offering a range of activities from river rafting,
kayaking, trekking, bird watching, beach volleyball to bonfire evenings.
The camps offer deluxe-tented accommodation in the midst of
breathtaking natural beauty and sandy beaches by the Ganga surrounded by
thick, green woods.
In
simple terms, river rafting indicates navigating the river-any river-with
an inflatable raft and an oar. Rapids
(white foamy and frothy patches) are caused by either a sudden gradient,
or an increase or decrease in volume or constriction in the breadth of the
river. Internationally, the difficulty of a rapid is measured
according to its grade, which runs from one to seven.
According to this classification, grade one is the mildest, almost
a flat, placid stretch of water, while grade two is also gentle with
occasional rapids. Grade
three is tougher and grade four is the hardest rapid in a normal
commercial trip. Grade five
is for the professionals, while grades six and seven must be attempted
only by the highly-skilled and experienced professionals.
Knowledge
of swimming is not a prerequisite, but it is surely an advantage. First timers may find their heart skipping a beat or two, but
once you hit the water, there will no looking back! The
Kaudiyala-Rishikesh stretch of the Ganga is the most popular, as this
section of the river has 12 rapids ranging over 36 km.
Two of them are grade two, two are of grade four and the rest are
grade three. Many embark upon
the trip from Marine Drive, a stretch which is a picture-postcard
location, complete with a small suspension bridge spanning the river.
Aptly
named, the rapids by the river runners on the Ganga are Wall (Grade four),
Crossfire, Three Blind Mice (Grade three), Golf-Course (Grade four) with
its nine holes, Daniel’s
dip (Grade four) and the great Roller Coaster (Grade four).
A huge rock overhands the river near the shore and a small
waterfall cascades into its frothy depths.
The 15 ft. drop from a top this rock seems easy at first glance,
but standing on the edge and about to make the plunge, takes away all the
bravado. The equipment
consists of aoarflame raft, which usually accommodates a crew of eight and
its navigated by an experienced guide who uses two large oars.
Sometimes, everyone on board use paddles for greater power to match
the current. The rafts have
inflatable compartments with vulcanized rubber bodies reinforced by nylon
fabric and an exterior of neoprene. Life
jackets and helmets are essential. Most professional outfits have back-up arrangements for
rescue, evacuation and medical attention on the adjoining riverbank
Copyright
© 2002 Indian Trends Tour Projects
