Rafting is high-adrenaline sport of navigating a river in an inflatable raft and involves several levels of difficulty. These ‘grades’ of difficulty are arrived at according to the presence of rapids, which evolve due to sudden plunges in the river’s height, and also because of rocks – small or large – that may be lurking in the waters. Rafting is a challenging but tremendously fun activity and can be an extremely safe, enjoyable and exciting soft-adventure sport.The sport’s popularity is probably due to the fact that almost anyoneincluding non- swimmers and those with no prior experience cango rafting.
If thrill and adventure are on your mind, then river rafting in India offers you an exciting experience of sailing on the untamed waters. It has become one of the most popular activities for the ultimate thrilling experience. This outdoor recreational activity has given adventurers a whole new level of challenge and excitement.
Rafting SpotsTill date, river running has been concentrated mainly along the River Ganges in the Rishikesh-Devprayag area, but Bhagirathi, Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers are also very much on the tourist map when it comes to rafting and kayaking.A number of other rivers in Uttaranchal – among them Yamuna, Ramganga, Kali Sarda and Saryu – have been explored and all offer excellent potential for river-running. And there are still a number of rivers such as Bhilangana which remain to be explored.In Jammu and Kashmir, most popular river for rafting is Indus in Ladakh region though an expedition on Zanskar (highly recommended) is regarded as one of the best wilderness river runs in India. And with a number of riverine systems crisscrossing the entire state,Himachal Pradesh is a year-round river-running destination.Most of the rivers in South India remain unexplored for their white-water promise though a few like the Kaveri have been reconnoitered and certain sections found suitable for river-running. And unlike the north, rivers here are better preserved and not overexploited.
Uttaranchal: Ganga, Alaknanda, Bhagirathi, Yamuna, Tons, Kali Sarda(Mahakali),Pindar, Ramganga, Goriganga, Saryu, Mandakini
Jammu and Kashmir: Chenab, Lidder, Sindh (Kashmir); Indus, Zanskar, Tsarap, Doda,Suru, Dras, Nubra, Shyok (Ladakh)
Himachal Pradesh: Beas, Sutlej, Ravi, Chandra, Spiti
Sikkim / West Bengal: Teesta, Rangit, Lachen Chu
Arunachal Pradesh: Siang (Brahmaputra), Subansiri, LohitSouthKarnataka: Kaveri, Kali, Sita, Varahi
Maharashtra: Kundalika
Rapids are graded on an international scale from I to VI progressively increasing in difficulty and danger. The size and type of waves, the hazards, remoteness, water temperature and nature of river (continuous rapids or a calm section between the rapids), the geographical terrain (a stretch of gorge or flat, open country) all go into deciding the grade of a rapid. The overall grade of a river depends on the hardest rapid on that river.
Grade I: Fast flowing water with small waves / ripples
Grade II: Easy
Grade III: Difficult
Grade IV: Very difficult
Grade V: Extreme, should be attempted by an experienced team only, danger to life and limb
Grade VI: Impossible to negotiate, suicidal.
Basic to medium swimming skills are required for Grades I to III, while a decent experience of white-water rafting is ne cessary for Grades IV and VI.
