Raft:
--noun
1. a more or less rigid floating platform made of buoyant material or materials:
2. a large collection or amount
-x-x-x-
My earliest exposure to the word 'raft' was through a 'Community Living' textbook. Rafts were meant to be primitive forms of float mats that were used to cross water-bodies.
This somehow never presented a promising picture in my adolescent mind. Of course, Che hadn't entered in my mind then. So there's that.
-x-x-x-
Rafting in Chitwan, Nepal
We had a family trip to Nepal in the late 90s; Diwali vacation. About one year before the Amrut Baugh incident. The circuit we took was Gorakhpur-Kathmandu-Pokhara-Chitwan-Gorakhpur. Chitwan is a protected forest area bisected by the river Rapti. I remember we had taken an Elephant Safari - spotted a Rhino and some wild Elephants. The next day we were supposed to cross the river Rapti on a raft.
I was quite jumpy and excited, partly due to the mental picture of the rafts and partly due to the fact that the river is infested with crocodiles. The raft in question actually turned out to be a local boat - more like a canoe, but with lower sides. We found similar boats during out Meghalaya trip as well.
The ride was fun, with the only warning being, "Do not put your hands in the water - unless you want to attract the crocodiles". Needless to say, I kept to the much-practiced-in-school folded hands pose throughout the ride.
-x-x-x-
White Water Rafting in the Kundalika
Rafting in the Kundalika river during the monsoon is supposed to be one of the major adventure activities around Mumbai and it has always got my adrenaline racing. I've as yet rafted thrice on the Kundalika - 2011, 2012 and 2013. It is a simple enough task to adhere to the instructions as they are belted out in a pseudo-fake accent.
The Kundalika river rafting is done on rapids created by water released daily from the Bhira Dam on a 14km stretch. In 2011 we were late - around Octiber - and hence the water levels were comparatively low and only L2 rapids were available. 2012 was perfect. We went at the end of a heavy monsoon spell and the waters were just enough for L3-L4 rapids. In 2013 the river was too full and most L3 rapids were smothered to L2. the major rapids have been named - 'Morning Sickness', 'Johnnie Walker', 'Double Trouble', etc.
Each raft has (preferably) equal number of oarsmen on either side. The main job of the oarsmen is to provide thrust and steer the raft. Each raft also has an instructor who exercises overall control on the raft and also ensures safety of the oarsmen. The best seat in the house is the front row. The better than the best seat is the one between the front row oarsmen - you will invariably end up there if you are part of a group of more than eight people.
Apart from the Kundalika, rafting activities for Mumbaikars are also available on the Vaitarna river. The system there is similar to the one in Kundalika and relies on dam water release.
Rafting in the Ganga and camping on its banks is an adventure in its own right. Rishikesh has been beckoning for quite some time now.
The main-course for rafting however is the Siang in Arunachal. The Siang begins its course as the Yarlung Tsangpo (Big River) on the Tibetian Plateau and enters India through the steep gorges of the Pemako region as the Siang. The Siang then flows into Assam as the main constituent of the mighty Bramhaputra. The rafting stretch of a whopping 180kms, spread over 7-8 days through remote regions of Arunachal Pradesh, is meant for the ones who are more than just interested in the sport.
- Kapil Pilankar
--noun
1. a more or less rigid floating platform made of buoyant material or materials:
2. a large collection or amount
-x-x-x-
My earliest exposure to the word 'raft' was through a 'Community Living' textbook. Rafts were meant to be primitive forms of float mats that were used to cross water-bodies.
Che Guevara (right) with Alberto Granado (left) aboard the "Mambo-Tango" wooden raft on the Amazon - June 1952.
Image from Wikipedia
This somehow never presented a promising picture in my adolescent mind. Of course, Che hadn't entered in my mind then. So there's that.
-x-x-x-
Rafting in Chitwan, Nepal
We had a family trip to Nepal in the late 90s; Diwali vacation. About one year before the Amrut Baugh incident. The circuit we took was Gorakhpur-Kathmandu-Pokhara-Chitwan-Gorakhpur. Chitwan is a protected forest area bisected by the river Rapti. I remember we had taken an Elephant Safari - spotted a Rhino and some wild Elephants. The next day we were supposed to cross the river Rapti on a raft.
I was quite jumpy and excited, partly due to the mental picture of the rafts and partly due to the fact that the river is infested with crocodiles. The raft in question actually turned out to be a local boat - more like a canoe, but with lower sides. We found similar boats during out Meghalaya trip as well.
Canoe-Raft on the Rapti
The ride was fun, with the only warning being, "Do not put your hands in the water - unless you want to attract the crocodiles". Needless to say, I kept to the much-practiced-in-school folded hands pose throughout the ride.
-x-x-x-
White Water Rafting in the Kundalika
Rafting in the Kundalika river during the monsoon is supposed to be one of the major adventure activities around Mumbai and it has always got my adrenaline racing. I've as yet rafted thrice on the Kundalika - 2011, 2012 and 2013. It is a simple enough task to adhere to the instructions as they are belted out in a pseudo-fake accent.
Practicing ...
pic by Kevin DaSilva, 2012
The Kundalika river rafting is done on rapids created by water released daily from the Bhira Dam on a 14km stretch. In 2011 we were late - around Octiber - and hence the water levels were comparatively low and only L2 rapids were available. 2012 was perfect. We went at the end of a heavy monsoon spell and the waters were just enough for L3-L4 rapids. In 2013 the river was too full and most L3 rapids were smothered to L2. the major rapids have been named - 'Morning Sickness', 'Johnnie Walker', 'Double Trouble', etc.
Kundalika rapids
Each raft has (preferably) equal number of oarsmen on either side. The main job of the oarsmen is to provide thrust and steer the raft. Each raft also has an instructor who exercises overall control on the raft and also ensures safety of the oarsmen. The best seat in the house is the front row. The better than the best seat is the one between the front row oarsmen - you will invariably end up there if you are part of a group of more than eight people.
Apart from the Kundalika, rafting activities for Mumbaikars are also available on the Vaitarna river. The system there is similar to the one in Kundalika and relies on dam water release.
The Vaitarna rafting patch
Rafting in the Ganga and camping on its banks is an adventure in its own right. Rishikesh has been beckoning for quite some time now.
Rafting camps on the banks of the Ganga
The main-course for rafting however is the Siang in Arunachal. The Siang begins its course as the Yarlung Tsangpo (Big River) on the Tibetian Plateau and enters India through the steep gorges of the Pemako region as the Siang. The Siang then flows into Assam as the main constituent of the mighty Bramhaputra. The rafting stretch of a whopping 180kms, spread over 7-8 days through remote regions of Arunachal Pradesh, is meant for the ones who are more than just interested in the sport.
The valley of the Siang, Lower Pemako region
Gorges and camps on the Siang
Still more of Siang
The base price of INR 1.5L per person also means that your pockets need to be reasonably deep for the Siang.
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