Rough riding the waves

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If you haven't river-rafted yet, you haven't lived.

As you approach the first rapid, the enormity of it seeps in, and by the time you cross it, with water gushing all over you, you are already a pro "" well almost. At least the fear subsides, but then the excitement builds up again, literally, as the next big rapid comes closer.

Yes, we are talking about white water rafting, which is something every urban Indian should experience at least once, irrespective of age or gender. So what if your company is most likely to be a group of call centre kids roughing it out in Rishikesh.

Ask any Delhiite his/her first choice for a weekend break and the answer will likely be rafting/camping in Rishikesh. Pick up your bags, set out at night (on a bus or train) and you are in Rishikesh the next morning.

Don't forget to get yourself a good rafting deal before you set out. There are many operators who offer camps on the beaches of Ganga in Rishikesh, so book your camp now.

You should know here that rafting is no cakewalk. It's tough, but that's what adventure is all about, right?

And Rishikesh is not the only place in India where you can go rafting. From Bangalore you could run to Kali river in Dandeli for a day trip or a weekend break. If you are in Mumbai, you could plan for Kundalika, which is just two-and-a-half hours from the city.

A one-and-a-half hour run down a 14 km stretch on the Kundalika with grade II and III rapids promises an exciting, wet and wild run. From Kolkata, the best option is on the Teesta or Rangeet rivers in Sikkim.

But remember that most of us decide to take our rafting trips over a weekend, so getting a tent on Saturday night might be tougher (and more expensive) than on, say, Wednesday.

The real adventure (a bit tough and mostly for people who have rafted before) though is in longer trips. So a 4-5 day trip from Rudraprayag to Rishikesh on the Alaknanda would test you enough, both in stamina and commitment.

You need to help set up the camp, tents, cook food, and there are activities like short treks, angling, rock climbing, rapelling and lots of bird watching and wildlife to occupy your attention. This is apart from the 4-5 hours of rafting everyday. Multi-day trips are usually in a group of 15 with about three rafts.

On the Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh, you could raft from November to January. The best way to experience rafting in this splendid part of India is to spend a total of 15-18 days with about 11-12 rafting days.

The rivers in Ladakh can be accessed from June to September. The best of the pick is a 10-day Leh to Leh trip on the Zanskar river. The waters here are cold at 6-7 degrees celsius, so don't forget your wet suit before you hit the waters. Quaint campsites nestle within the confines of the Zanskar gorge.

Delhiites can also get out for a rafting weekend on the Kosi river in Corbett, but this is just during the monsoon period (June-September).

But for some serious action to test your mettle, the rivers to look out for are the Alaknanda, Tons and Bhagirathi in Garhwal; Beas, Sutlej and Spiti in Himachal; Indus, Suru and Zanskar in Ladakh; Teesta in Sikkim, and the Brahmaputra and Subansiri in Arunachal Pradesh. Are you up to it?