ALAKNANDA RAFTING EXPEDITION
Taking challenge in gushing white water of Indian Himalayan Rivers is highly rewarding. There are few great rivers we have selected for the people who wish to explore Himalaya in a very different but exiting way. Camping in unusual places, moving with the pace of rivers, struggling with the rapids, exploring sensations in deep gorges , fear, concentration, excitement are what all are mixed in a boat.
Alaknanda River
The Alaknanda rises at the confluence and feet of the Satopanth and Bhagirathi Kharak Glaciers in Uttrakhand Himalaya. It meets the Bhagirathi River at Devprayag after flowing for approximately 190 Kms through the Alaknanda valley. The Alaknanda system drains parts of Chamoli, Tihri and Pauri regions. Following the merging at Devprayag the river is known as the Ganges. The Alaknanda contributes a significantly larger portion to the flow of the Ganges.
Day 01: Arrive Delhi: On arrival Delhi, our representative will meet you at airport and escort you to the hotel.
Day 02: Delhi to Haridwar- Rishikesh: Morning sightseeing of Delhi which is the capital of Republic of India. Delhi is a city of culture, heritage and modern growth. You can spend some time to buy things for the expedition and we drive you to the railway station for evening train to Haridwar. On arrival, you will find your expedition guide waiting with the cars to take you to Rishikesh- the yoga & meditation center of the world situated on the banks of Ganges. The evening pooja (Ganges prayer) ceremony is worth to participate. Overnight at Rishikesh hotel.
Day 03: Drive to Kaldubagar: After breakfast we drive for 6-7 hours to Kaldubagarh wherein we would pass through the Hindu pilgrimage cities of Devprayag and Rudraprayag.
Day 04: Kadubagar to Chamoli through Nandprayag rapids: Today we cover the most challenging strip of the entire trip. An early start gets us to Chamoli, where at Putin we gear up our rafts, brief ourselves for the day to come and get set to start an adventure of a life time! Here we cover some outstanding grade IV and grade IV + rapids. Depending on the level of water we either walk around or actually face the rafting challenge posed by the ‘Hillary Falls’ rapids at Nandprayag. We end the day after this thrilling rafting and reach back Kadubagar for the overnight stay.
Day 05: Raft to Gauchar: Today we raft till Gauchar amid plenty of grade III and IV rapids bringing us to the confluence of Pindar at Karanprayag. Here the Pindar River adds more water to the already rapid Alaknanda adding more punch and zest to the rapids to follow. Finish the day by camping at a sandy beach where you can romanticize nature with clear star gazing and bonfires.
Day 06: Raft to Rudraprayag & drive to Rishikesh: After Breakfast get ready on the river and raft till Rudraprayag .The section is more drop pools compared to the beginning stretch. You will again encounter rapids of grade III and IV this day. We reach the Kakar fall grade 5 rapid, It is interestingly called so because the canyon surrounding it is narrow enough (15 meters) for a Kakar (Deer) to leap across. We do a good reading of the rapid before we negotiate. The canyon is narrow enough, about 15 meters, for a Kakar Deer to leap through. We finish the trip after running the Holy Hole grade IV rapid. From here, we drive back to Rishikesh after a great expedition on River Alaknanda.
Day 07: Rishikesh to Haridwar drive and train to Delhi: Morning we visit the ashrams in Rishikesh and drive to Haridwar to board train for Delhi. On arrival, you will be escorted to your hotel.
Day 08: Transfer to international airport for your flight to back home.