River Rafting - Shivpuri

Adventure awakens your soul, refreshes your mind and fill your body with enthusiasm. And, the biggest adventure is "what next in life!" Life is no less than rafting on a free flowing river. You never know, which grade rapid is waiting for you after the steady flowing stream. But, whatever thrill comes you have to keep paddling, keep moving. If you quit, you lose your breath.

So, this time it was the Rafting Trip at Shivpuri near Rishikesh. We were all asked to report sharply at 8:30 in morning. By 9:00 AM, we around 70-80 students from different departments, courses, batches gathered at IIT Roorkee HEC office. We were all excited and enthusiastic for the thrilling, adventurous and fun filled River Rafting trip to begin. In some time, our professor who was going to accompany us arrived and we boarded buses from the college campus. All of us accumulated in two private buses. We were 7 girls, one professor and his family and rest all were boys.

Five girls (out of seven), waiting for adventure to begin

It was a short and exhilarating two days trip which included an overnight stay at camps in Rishikesh on the banks of river Ganges, a small trek, rock climbing and river rafting. We started our journey at around 10 AM. Our trek leaders Dheeraj Adwani and Vishal Mulchandani instructed us about the Do’s and Don’ts and schedule of the trip. After that, followed with an introduction session we started playing our very favourite and time pass game “Antakshari”.

And we started our Journey..

Pictures clicked by a Team Member En Route

We managed to capture the beautiful landscapes en route, in between our Antakshari and enjoyment. The journey passed by so quickly, singing songs, laughing, dancing, sharing experiences of previous trips. Our camping site was few kms ahead Rishikesh. Around 12 O'clock in the afternoon we reached Rishikesh. Rishikesh is a Holy city. Many Saints, hindu sages and travellers across the globe travel Rishikesh to meditate and have spiritual experience. Rishikesh is also famous for the "Laxman Jhoola"; it is an iron bridge constructed on the River Ganges with a span of 450 feets. Rishikesh also offers lot many adventurous activities and water sports like Rafting, Cliff Jumping, Bungee Jumping etc on the banks of River Ganga. Due to all these activities it attracts many tourists of all the age group.

In some time, we reached our destination, camping site. It was a beautiful place, all covered with natural majesty; tents were fixed at a little heighted place from River Ganga instead riverside. We all reached at the camp location and soon we were allotted tents.

Crossing River to reach camp site

Camping Location

Camp Site and our Tents

After keeping our bags and other stuffs in tents, some of us went to admire and click natural beauty around, some sat in group and started gossiping and some were waiting for food. In sometime, our food was ready and we were served with delicious lunch (Rajma Chawal, curd, salad, chapati). After having stomach full lunch, our next plan was to go for rock climbing and a small trek. Since we were large in number, half of us went for the rock climbing and half of us left for trekking. Trekking group was accompanied by a local person from the camping site only, to guide them. We climbed a small distance, then walked on a flat terrain at top and then came down from other side.

Waiting for lunch

Holding hands and climbing up

A group photo after reaching top

So happy seeing girls getting Education [School Chale Hum]

Ideally, it was not a trekking just small walk through the villages near by which are located at some heights. After completing our trek, we spent some time river side. Free flowing river Ganga was looking beautiful and couldn’t stop any of us to step into it.

Me and my friends enjoying Riverside

Enjoying Nature

Due to short of time, in half an hour only we left for rock climbing which was little far from the river side but was at walking distance. It was a rock of about 18-20 feet. Two men were sitting on the top and two ropes were hanging from the rock. One by one we all climbed up using one rope and did rappelling using the other. It wasn’t as easy as it was looking. After finishing rock climbing we all started heading back to our camp location.

The "ROCK" to climb!

All set and waiting for our turn..

Climbing up the Rock!

Rappeling

We reached camp site after walking a while and found that there was no electricity. It was exciting for us, as it gave us a feeling of complete cut off from the outside world. Soon we were served with snacks and tea. In sometime, site staff did some arrangements for electricity and our music system was ready to make us Rock and Roll. Some of us started dancing, some boys and girls started playing volley ball, some were just catching the heat from the bonfire and some were busy playing cards! Meanwhile our dinner was also ready, after having our dinner we went for sleep.

Bonefire..

Dining Area & Music System

Some moments captured by a trip member

Next morning we all woke by 7:00 AM. The serene beauty of the nature took our hearts away. Group of few boys started playing cricket at the camp site, some were waiting for breakfast and few stepped out for morning walk. After having breakfast, we were all set for the thrilling river rafting in the River Ganges. We boarded our buses from the camp locations and started our journey towards the starting location of rafting. In half an hour we reached our destination.

All girls ready to for Rafting..

The colourful rafts floating in the river, gigantic mountains, blue sky, greenery, bright sun added more levels to our excitement.

We all were given a life jacket and a helmet for safety. Then, we made group of 10 and chose our raft and climbed on it. Each raft had one guide who gave us some instruction about how to hold handle, paddle raft etc. After getting into rafts, we chanted “Gange Maiyya ki Jai” three times and we started our rafting.

Excited to get into Rafts

My Rafting Group..

Our Guide..

We had to cover approximately 36 kms in 5 hours and do cliff jumping also, en route. We were covering distance teasing our mates on other rafts, admiring beauty around, enjoying water splashes and rapids we were facing. Our guide told us that after the Kedarnath disaster in 2013, water level has gone down and the rapids are not that severe as they were before the calamity. At one point, on our river route we were asked to get down from rafts and cover some distance walking. In that stretch water level is so down that rocks has come up. And, due to few severe accidents in the past, rafting in that part is avoided.

We were allowed to jump into river at some specific locations and that was instructed by our guide. He made us jump in some of the rapids also. The command to pull us back into the raft was "Khainchhoo".

Ready to Jump..

Enjoying in the River..

We enjoyed being into the water; completely drenched, feeling cold, tired paddling we reached magie point. All of us enjoyed magie, tea, biscuits, bhel puri there and did cliff jumping. It was for the first time, me and many of us were trying the cliff jumping. Even when I am little hydrophobic and don't know swimming at all, I tried the adventure. I climbed up the cliff and jumped into the water. It was the most amazing and incredible experience of mine till date. Although the cliff was at normal height but for the first time one feels scared to jump. Many of our trip mates enjoyed the jump so much that they tried it for more than 3-4 times.

Magie Point

Cliff Jumping Point

Ready to Jump

One, two, three and Jump..

In sometime, we resumed our rest of the water journey. After the magie point, the water was calm except at 2 – 3 locations. We continued paddling our boats as per the instructions given by our guide. We saw temples located on the bank of Ganga, beaches, saints and sages performing ritual activities, many foreigners meditating at the ghats, very famous Laxman Jhoola and Ram Jhoola. And soon our thrilling river rafting ended at a big ghat in Rishikesh near Laxman Jhoola. 

Ram Jhoola over River Ganga in Rishikesh

Laxman Jhoola over River Ganga

Ghat in Rishikesh..

After changing, we all get into our buses and headed back towards Roorkee. The exciting, adventurous and thrilling journey came to an end as we reached our college campuses. The ecstatic memories of the trip are still alive in us and our soul is refreshed everytime we go through the pictures of the trip. Overall it was an incredible experience and it added one more chapter to the successful history of IIT Roorkee - HEC.

Keep Travelling, keep enjoying!

Keep the nature clean and green!