Tube Rafting – Staying Alive!

Rafting is very popular and considered an adventure activity. Over the years as it has become popular, so have the safety measures to ensure the safety of the rafter. How about rafting all alone... on a tube... on a rousing stream... with just a stick... with nobody to help... you survive to live... you turn turtle to drench... the adventure is all about the mini version of the rafting, if you can call it!

Place: Deep in Western Ghats near Sakleshpur

Setup: Flowing water (river, canal or a full stream)

What you need: A tube, lifejacket and a stick and loads of guts

Wear the life jacket and enter the flowing stream (the cold water makes you scream…). Place the tube and hop on to it in a sitting position so as not to fall till you are comfortably seated. That’s it! The stream or the river takes it from there and it’s up to you to decide to live or not to, all of your energy needs to be utilized to move ahead and not spin off or turn turtle and keep praying the tube does not burst hitting the rocks or any sharp branches, the only spirit of being alive keeps you moving and conquering the challenging hurdles as you wanna shriek aloud being ‘Alive is Awesome’ – you need to fight each turn, each, hurdle, each obstacle, each rock that comes in your way to stay afloat and keep moving forward.

By this time, you would be drenched in the cold waters to the core and to the last bit of clothing you have, to unnerve each and every nerve of yours, to the last strand of hair on you that has been spooked, to the last teeth in you that has been unable to stop chattering, to the last drop of water that is oozing out from your ears, eyes and the nostrils, to those shivering hands that are fighting to control the movement of the tube with the stick, to those legs that are been savaged hitting the rocks in all directions, to that moment when you are praying to stay afloat and alive, to the moment you realize being alive is awesome, cursing your friend who pushed you in deep shaky waters and as you surge ahead fighting like a warrior, a wry smile, a moment of glory, the sings of courage, the happiness of being alive, the pride of doing it, the moment of feeling alive is awesome engulfs you as you come to a standstill on placid waters and try to get off the riveting adventure you had and recollecting those moments when you barely ‘lived’.

Now with confidence oozing out from everywhere, you stride ahead with big steps, chest beating and ready for another saga of the adventure to live it, do it, come out alive and feel alive is awesome again and again…

Rafting - the feeling of being alive

Continuing the posts on ‘Alive is Awesome’, let me take you on a new set this time, a new journey, new adventures, new thrill, new excitement that left me gasping, an adventure that filled me with a breath of new life, confidence and increased my quest for more.

Rafting: Rafting is an adventurous, challenging outdoor water sports activity using a inflatable raft to negotiate a river or other water bodies with varying rapids.

When I first heard about an opportunity to go river rafting, I was pretty excited and equally scared, scared of the phobia of water, a feel of drowning every time I’m in a water body. Putting up a confident face in front of my friends to convince them to go rafting with me, all along I being nervous and timid. After certain years, the question still haunts me, why? What made you do it?

Probably now after seeing the series of ‘crazy’ adverts of Cinthol advocating the concept of ‘Alive is Awesome’, the answer is pretty much clear and the adverts showcase them in a brilliant manner.

Now you may still ask me why? I would just reply, to experience life, for extreme adventure, to feel the feeling of being alive, to do something different, for the thrill, for an awesome experience, to survive, to pacify your crazy adventure gene, to live, to get over the phobia, to quiver ‘alive is awesome’.

On board the raft with a nervous feel and more nervous friends for company, with the heart rate soaring each passing second, following the instructions of the guide, the raft moves ahead slowly amidst placid waters, flowing wide and silent, life around me comes to a standstill when I hear “Guys, Jump off the raft now!!!”

2 minutes of silence…!!!

Now death sounds imminent when I next hear the words “Jump now or be thrown!!!”

With closed eyes and shivering souls, the next moment all that I hear is a loud splash (my heavenly body falling into the water) and blank…blank…

The life jacket propels me up and I rise to keep my neck afloat, a sigh of relief engulfs me, the shivering souls calm down, my senses make a slow comeback, the joy of being alive erupts and I quiver deep inside with the shrillest of voices “Alive is Awesome” and then its fun, gala, joy and happiness :)

Rafting not only helps you as an individual, it helps you grow team skills, to work in tandem with the others, with efficiency, co-ordination, trust and the joy of togetherness.

I would love to recommend these new Alive is Awesome video’s of Cinthol to be seen, felt and lived.

1. The Deep Cave Bath - here

2. The Elephant Bath - here

White water rafting on Kali II

White water rafting session II on the Kali

We were back and back very soon to participate in another session of rafting in the Kali river rapids through Jungle lodges Old magazine house camp at Ganeshgudi near Dandeli. This time around all 4 of us – I, raja, guru and nag were in attendance.

Rafting in Dandeli is directly dependant on the water released from the Supa dam. If the gates are not opened, then no rafting will be held and if more gates are opened, the rapids are all the more swift. So, in short no sessions of rafting are pre decided, the status needs to be checked every day and for every session.

The first day morning, only 4 of us were there and we were taken to the rafting point but as we came back with the same intensity as the gates were not opened and the water levels had gone down. However the same afternoon, rafting session was confirmed and we had more people joining us and accordingly 4 rafts were readied for the purpose.

Post lunch, we reached the rafting point and after the introductory instruction session, batches were formed and set out in the rafts, each having between 6-8 people in it. Every participant has to mandatorily wear the life jacket, helmet and have an oar. Kim, the most experienced instructor was our guide and he ensured we enjoy the session to the core and also participate actively. We four along with Kim and another couple were batched in one raft. First 10 minutes in the raft, you are taught how to move forward, backward, relax, sit down and all the basic instructions. Next you are drenched with water from the oars by the instructors to really get in. Next you are asked to jump off the raft into the water! The first time, I was little hesitant as I can’t survive by myself in water, but the safety jacket that is bound to you ensures you don’t drown but stay afloat. Kim ensures the entire people jump into the water and those reluctant are convinced to do so ;-)

This time the water levels were good and so were the rapids and it is adrenaline pumping fun passing through each one of them and we enjoyed till the end. At a predefined point, the instructor does the snowing activity and that is you take the raft against the flow of water towards elevated rocks from where the water is flowing towards you and all the people in the raft bend forward, what happens here is that the people sitting in the front are completely submerged in the gushing water splashing onto their faces and the raft stays put as all the people are pushing against the current of water. Hu! What an activity…brr.. the rapids hitting straight onto your face is pure fun and it also ensures you are drenched to the core J. Rafting is an activity that needs to be experienced and enjoyed and at best sounds moderate when put in words!

After a long session of exciting rafting, we were driven back to the Old Magazine house camp and Nag was super excited, this being his first rafting experience. The much needed hot tea and snacks were served that were gulped like hungry men never seen food before :)

Rafting in Dandeli

This trip of ours to Ganeshgudi (Dandeli) was planned with the plans of river rafting in Kali river. The schedule was fixed, tickets booked but rafting participation was not confirmed as the unseasonal rains left us praying with crossed fingers.

On our 2nd day of stay, we got a surprise call from the JLR staff, Parshuram who conveyed the good news that rafting was on and our session was confirmed for the morning. Rafting in Kali river is only possible when the water is let out from the Supa dam that flows into the 3 different dams constructed at lower levels. Due to unseasonal rains, the water let out from Supa had been stopped over the previous few days just before our visit. The season of rafting is between October to June conducted by the Southern River Adventures (Wild River Adventures) in partnership with Jungle Lodges and Resorts who have the maximum no of permits for rafting. The other resort that conducts rafting is the Bison River Resort.

(the rafters all excited and ready in the rafting gear... helmets and life jackets are compulsory)

Me, Raja and Guru were clubbed with 3 other people and this being our first experience, we were all excited. Me and Guru are non swimmers and can easily drift away in flowing water. Kali river has some good rapids and rocky terrain ideal for River rafting. We were briefed about what to do and how to perform and were given helmets, life jackets and an oar. The helmets are to protect your heads in case you fall of the raft and the life jackets to keep you afloat in the water (secure for non swimmers too...). The life jackets are secured very tight because in case 1 person falls off, he/she is pulled back holding the life jackets. Oars are given to all the steer the raft forward and backward. Here teamwork ensures the raft moves ahead in the direction as required and not to drift away and sometimes get out of the sticky situations when caught between the rocks!

(the raft with us on board heading towards the rapids...)

Me and Raja sat in the front to get that adrenaline rush with Guru and others seated behind us. The first rapid was the most exciting with the raft going on a roller coaster ride and all of us drenched with the Kali water (we had somehow stayed dry till now and avoided jumping in to the water). Me and guru being averse to jump, we were coaxed into throwing ourselves into Kali from the raft (remember the life jacket ensures you stay afloat and your head above the water always).
Standing on the raft and then Splaasshh...! down you go and up you pop up, the feeling was something never experienced before, the whole body floating and your head always on top with no fears of drowning... ah I loved this! Soon all the reluctant people gaining confidence seeing others jump were in the water all excited like kids and enjoying themselves...

The Rapids were moderate but exciting enought for first timers like us (just imagining how rafting in Hrishikesh would be...!) and we enjoyed thoroughly every bit of it, it was pure fun. I would anyday recommend this activity to anyone who loves adventure, its just be there, take part, forget your fears, enjoy the moments... you never know they may never come again :)

(Approaching a rapid... all excitement and fun)

Well, thanks to JLR staff Parshuram and the WRA (Wild Rafting Adventures) team in realizing one of our most cherished dreams that hopefully would just be the beginning for us... :)

Contact: http://www.kalirafting.com/
http://www.junglelodges.com/ (Old magazine house, Ganeshgudi or Kali River camp, Dandeli)

If you reach Dandeli, there are numerous private people who can organize rafting, but finally all of them have to go through JLR as they have the maximum no of permissions for rafting.