Delhi hotels and breakfasts

Tented and rest house/hotel accommodation and all meals while on the expedition

Professional guide fee and camp staff

Trip to Agra and Delhi sightseeing by air-conditioned car

Professional Guide

River Equipment

Detailed Information

7 Day Trip

The Alaknanda River Expedition

Day 1
Drive 5 hours from Delhi to Camp Silver Sands on the banks of the Ganga (27kms. beyond Rishikesh). Overnight at Silver Sands. We pass through the sugarcane belt of India and reach the holy town of Rishikesh where the Ganga river enters the plains. We check into camp, which is located on a large sandy beach on the banks of the Ganga river - briefing on Camp, its activities and the trip to follow. Campfire dinner and overnight at Camp.

Day 2
A relaxed day at Camp - choose to do an early morning hike or take kayak lessons. After lunch, we drive 4/5 hours from Camp to Rudraprayag. Enroute we stop at Devprayag, to se the confluence of the two rivers (the Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi) which meet to form the Ganga. Overnight at Rest House/Hotel.

Day 3
After breakfast, help in getting the rafts readied and packing bags. A detailed safety briefing follows with instructions on paddling commands, rapids to be encountered etc. Expedition begins with a big Grade IV rapid, "The Holy Hole", at the confluence with the Mandakini. Rapids keep coming in quick succession. Soak in the sun, river and scenery, staying alert to help negotiate rapids. Lunch at a waterfall and continue to make camp for the night after Srinagar. Long day on the river, covering about 36 river kms till Maletha beach. Campfire dinner and overnight Camp.

Day 4
Raft down to Devprayag, the confluence of the Alaknanda & Bhagirathi rivers. The river is now called the Ganga. Camp at Beas Ghat, a famous fishing spot for the mahseer, also called the Ganga Gold. Cover 30 kms for the day.

Day 5
A relaxed day with few rapids. A day for swimming, body surfing, relaxing and spotting wildlife. Make 30 kms to reach camp below Kaudiyala, after running a couple of Grade IV rapids, "Daniel's Dip" and "The Wall".

Day 6
Day begins with negotiating a few small rapids, followed by "Three Blind Mice", "Crossfire", and the "Body Surfing rapid". Cover 15 kms to reach Shivpuri and drive back to Silver Sands for the last night on river.

Day 7
Drive down to Shivpuri after breakfast to begin the final day's run with big rapids, the "Roller Coaster" and "Golf Course" to make it an exciting end to a grand adventure. The trip ends near Rishikesh-lunch and depart for Delhi.

Trip Facts

The Alaknanda River Expedition

Nearest Airport
New Delhi, India

Suitability
You will be running Class III & IV rapids for as much as 5-7 hours a day. Minimum age for rafting is 14 years old.

About Your Guides
You'll have a safe and enjoyable trip with some of the most experienced guides in the country, who know the terrain, offer great company, equipment which compares with world standards, and a "hands on" operation which guarantees each trip a resounding success. Aided by a wealth of experience and knowledge, the outfit is run at the helm by a duo, who between them, have run more routes and rivers than most people do in a lifetime. The most experienced kayakers and river people in the country today, help out with the operations and logistics. All trips are well complimented by a crew of excellent guides, staff, and cooks who have helped run the trips with a quality that is hard to find on the sub-continent.

Rafting Equipment & Safety
Rafts and accessories used for river rafting are imported and are made of tear-resistant nylon based hypalon. Wearing helmets with chin straps fastened and a life-jacket is mandatory which keep the person's head above water in the not-so-common event of MOB (Man-Over-Board). Water-proof bags are kept aboard the raft for keeping cameras on the trip. On the longer self-contained, multi-day expeditions, bigger water-proof bags are carried to keep all baggage on the raft completely dry. Every raft also carries rescue bags and flip lines to counter any emergency. You'll use self-bailing `Hyside' rafts and accessories from Northwest River Supplies (NRS), Idaho, U.S.A for your rafting trip. Every raft trip/expedition carries a repair kit and a first-aid kit in order to make the run completely self contained. A safety briefing is given to everyone before the river run commences which outlines everything from the nature of the river and what to expect, to paddling commands and safety procedures to remember while in white-water. If possible, an easy section is rafted on the first day to orient everyone with rafting.