What is River Rafting ?

Contents

• What is River Rafting ?
• Rules of Rafting
• History

What is River Rafting ?
Rafting, the high-adrenaline sport of navigating a river in an inflatable raft, involves several levels of difficulty, depending on how choppy the river is. These ‘grades’ of difficulty are arrived at according to the presence of rapids, which evolve due to sudden plunges in the river’s height, and also because of rocks – small or large – that may be lurking in the waters. Rafting is a challenging but tremendously fun activity – just remember to keep the instructor’s safety tips in mind! White-water (rapids) does invoke fear but river-running done properly – under professional guidance, with the right training, using the appropriate equipment, taking all safety precautions, and by following a set of international safety and ecological norms – can be an extremely safe, enjoyable and exciting soft-adventure sport. The sport’s popularity is probably due to the fact that almost anyone, including non- swimmers and those with no prior experience can, go rafting. All it takes is 15 minutes of instructions and you can have the time of your life – riding the waves, getting splashed and enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the river. 스포츠토토

Rules of Rafting
Pick your clothing according to the season that you will go rafting. Wet suit, splash jacket, and proper river shoes are enough for chilly weather. Always wear a life jacket and a helmet. Having this equipment will keep you relaxed and will prevent unwanted dangerous situations. Listen to your guide carefully before rafting. They will talk about the rules and commands. High-siding is one of the most important commands that the rafting guide would give to keep the boat from capsizing. The purpose is to keep the boat and your team on the water. Your paddle is one of the wheels of the boat. Keep it tight and don't drop it. If you fall into water keep your head up and your feet down the stream. This will help you to swim easier and you can use your legs to push yourself from the rocks in the river. You shouldn’t stay in the water for long because your team is with you and if you swim close enough to the boat you will be on the boat soon. Trust your rafting guide, because they won't put you in danger. Tours may include exciting moments but know that they are planned. They will warn you about the dangers at the safety talk before rafting. Always listen to them before and during rafting to enjoy the action safely.

History
It was the “Ocean to Sky” expedition of 1977 – led by Sir Edmund Hillary and organized by Capt. M.S. Kohli – which evoked tremendous interest nationally, and quite a flutter abroad, about the potential of river sports in India. The jet-boat expedition started in the Bay of Bengal, going up the River Ganges and on towards Nandprayag on the River Alaknanda. In 1984, the Uttar Ganga rafting expedition led by Ken Warren and organized by A.C. Kohli, rafted over 300km on the Alaknanda, Bhagirathi and Ganga rivers. This marked the first time that Indians had actively participated in a river-rafting expedition - Shaukat Sikand, Yousuf Zaheer, Akshay Kumar, Pawan Sher Singh and Ajeet Bajaj were part of the first pool of Indian river-runners. Glen Upperman, an American rafter, stayed back after the expedition and trained the first batch of Indian rafters in oar-rafting techniques. The following year, two Canadian rafters, Mark Daniel and Ben Webster, trained Indian rafters in paddle-rafting techniques and kayaking.
The age of river exploration in India took off when local river-runners logged enough experience to join rafting expeditions, including the first descent of the Sutlej from Rampur to Tattapani below Shimla (1985); the first descent of the Teesta in Sikkim and West Bengal (1986); and the first descent of the Sarda in Kumaon, Uttaranchal (1987). The Indian Armed Forces have also played a pivotal role in the development of river- running in India, organizing training courses and leading expeditions. Although many rivers in India have been explored, with some being rafted commercially, this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.To quote Peter Knowles (chairman, British Canoe Union Expeditions committee), “There is still probably more scope in India for ‘first descents’ and exploratory river-running than in any other Himalayan country.”
Along the entire expanse of the culturally diverse Indian Himalayas – more than 3000km long and between 150km and 300km wide – there are rivers still awaiting descent. Furthermore, there’s tremendous scope for river exploration in the states of the northeast and in South India.