At this time of year, the water levels were low so please take this into consideration with regards to grading. In higher water seasons, these sections would most probably be unrunable. The team were competent grade 4/5 boaters with a vast experience of river running.
Yamuna ≈16km
Put in: Janki Chati (above this is continuous boulder garden which needed more water)
Take Out: Syana Chatti
Grade: 4/5 (3 Portages)
Duration: 1 ½ days (road support)
Over the bridge at Syana Chatti you have to pay road tax of approx 30 rps and the road heads up away from the river. Eventually you get back to the river and can keep driving along it until you do not think there is enough water to kayak, find an easy access point. The run starts with low water, easy grade 4 pool drop rapids (as long as you know your left from right) and gradually increases with volume as tribs feed in. After some interesting rapids you finally reach a clean 20 ft drop and then the river steepens and becomes a lot more difficult. This final section is the steepest part of the river and is hidden from the road. All rapids in the gorge are run able or easily portaged apart from one, where the river drops off the face of the earth and you have to do a bit of bush bashing and lowering of the kayaks on river right. You can take out river right after the bridge at Syana Chatti to avoid the stink on river left.
Harki Doon Gad (Supin)
Grade: 5
Hmmmnnnn!!!! How do I explain this one?
This is committing. Even though the road looks like it runs along side the river, you are at least a 1 ½ hour + climb out if you are lucky.
Lwr Gorge: Road Bridge below Sankri– just after the confluence of the Obra
Firstly we attempted the lower gorge which joins the Obra Gad to make the Supin. We put on below Sankri and ran 5 grade 4/5 pushy rapids before being confronted by a walled in gorge, narrowing to 6m wide. The entrance rapid looked pushy and then we could see no further eddies in the gorge before the river disappeared. After climbing out on precarious loose rock and roping the boats up, we had made a wise choice as the rapids in the gorge (we believe) would have been heinous.
Shalabh has run this in low water.
Middle Section
Grade: 5
We hiked from Sankri towards Taluka with porters along the partly washed out road for ½ day before seeing the river in the distance dropping steeply. So we dropped down to the river at a bridge and camped for the night and sent the porters home. Next day we ran 4 rapids over about 100m and were confronted by another walled in gorge with an innocuous entrance rapid. JJ and I elected to hike out up a steep side stream (took 5 hrs) while Zak, Sam, and Ben “tried” to portage (there was no way of getting back to the river and they hiked out taking 6 hrs).
Rupin. “Mark Rainsley” http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/indiareport.htm
Awesome run!
Bhilangana ≈30km
Put in: Ghuttu
Take Out: Ghansyali
Grade: 4/5 (1 portage) in low water
Duration: 2 days
This run contains continuous white water that will keep you smiling the whole way down. You have the option to scout and portage all rapids but it is mainly read and run. Other notes, do not camp outside the bear cave in case he is in there. There are a couple of small dam projects currently in progress which will probably add to the portages but not totally destroy the class run. The road does run along the entire length of the river, but once again it would be a long climb out.
Shalabh on the Bhilangana
Kali Ganga – Upper Mandakini ≈10km
Put on: Kalimath
Take Out: Okund
Grade 4/5 (with portages)
Duration: 1 day
The run starts with low water, and is steep, tight and technical including a few portages for most mortals. Tribs feed in and the run gradually turns from a creek into a big water run. There are a few mandatory large holes that have to be boofed or punched and they are willing to catch those who are unaware. However, this run will put a huge smile on your face once out of the low volume confines of the Kali Ganga. We put on at Kalimath as it looked too low to go further, I can only imagine what the Madakini would look like in high water. Check out http://playak.com/news.php?idd=85570875626 , as it looks like you need permits ….. or a small bribe.
Dhauli Ganga (trib of Alaknanda above Joshimath)
Put on: Segri
Take out: When it gets flat
Grade: 4/4+ (1 portage)
Duration: 1 day
“KAYAKING IS A CRIME”
Driving up the valley of the Dhauli Ganga it is initially looks grade I or VI due to landslides. Below Segri, we put on to what we initially deemed to be continuous grade 3, however we were wrong. You have to walk down a steep bank to get to the put on which is just below a large flat section formed by what we believe to have been a natural dam. From the go, the run is a continuous read and run (for the brave) IV/IV+ boulder garden with an easy portage or 2 throw in.
It was so much fun we did it twice, however …. the second day we were met by armed Forestry Commission Guards who escorted us to Joshimath where we were put in detention for 22 hrs whilst haggling our release fee. Our options were to pay the fine or go to court and face a maximum 2 months in prison and 1000 rp fine. We escaped 20,000 rp lighter after bringing it down from 35,000 rp. If we were to get caught a 2nd time, the fine was to be doubled. I therefore suggest if you have money, take 5000 rp per person to that area for the 1st run and then a further 10000 rp when you get caught the 2nd time.
Alaknanda
Put on: Chamoli
Take Out: Nandprayag
Grade: 4/5
Duration: ½ day
This is a large volume section that is mainly read and run, with big hole avoidance fun. It ends with a monster rapid that needs serious consideration and contemplation if you plan to run it.
Unfortunately our run was marred by an unpleasant body recovery after stopping for lunch. This section also contains a place called dead mans eddy. Apparently up to 15 bodies have been found floating around in it because many pilgrims drive too fast up the narrow winding valley road rushing to God, in one sense not making it but ironically doing so.
Dhauliganga (East, trib of Kali on Nepali border)
Grade: 5/5+ (2 portages)
Put in: Sobla
Take out: New Sobla or 2 km below (further on is grade 6)
Duration: 1 day
This river provides a solid workout; you will be exhausted by the end so make sure this is not a warm up run. There is continuous action from the start which is intense and humbling, in places a swim would be fatal. The road does run alongside the river so you can climb out if necessary or think it is too much. There are a couple of must make portages so scout the river thoroughly while driving up the valley.
We ran this river twice with only Zak and Ben completing it on the 1st attempt. Cold, Guardia and a swim took out the rest of us. They were greeted to a heroes welcome in New Sobla where most villagers had never seen white faces before let alone kayaks. I took a swim on the 1st run when I ended up in a cave and Zak swam on the 2nd run after a surfing in 2 large holes.
Ben Jackson on the Dhauliganga.
Goriganga (trib of Kali)
Grade 3/4 (5)
Put in: Sheraghat
Take out: when you get tired
Duration: 1 day
You can drive all the way alongside this river and pick and choose where you want to put on. We checked the river as far as the road goes up (Madkot), above Sheraghat and beyond it was flat as far as we could see. The river may get steeper further up the valley but would involve a large mission in getting there and scouting. The section we ran was big volume fun that had long rapids with flat sections in between. Scouting was necessary to avoid big holes.
JJ Shepherd on the Gori Ganga
More photos can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevebates/collections/72157603545062493/
Also trip stories were posted on: www.passion4adventure.blogspot.com
We did lots of this .......