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Rolling Down the River
Take a ride on the wild side with white water rafting
Author: Anita Rao Kashi
There’s something about rushing water that pumps up the adrenaline. Just imagine sitting in an inflated rubber vessel, strapped to a life jacket, unsure if it is of any help as you get swished and swirled rapidly by the flowing, foaming waters of a river. You occasionally bump against boulders, jump little rapids and do pirouettes in tiny whirlpools. And all the while, your heart has taken up permanent residence in your mouth. You simply can’t wait to get to the safety of the bank, and yet, as soon as your feet hit terra firma, you want to get right back in and start the adrenaline-kicking journey all over again. That’s white water or river rafting for you!
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Thanks to some pretty good engineering by nature, Karnataka has some of the best locales for water sports in south India. In fact, rafting enthusiasts even insist that river Kali near Dandeli in north Karnataka is the best site for white water rafting, south of the Himalayas. Owing to its many rivers, river rafting is possible at a handful places across the state, despite the fact that it is a recent sport in these parts and has only gained popularity over the last decade.
Apart from the Kali, which is among the best and the wildest, river rafting is offered on the Cauvery in Coorg and the Sita and Varahi rivers in Agumbe. White water rafting is a seasonal sport as it involves rivers, and rivers are dependent on the monsoon. After the first flush of rains, river rafting begins in earnest around July and can go on till October, with August and September considered the best months. However, if the rains are unusually heavy and the dams reach dangerous levels, the water in rivers can get very high. This can prove dangerous for river rafting – at such times, rafting is usually suspended.
Apart from the Kali, which is among the best and the wildest, river rafting is offered on the Cauvery in Coorg and the Sita and Varahi rivers in Agumbe. White water rafting is a seasonal sport as it involves rivers, and rivers are dependent on the monsoon. After the first flush of rains, river rafting begins in earnest around July and can go on till October, with August and September considered the best months. However, if the rains are unusually heavy and the dams reach dangerous levels, the water in rivers can get very high. This can prove dangerous for river rafting – at such times, rafting is usually suspended.
The more adrenaline-pumping variety of rafting is concentrated on two rivers, Kali and Cauvery, with Sita being a new entrant. Out of these, it is the Kali which draws the more serious enthusiasts as higher grades (read more dangerous and treacherous) of river rafting are possible here. Another plus is that rafting can be undertaken for almost nine months of the year at this site. The black waters of the river (which explains the name given to it) has an ideal 9-10km stretch full of rapids (which depend on the discharge of water from the dam). These offer exciting routes for beginners as well as experienced rafters. Activities are closed for a couple of months during the monsoons, when the discharge from the dams gets heavy and causes the river to swell.
Next in line are rivers Cauvery in Bheemeshwari and Coorg and Sita in Agumbe. They are lower grades rivers (also suited for beginners) and are open for about six months during and after the monsoons. Bheemeshwari is a picturesque spot with the river passing through thick jungles, while Sita, set in Agumbe’s ghats, has the added advantage of four waterfalls in its vicinity, which also make for excellent trekking routes.
Elsewhere in the state, river rafting has been introduced sporadically and is more a novelty. Rafting is also possible in Srirangapatna, but is of the low grade variety.
Next in line are rivers Cauvery in Bheemeshwari and Coorg and Sita in Agumbe. They are lower grades rivers (also suited for beginners) and are open for about six months during and after the monsoons. Bheemeshwari is a picturesque spot with the river passing through thick jungles, while Sita, set in Agumbe’s ghats, has the added advantage of four waterfalls in its vicinity, which also make for excellent trekking routes.
Elsewhere in the state, river rafting has been introduced sporadically and is more a novelty. Rafting is also possible in Srirangapatna, but is of the low grade variety.
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