The emerald green Saryu is an ancient River that has been immortalized by its mention in the Ramayana and the Rig Veda. With awe-inspiring scenery that is largely untouched by rafter and nature enthusiast, pounding rapids, lush green forests, wild life, fascinating tales from the bygone era and pristine campsites are what you can expect to find on the crown jewel of Eastern Uttarakhand, Saryu – “A Little Big River”. An expedition on the Saryu, combined with ‘Himalayan’ big volume style of rafting on the lower Kali, offers an awesome white water experience. Whether you want heart pounding rapids, breath taking scenery, tranquil beauty or a combination of all, the Saryu River expedition has something to offer everyone. We were the first to explore this river in the fall of 2008 and we invite you to join us on one of our favourite trips

Delhi to Kathgodam. Overnight train from Delhi to Kathgodam. (Train travel not included in cost.) We arrive early in the morning.

Itinerary

Day 1

Kathgodam to Binsar. A five-hour road journey to Binsar gives you splendid views of the Trisul and Nanda Devi mountain ranges. Drive through the towns and villages of Kumaon, which provides a rich cultural background for the trip. Keep your cameras handy to capture the start of your expedition and snap away pictures of the local flora and fauna. We stay overnight in a hotel at Binsar.

Day 2

Binsar to Sheraghat to Camp 1. We start the day early with a drive to Sheraghat (2 ½ hours) where we reach the starting point of the expedition. After a comprehensive talk on river safety as well as basic instructions, you are ready to negotiate the thrill of grade 3 to 4 rapids. Our first day promises an enthralling experience, interspaced with the amazing views of passing villages set against the Himalayas. We pitch camp late afternoon, followed by dinner around the campfire and you are ready to dream about the day that was.

Day 3

Camp 1 to Pancheshwar Camp. Our day begins with a grade 4 rapid. It is an exciting start to a day full of challenges to enjoy; there are over 15 grade 3-4 rapid till the confluence of Saryu and Ramganga East at Rameshwar. The Ramganga East adds more volume to the river adding punch to the rapids. The section below Ghat is relatively easy and gives you a chance to bodysurf or just experience the tranquil beauty of the valley. In the afternoon, we pitch camp on a sandy beach and relax after a long paddle on the water. In the evening you can choose to hike or laze around the campfire, eat dinner and enjoy a well-deserved hot meal around the fire. Camp overnight.

Day 4

Pancheshwar Camp to Rupali Gad Camp. Expect loads of thrills today as we raft through the confluence of Kali and Saryu at Pancheshwar. The Kali River brings loads of volume of water to make it a big Himalayan river. This stretch of river runs through a remote wilderness valley. The verdant, untouched beauty is breathtaking. This beauty, combined some grade 3+ rapids, has us all wishing for the day not to end. We camp around Rupali Gad.

Day 5

Rupali Gad Camp to Pari Gaon Camp. The river run from Rupali Gad to Pari Gaon takes us through Kali’s biggest rapid, the ‘Chuka’, a grade 4+ rapid. As the rapid has several channels we scout the rapid before running it. We enjoy a few more grade 3 rapids before we reach camp across the river from Pari Gaon. There will be plenty to discuss and remember about the day when we sit around the campfire tucking into a hot, delicious meal. Camp overnight.

Day 6

Layover Day. Today you can take the day at your own pace. After breakfast there is an optional hike to Chuka Village. It was in this village that conservationist and wildlife enthusiast Jim Corbett, famous for slaying a large number of man-eating tigers and leopards in India, famously shot a man-eating tiger. We will be exploring the village (now that the man eater’s are dead!). We return to camp for a hot lunch. The afternoon is free. Choose to laze around the camp, take a nature walk and explore the remote surroundings, sunbathe, bird watch, try your hand at fishing or just lay on the beach and read a book.

Day 7

Pari Gaon to Boom to Kathgodam. On the last day on the river we start from Pari Gaon to reach the take out at Boom. The change in geography is apparent as we enter the Terai region and often share the river with elephants. The last section runs through a stunning canyon with exciting grade 3-4 rapids. After lunch we load up and drive to Kathgodam to board the overnight train to Delhi. (Train travel not included in cost.)

Day 8

This is the end of the journey folks; we’re back to Delhi, bright and early.

The Saryu Smash: is a shorter trip possible during high flows, mid-September and October.

Top section – Bhageshwar to Sheraghat. Kayakers would particularly enjoy this section. Contact us for more details !

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  2017 Trip Dates
  Sept 29-Oct 6 or contact us to schedule your own trip! (min 6 people)
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  Cost
  On request
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  Season
  Mid-Sept-mid-Nov

Garhwal, the part of Uttarakhand that borders Himachal Pradesh, is the home of the river Tons. Rising from the Bandarpunch Mountain range at 20,720 ft., the river is the biggest Yamuna tributary and is believed to have more water than the Yamuna itself. In addition, the Tons Valley is a remote area and has a culture unlike any other in the region. The villagers in the Tons Valley are believed to be descendants of the Pandavas and Kauravas from the epic Mahabharata.

The Tons River offers one of the most technical river expeditions in India and has plenty of grade 3, 4 and 5 rapids spaced between stretches of flat water. You will spend your days on exciting rapids such as ‘On the Horns of the Tons’, ‘Tons Squeeze’, ‘Confluence’, and ‘Tuni Bazaar’, with late afternoons and nights spent relaxing and enjoying the riverside camp. The last stretch of rafting and kayaking will take us through the gorge and bring us to the ‘Major Surprise’, the biggest rapid on this trip. Our river expedition ends at Minus.

This river expedition brings one closer to nature as well as gives you an opportunity to discover a new side of yourself.

Itinerary

Day 1

Drive to the Tons Valley. With breaks for meals we arrive at the campsite well before it gets dark. Set up camp for the night by the Tons River.

Day 2 & 3

Start the 60 km river run. Spend the first two days covering a section from Mori to Tiuni. Here we encounter some grade 4 rapids and a lot of smaller ones, which are sure to get your adrenalin pumping. In the late afternoon we pitch camp, where we can trek into the beautiful alpines pastures or the pine forests. Dinner is buzzing with excitement over the next day of rafting and kayaking and your river guide will have plenty of stories to share. Set up camp for the night by the river.

Day 4 & 5

Drive Chopta – Baghwan (3-4 hrs) and raft to Byas-Ghat. Starting early we drive to the put-in point of our rafting trip – Baghwan. After a comprehensive safety briefing and packing the bags on the raft, we begin rafting. We start the trip on the Alaknanda River as it enters the last canyon stretch with good white-water, with names of rapids such as ‘Baghwan’s Pillow’, ‘The Deadly Duos’ and more, until we reach Devprayag. It is a mild section from here until the campsite with a few rapids where you can body surf, swim, relax and spot wildlife.

Day 6

From Tuni, the river starts to pick up volume as the river Pabbar joins, providing more volume & terrific white water. After the thrill of the top and middle section of the river expedition we now move into a beautiful gorge. Paddle through some of the country’s best white-water during the day and set up camp in the late afternoon to explore the surrounding area.

Day 7

The last day on the river expedition, we will paddle the way down the river through a black tropical canyon. At Minus we finish our trip and are met by our vehicles to drive us to Dehradun, to board the train back to Delhi. # The above is a suggested itinerary. You can tailor-make the itinerary to suit your interests and time in hand. * Previous rafting and kayaking experience would help.This expedition requires a minimum of 6 committed rafters.

• 
  2017 Trip Dates
  Contact us to schedule your own trip! (min 6 people)
• 
  Cost
  On request
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  Season
  Apr-June, Sept-Nov