JOIN USRafting is one of the least intrusive means of eco-tourism, with minimum damage to ecology, besides providing a source of income to localites. We thought of trying out this adrenaline-pumping activity and reached Dandeli, the Mecca of river-rafting in southern India, where nature takes tourists on a wild ride along Kali River.
Kali Camp has become symbolic for the thrill and excitement of rafting. It was a short ride from Dandeli through some beautiful patches of bamboo forest, most of which had flowered and were in various stages of decay. We also passed some Gavli villagers, who are traditional pastoralists and still continue with their lifestyle of yesteryears.
Excitement
Soon, all rural life faded into the landscape and the forest covered the stretch, as far as we could see. It was a drive worth it and after a few minutes, we could see people waiting for us in their rafting gear. We got down and saw the river flowing to the brim.
The tension was palpable. The setting was dramatic and while the six of us were
keen on having fun over the next two hours, we all knew that this adventure is fraught with danger. But every time the guides reassured us and our fears dissipated a little. A drill was undertaken, disclaimers signed, and life jackets and helmets distributed. The list of dos and don’ts were again reiterated, and, finally, we were on the raft!
It was a funny boat, soft to the touch, yet very rugged and able to withstand direct onslaughts of big rocks; it offered a comfortable seating to the rafter and I found myself sitting next to the guide who had a commanding presence that immediately reassured us. He told us that we were jumping into teamwork, with the group being responsible for each other’s safety. He checked again for the health status of each member and carefully allotted the seat to all participants. He barked the drill on how to manoeuvre, sit, go, forward and so on.
We took off and within a few minutes, he repeated the drill again – with terms like ‘forward’, ‘backward’, ‘bend down’, ‘over right’, ‘over left’, ‘get down’, ‘get back’, ‘hold on’, ‘lean back’, and on and on he went... But most importantly, he ensured that we learnt the technique of holding the paddle very carefully. Later, much to our surprise, he asked all of us to jump into the water. This was fun, even though all of us had varying fears of the waters; in fact, some just balked at his command and refused to dive. Later, I found out that, through this exercise, he sifts through the camaraderie of the group, in case of any emergency. He taught us how to rescue one another and, if a person fell far away, how to throw in a rope and rescue him/her.
Whenever a boat came within our paddling distance, we, at our guide’s command, splashed the surprised occupants of the other boat with cold water! Then, as if it were a war cry, the raft took-off and we were paddling furiously. It was fun during those first few
minutes, as all of us wanted to show off our new-found knowledge of the raft while the guide kept testing us. He would change commands every other second to push our limits and he would make us paddle furiously until he seemed satisfied with the amount of sweatbeads on our foreheads.
This went on for sometime, until, suddenly, we all grew silent upon hearing roaring waters. The guide informed us that it is the famous Eddy’s Beard Rapid, our first major obstacle. We braced ourselves, as he got repeating the instructions again; we knew that all our learning, in the past half an hour, would now be put to test. We approached the rapid slowly. After ensuring that everyone was ready, he yelled, “Let’s go!”. The raft lurched ahead and soon, we were paddling furiously. The raft entered the rapid and everything afterward was a blur: Water came gushing in. I remember gasping for air and being surrounded by water till my chest. The raft was apparently full of water.
Then, all of a sudden, the raft jumped ahead and we rushed away from the rapid into absolute stillness. Silence prevailed for a few seconds and then, our whoops of joy followed. We were all revelling in the fact that we were all safe and the experience was all the more exciting for that! The guide explained that the rapids, though they might seem scary, can be easily manoeuvred. Soon, we found ourselves becoming adept at handling them, crossing one rapid after another. It was a fun-filled two hours, as we paddled through the dense forests of Dandeli and crashed down huge rapids, reaching the shores, grinning from ear to ear.
Final take
Rafting has marked the turnaround of tourism in Dandeli. However, the excitement around rafting needs to be efficiently controlled. Rafting operators need to ensure that no harm is ever done to the ecology of the river.