A short insight into Rivers in India.

India offers an incredible amount of whitewater, which still lays mainly unexplored. 3500 km of Himalayan Mountains offers creeking, big volume, Park n Play, expedition style and jungle cruises as well as waterfalls on mass. The only thing you have to bring is time, as the huge country has to be traveled through.

A 12 month season gives somehow freedom and it basically depends were u want to go.

Travel Tips on the Bottom !

LADAKH

Ladakh offers some great Expedition style boating on the Zanskar (III-IV), the Tsarap Chu (IV-VI) and the Upper Indus (IV) and the Indus from Upshi (II), as well as some grade III rivers in the Nubra Valley and some unexplored creeks coming off the Zanskar range and the Himalayas onto the Tibetan Plateau.

Most of the area is rarely traveled and the arid landscape is dotted with Buddhist monasteries which do offers some great festivals between June to August.

The rivers are mainly snow melt fed and need the summer months from June onwards. By end of June the rivers do pump most of the water which is good for the Indus and the Zanskar. The Tsarap is best paddled with less water, say mid August onwards.

There are plenty of other rivers, which are mainly great II or III as they will meander on the flat Tibetan plateau in the Nubra Valley, which is accessible via the incredible journey over the Kardung La (5603m), the highest motorable pass in the world.

The Zanskar

Starting Point for the Zanskar is usually Padum or Ringdum. There isn't much of White Water there, so a direct drive to the Karsha Monastery and putting in at the bridge below Karsha would be possibly best for a self supported kayak trip.

To get to Padum, it is best to drive via bus or jeep to Kargil and then get a bus or truck to Padum. If u leave Kargil at around 0500 pm, u would make it to Padum in one day. Which depends on the driver itself and how much he wants to be in Padum. The Fare for the Truck is about the same as the bus but, the bus will definitely take 2 days, is crowded and will take extra charge for your boats.

There is some extremely serious boating on the upper reaches of the Zanskar where the Drung Durung Glacier comes in. Also are there some unexplored side creeks coming in at the Padum area worthwhile to give a try.

The Tsarap Chu

Starting Point is usually Sarchu (when coming from Manali) or Brandy Nalla (coming from Leh). This river trip lasts for 3-4 days and will lead you directly into the Zanskar, so a joint trip is great and u can easily restore your supplies in Padum.

The Tsarap needs to be fully self supported and should not be underestimated. The starting Point is in 4300m and you should be properly acclimatized before starting.

So better stay 2 days in Sarchu (pretty boring tented camp) before you put on. All gear and food (noodles and vegetable can be bought in Sarchu to inflated prices) has to be brought from either Leh or Manali, so make sure you didn't forget anything, as up there nothing is available.

Once on, you will only see some small farming huts and the first real 'village' is the monastery at Phuktal. After that there are some settlements, but it is hard to get food or supplies there.

Padum is the first reliable place where u can get food and the bits and pieces to re supply for your journey down the Zanskar which the Tsarap joins just after Padum.

The Indus

Can be paddled all the way down to Kargil and onwards (not advisable because of the Situation in Kashmir) and on some hair rising rapids down onto the Pakistani plains (even less advisable due to the situation in there).

Anyway, the Indus offers some good class IV water all the way to Upshi from the starting point in....just drive up until the army stops u where the restricted area starts. After Upshi the river is mainly Grade II (one overhead dam which is best carried, even while some flows might allow to run it) all the way past Leh to Kargil where then some Grade IV rapids will await you.

The others in Ladakh....

There are some rivers in the Nubra Valley which are basically meandering, quite Grade II-III rivers. The rivers joining the Zanskar from the Zanskar Mountain Range are some raging powerful creeks with some freezing temperatures...Many of them continuous but maybe worthwhile a consideration for a group of Expert Paddlers....

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Himanchal Pradesh might be already a name in kayaking circles as the Beas river runs straight through the town and offers some good Grade V (above Manali) Grade IV (through Manali down) and nice Grade III from the rafting section down....

But obviously there is more...the Bhaga, Chenab, Zanskari, Parvati and Sutlej as well as the Spiti, Chandra and other creeks in and around Himachal, Spiti and Lahaul....

If u venture into Himanchal Pradesh, your best choice of base will be Manali. A honeymoon place resembling sceneries of Switzerland with the Chaos of a bustling Indian City.

Everything is available and the Hippitrail still shows it's marks. Fullmoon Parties with on looking Indian Honeymooners as well as fascinated Indians from the plains asking all sorts of weird questions about the funny plastic thing you are carrying.

Anyway, Manali will let u arrange everything you might need for onward travels to rivers like the Bhaga, Chenab and Zanskari, which all need shore support, donkeys to carry your bits and pieces and time. But they also offer some great exploratory paddling in the Himalayas.

The Beas

Already known, this river can offer you everything....easy paddle and warm up through the Rafting section, and you can basically work your way up...it has been paddled all the way from Solang, some 15 km above Manali and will definitely still have some more kilometers higher up.

So as the road follows most parts of the river, you can basically choose your starting point and difficulty.

The Parvati

Still accessible by road most of it's parts, it shows the same characteristics as the Beas...Continious Gradient with basically same difficulty easing off the further you descent the river.

The Sutlej

As a major drainage, it has been descended from pretty high up. Basically flat through Lahaul, apart form the higher sections, the moment it enters Himanchal through the Himalayas, some incredible big volume whitewater will wait for you.

The Bhaga

Starting from Darcha, this river is very dependable on the water flows and should be attempted only by a strong team with the necessary experience. The places visible from the road are inviting but, it seems as if all that is just there to lure you into the troubles in the hidden places of the first gorge...

All is mainly Grade III-V ( VI) but remember....very dependable on the water level again!!

The Chenab

Starting from Keylong this river offers some Grade IV-VI exploratory kayaking all the way to Kashmir...here you should take precautions again to gather enough information about the situation in the Kasmir area. A Take out is also possible earlier but, involves a two day trek out!

The Zanskari

A creek coming down from above Darcha, needs a little bit more water as you would want to have on the Bhaga, so possibly a good idea to try that one on your way up for the Tsarap or the Zanskar and paddle the Bhaga on your way back to Manali..

Mainly Grade IV+ with some V+ in there....

A days paddle down to Darcha, where it joins the Bhaga...

UTTARANCHAL

In Uttaranchal some more excellent whitewater will wait for the exploratory type paddlers. Basically do u look at the same season as for Himanchal Pradesh.

Rivers like the Ganges and Alaknanda offer some good big volume style multi day descents. As the road follows both rivers, staying in lodges is not too difficult (or the car the brought u up could follow u down) and access too it is straight forward.

The Bhagirathi and Tons are a bit more hidden and will drift away from the road. Some great medium volume boating is available on both, with the Tons offering some great world class white water all the way down.

Creeks are mainly to find (with easy access) on the Alaknanda. All the confluences there do offer some nice creek style rivers like the Pindar, the Nandakini and the Mandakini. The Tons and Pabar on its higher reaches also do offer some great creeking possibilities.

Uttaranchal itself still offers a great scope for the adventurous explorer high up in the mountains. But access could get difficult.

The Ganges

As Rafting River is it the base for most upscale operators in India. It does offer some good rapids, but mainly grade 3, with longer flat stretches in between.

Anyway, it is well worth to go down, as u come down from the Alaknanda, Baghirati or other creeks as all of them will end p in the Ganges anyway (so if you do all the rivers from the Himalaya...go and visit the mother of all). 

The Alaknanda 

Seen as the real source of the Ganges, it offers some great creeking from either Pipalkoti (IV) or Chamoli (IV+). Some longer, flat stretches (III) will give u some rest before u reach the confluence in Devprayag. 

While on your journey on the Alakananda, it is great to drive up the side creeks like the Pindar (III-IV), Nandakini (IV+) and Mandakini (IV+-VI) 

The Bhagirathi 

A nice ride down with some good surfing spots. Isolated from towns and roads, is it a nice journey from as high up as Uttarkashi (IV-V). It does ease out and the usual put in is just after the new dam in Therali (get info before u leave, as this might change with the progress of the dam). 

The Tons

The Tons lays in a fairly un traveled region and is a great 2 or 3 day trip down from the usual starting point in Mori. It looks feasible from higher up, maybe even from the confluence with the Harki don, or higher?? 

Basically a good medium flow river with plenty of grade IV and some IV+. Above Mori some difficult rapids are waiting for a team to tackle them. The higher reaches have been looked at, but once the river changes it's name to Harki Don, most of the rapids are un runable. 

The Pabar 

A river which will offer u all kind of different difficulties. From continuous grade IV-VI in it upper reaches, to grade II in the middle and some solid IV+ and V on it's lower reaches, including a 12 m waterfall, and two grade 6 (7) just before the confluence. 

As the road follows the river, scouting is straight forward (most places) and escape routes are given all the time.

The rest of the rivers in Uttaranchal are still offering some great exploratory fun and the season is basically during Spring and Fall, with the winter month spared for the Ganges and Alaknanda).

SIKKIM

Sikkim used to be Nepal and the rivers for sure have not changed their resemblance. Season and temperatures are the same as in Nepal and most of the rivers are still virgin because of travel restrictions in most areas. 

The only really known river is the Tista which, like the Beas has an easy rafting section. 

More updates will follow soon, while exploration is done in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Stay tuned and check up.