rishikesh rafting - where i face the biggest fear of my life
- Publishing Date: 19-Jun-2018
- Category: Adventure
- Starting Date: 12-May-2018
- No of Days: 1 Day
- Expense: 1500
- Location: Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India
To read the same blog in Hindi, go to setting gear showing on the right hand side and change the language selection to Hindi.
Fast forward:
Me: Pradeep, I and Ajit will sit at the at the front in the raft.
...
Raft Guide: The next rapid, whose name is "The Wall", which is a category 4 rapid, we have to do a lot of pedalling in it, we have to focus on safety instead of enjoyment in this rapid, everyone will listen carefully to the guides and if anyone fall in rapid he/she will not panic at all.
Move forward hip hipp hooray, hipp hipp hooray!
...
Suddenly, raft rose more than 60 degrees in my opposite direction and I slipped out of the raft and fell into the river, waves over 10 feet above me were pushing me here and there, I felt like Game Over...
Click here to read the last section of this trip to know when and how we came here.
We were all set for rafting
All of us have a secret fear, someone's fear is height, water, dark nights, I do not feel afraid of water, neither of rafting, just scared of Rapid during rafting where sometimes rafts turn up and all the peoples fall in the river. Because of this fear, when I came to Rishikesh last time, I did rafting of 9 kilometers in which there is no dangerous rapid, but people say that one has to face their fear one or a day, that was my day to face my fear.
Here I would like to tell you that in the language of rafting the swirls you have seen in the river are called rapid, and the paddle is the one which is used to push the raft forward, the higher the category of rapid, the more dangerous it is. In the 24-km rafting you have to get through the most terrible rapids. One thing I would like to say is, if you want to enjoy the rafting in the fullest form, then try to sit at the forefront in the raft, that's the place were you feel the most adventure and fear as well.
There was a 24-km rafting in our camping package, which was to start from the Marine drive in front of our camp site, we were ready ater having breakfast for rafting at around 12 o'clock, our raft was ready in the river and we reached there without wasting any time. We were 30 people, and we got 4 rafts 8 - 8 - 8 - 6, in this way people would sit in the rafts, our rafts had 6 people.
Before the rafting began, the raft guide gave us information about what to do, and what not to do and we all heard it very carefully, and after that, all the people started sitting in their own rafts by shouting the name of Ganga Maiya. At the forefront of the raft, Ajit and I will sit, Pradeep and others allow us to do so because all the people were scared somewhere in the inside, so no one dared to refuse us, and I was more likely to become the captain of the raft. :P
Our rafting was started at around 12 o'clock in the morning, first rapid came in and its a Category 1 rapid that means it was easy to get out of it, but there was also a suspense in it, as soon as we reached this rapid, our guide said that everyone stand up on the edge of the raft and jump a bit and use the pedal for the support, and whoever does not do that, he will throw that guy in the river, there is no option other than to follow the instruction of guide. Well, when doing so, it was great pleasure, then we understood that the guide had done this so that our fear would end.
As we were going ahead, the category of rapids was also increasing, Well Ajit and I were playing a good role in managing the rafting journey so far. After crossing 2 or 3 rapids, when the guide feels that you become friendly with the waves and flow of water, then he allow you to jump in the river, if you want, you can jump in the river for a while, stay and enjoy this journey just like a boat in the river, if you have never did rafting before, then you will be very scared to jump into the river because you do not know the features of your life jacket.
Our firt dive
The life jacket save a person of having maximum 100 kg weight from drowning for 5 to 6 hours, i.e. you will jump in the sharp edge of Ganga , then you will not drown, it is a different matter that due to water going in your mouth you will have trouble, so don't do that.
Ajit and I had already did rafting before, so we jumped into Ganga without wasting a moment and the jacket showed its magic after jumping, and we were comfortably swimming on the surface of the water. Seeing us doing this, the next moment Pradeep was also with us, after staying in the river for some time, by following instruction of the guide, we returned to the rafts and the started pedaling. In turn, we were going back and forth so that everyone can feel the rafting thrill, and the people who are ahead should not be over-tired, even everything was going very well and we were enjoying a lot.
Raft guide: The next rapid, whose name is "The Wall", which is a category 4 rapid, we have to do a lot of pedalling in it, in this rapid our focus is on the safety more than enjoyment, everyone will listen carefully to the guides and if any person fall in rapid will not panic at all. After saying this, he told me and Ajit to go to the forefront and sit in those places where we were initially sitting, and this was done because we were adjusted in those places.
Move forward, hip hip hurre, hip hip hurre
In all other rapids all the people's were equally paddling, but in this rapid we were getting instruction for left side and right side paddling individually, then you can understand what kind of rapid it was, we all were trying to pass this rapid safely.
But for me, god has some different plan on that day, after crossing about four-fourths of rapid, raft rose more than 60 degrees in my opposite direction and despite many attempts, I slipped out of the rafts and fell into the river, the waves over 10 feet height were pushing me down, for a second I felt like Game Over...
For a while, my mind went into silence and in front of my eyes the moments of the past started passing, some good memories, some bad memories, coming here to Rishikesh, and deciding to sit at the front of the raft. I was lost in all of this, then suddenly I heard Ajit's voice and I came back from these memories and I saw that there was a pedal in my right hand and my left hand was tightly holding the raft rope.
I know I was in trouble but by this I could fought somehow, Ajit came to my side and gave me voice - brother, are you okay or not? I just pull you up. We were still in a tremendous vortex, if Ajit tries to pull me up, then it is possible that he also come down with me or in this situation where the left-handed people have to paddle in different ways, then it is only Ajit who is ahead and If he tries to pull me up, and because no one else is there then may be raft can overturned and all the people will fall in river.
Among all the people present in the rafts only me and Ajit know swimming a bit, so in this case if raft overturned have been very dangerous, so I made a decision and raised my pedal hand up and asked Ajit to continue padding, and pull me up after the rapid ends, and after listening to me, Ajit and guide were a bit relaxed and the started paddling.
My mind was working very fast and after thinking about the risks in that position, I came to understand that:
- In any condition, the waves that hit my body do not take me under the rafts, otherwise my whole mouth will be submerged in that position and I will not be able to breathe.
- My mouth should stay on the surface of water so that I do not have difficulty in breathing, my life jacket will not let me drown.
- No stone could hit me in my body or head, and to avoid it, there was a paddle in my hand.
After doing all the calculation, I decided that, I have to face this fear today, and I would hold on to the rope of my hand with more strength so that I should not run away from the raft. The waves of water were pushing me with full force and I was also facing them with my full strength, and there was still a pedal in my right hand, the pedal I had kept for that condition in which all of my calculation fails, in that case the only support is of the pedal.
More than half of Rapid was crossed and the rope of the raft started to drop off my hand, I lifted the right arm and throw the paddle in the raft, now both of my hands were on the rope, now I was feeling good even in this situation, this is the funda of my life "Be Happy Wherever You Are".
Rapid crossed, Ajit pulled me up immediately, because of fighting with so horrible waves, I was a bit tired and laying in the raft for a while, all were asking me whether I am okay? And I was shaking my head and answering yes and in all this there was a line of film "Zindagi na milegi dobara" going on in my mind:
Dilon Mein Tum Apni Betaabiyan Leke Chal Rahe Ho
Toh Zinda Ho Tum
Nazar Mein Khwaabon Ki Bijliyan Leke Chal Rahe Ho
Toh Zinda Ho Tum
Hawa Ke Jhokon Ke Jaise Azaad Rehno Seekho
Tum Ek Dariya Ke Jaise Lehron Mein Behna Seekho
Har Ek Lamhe Se Tum Milo Khole Apni Baahein
Har Ek Pal Ek Naya Samaa Dekhe Yeh Nigaahein
Jo Apni Aankhon Mein Hayraniya Leke Chal Rahe Ho
Toh Zinda Ho Tum
Dilon Mein Tum Apni Betaabiyan Leke Chal Rahe Ho
Toh Zinda Ho Tum
After resting for a while I stand up and took the pedal in hand, the guide asked me where would you like to sit? he had hoped that I would sit behind, but my answer came opposite to his expectations and that was - forward, from where I had fallen into rapid and now I do not feel afraid of that rapid.
Move forward, hip hip hurre, hip hip hurre
Me and Ajit together crossed the next rapid, after that we changed the place and gave the opportunity to others to come forward. And after that I also enjoyed the rapid by just sitting and holding the rope. After going a little further, the instructor told us to jump in the water, me, Ajit and Pradeep were enjoying in the Ganaga by holding the rope tied with the raft. Ajit, who knew a little swimming, left the rope and started swimming, when we have to shout his name to find him and we found him far away from the rafts.
Seeing us in such a way, the rafts instructor was sitting quietly and he started ordering us and as per his orders, we were taking the raft in different directions, it was an amazing experience and I can't define it in words.
After a while, all of us reached Maggi Point and it started getting cold, after reaching at the Maggi Point, everyone ordered Maggi and Tea for themselves, it was ready in 10 minutes, and in the next 15 minutes we finished our tea and Maggi after sitting for some time we again got into the raft.
The rafting end point was around 400 500 meters far, and once again we all raised the pedal and screamed loudly - Hipp Hipp Hooray.
Happy traveling
Fir milege kahi kisi roj ghumte firte
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