Brahmaputra River Expedition

Crossing a bamboo bridge to Tuting village

I just finished a river trip on the Brahmaputra river in northeast India. Wow. It was an epic trip. the river and the rapids were great. I've never seen waves that big. You could feel the power of the river.

Running center line on Ponging

The quality and skill of the crew made for a fun and safe journey threw the rapids. The camps were pretty neat, mostly big sand beaches. Every morning and night the cooks made us great food which we ate by a warm fire. It was good to be on an expedition trip and not eat expedition food. I love Indian eats!

Dave barbecuing the days catch

I think my favorite part of the trip was the part of the world we were in. I don't think that many tourists go there. We really got to see the culture of the area. We got to see local dances and drumming as well as a village only twenty kilometers from the border of Tibet. We were really up there.

Local tribeswomen performing traditional dance

In Tooting we got to eat beetles and roasted jungle squirrel. They were tasty. The crew really showed us as much as they could. We even got blessed by tribal priests before we put in.

Adi tribesman with bamboo snares

I've been on a lot of river trips and this one was a great all around experience. When we were in Pasighat on the last night of the trip I really felt we had accomplished something big. I know I'll miss the crew and all of the friends I made on the trip. I can't wait for my next India experience with "IntoIndia". Thanks for the great experience.

Eli

Sanjay breaking through a huge wave

Kali River Trip

Going Good in My Duckie

The trip began as one of the most scenic road trips I’ve ever done. Winding our way up through the Panchuli region we got a fly-by glimpse at many aspects of rural Indian living, from fashion and farming to innovative road construction methods. We traversed low lying Himalayan hills and rivers, taking in spectacular views of Nada Devi to climb high in the valley to our river put on, all the while taking our chances with the hectic local traffic which often included homemade richshaws.

Local School Kids at the Put On

With our paddle and gear rafts, safety kayaks and my lonely little duckie loaded with enough tents, clothes, booze, food, games and gear to keep our party of 21 safe, happy and fed we launched our 6 day adventure on the Kali River in a heat that was beautifully bearable from the conflunence of the Gori Gunga and Kali Rivers.

The Chennai Boys Going Big on Chooka Rapid

Getting to grips with navigating my own craft on the water provided most of the entertainment for everyone else on the river. In fact I was having such a hilarious time getting thrown out of the duckie in every possible direction at most available opportunities, some of the brave rafters decided to join me in the 2 man raft to tackle the bigger rapids that got progressively more frequent as the days went on.

Breaking over the Top of a Large Wave with Nikki in My Duckie

A highlight of the trip though was successfully breaking over the peak of a massive mid river wave (without flipping) while the others waited close to the banks, cameras at the ready, all set to clear up the carnage for what we all thought was going to be an inevitable BIG flip. Shamefully I was no better at staying in the thing on the last day than I was on the first, I think my swims totalled somewhere close to 25 for the whole trip. That said, with the sun toasting my pale Irish skin, the odd swim was refreshingly chilling!

Relaxing around the fire. This photo was achived using a slow shutter and a head lamp.

Every meal time I was amazed as to how our two cooks managed to emerge with a huge spread of tasty Indian cuisine. In fact it seemed as though, if we weren’t paddling on the river or enjoying beach life at our night time camp spots we were eating! Snacks, soup, 3 course meals, bigger breakfasts than my mother ever made me… it was endless and it was all good! Night time around the camp fire with rum and coke in one hand and toasting marshmallows with the others, there was no shortage of messing and music under the full moon sky.

Eli on the cataraft, Dimberghat rapid.

Knackered as I was after a week negotiating big bouncy wave trains cutting there path through a remote jungle, afternoons of cricket and Frisbee and nights by the fire I was sorry to leave and board the train for my return trip to Delhi.

All the team

Kauri Pass Trek

Terraced fields at Ghunni

Is there no where in India where people don’t live? Second biggest population in the world, yes I knew that! But high in the mountains at 4000meters, having just descended from the snowy pass and with the nearest village a days walk away…. in front of me a small shepherd boy is standing on the first branch of a lonely tree about 8 feet off the ground staring out at the snow capped peaks that surround us in every direction….. clearly oblivious to the world I live in! Hmmm I never thought I’d find myself wishing I was an 8 year old Indian boy.

Mt Dunagiri 6892 M

We left our tents at 4am guided by the light of our head torches and the stars in the sky, spurred on by words of encouragement from our hilariously entertaining Indian guide to ascend the final uphill section of the trek.

Pankaj, Sinead and Jam at the Kuari Pass

We reached the snow covered Kuairi Pass in time to see the sun rise over the easterly peaks of the North Indian Himalaya. This undoubtedly, was the scenic highlight of the trip. However the days in the lead up, as we climbed and descended though valleys, villages, across river beds and under waterfalls were a close runner-up.

Me with my new found friend

This can only be described as an ideal trek, with the option to chip in and help with camp set up or cooking or just relax and let your every need be catered for by a first rate team. With trekkers and guides from various parts of the globe, together with our local mule guides, cooks and trekking guide we made our way over 7 days to final our destination. A huge breakfast feast geared us up for each morning of nicely paced walking arriving early afternoon each day at camp spots that offered spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and terraced fields. With a little each of hail and rain, the sun shone predominantly throughout.

Village women carrying the fresh harvest

At night we devoured beautifully prepared and abundantly endless dinner around a camp fire as we listened to local tales or returned to the rudiments of wholesome entertainment with singing, playing cards and charades.

Camp at Khulara Meadow

India: The Adventure Destination

The Indian Himalaya is one of the great adventure travel destinations in the World today. These huge mountains stretch from Pakistan in the west to Burma in the east covering a distance of almost 2500km. This vast area is diverse in its people, culture, geography and weather. Due to the many micro climates in the region, perfect weather conditions for adventure tourism can be had 12 months of the year. The Indian Himalayas can be most easily divided into two Regions the areas to the west and east of Nepal. Both areas offer great trekking, rafting and kayaking but yet they are so different and diverse.