Wet and wild on the Kali-Sarda

An expedition down the Kali Sarda river is one of the best ways to experience the majestic Himalayas. On offer are pristine white sand beaches, leopard tracks, and some heartstopping white water rafting action, of course. Are you game?

As I approached the roaring rapid, I looked downstream and saw Canadian safety kayaker Dave Prothero vigorously pumping his fist in the air: it was the signal that the rapid was safe and we could run the meatiest part of the wild water that lay ahead.


Niddle Camp: Sitting around a campfire, sipping on a rum and coke and
reflecting on the days white-water adventures is a time-honoured river
running tradition

As I lined up my small boat on a collision course with the guts of the rapid, I watched Captain Rana guide his raft into the white-water mayhem in front me. One moment, the raft was cruising powerfully through the big waves, and next second, it had vanished, swallowed by the gurgling, growling rapid. It suddenly dawned on me that this rapid was big. Really big. My heart was pounding as the current sucked my small craft forward, but turning back was not an option. I took a deep breath and paddled the 'ducky' forward like my life depended on it.

My ducky strongest?
As the fury of the rushing river grew ominously louder, I recalled trip leader Dhruv Naresh Rana's earlier advice. "Only paddle the ducky if you are thirsty for adventure and aren't scared of taking a few swims!" Adrenaline-junkie that I am, I opted to trade my place in the relative comfort and safety of a big self-bailing raft for a solo-seat in the small unstable ducky: best described as an inflatable kayak prone to capsizing.

By now I was engulfed in frothing white water, and was paddling hard. Waves crashed over the ducky and spray obscured my vision. I was charging into the furious rapid when suddenly a gigantic gaping hole opened up in the river just ahead. It appeared as if the river was being sucked down and swallowed by a massive standing wave. I knew I was supposed to keep paddling into the three-metre wave at the bottom of the chute, but I involuntarily froze mid-paddle stroke. There was absolutely no way a ducky could make it through this. My boat smashed into the wall of seething water

and ejected me over the bow. For an instant, I was airborne, sucking down one last deep breath before the wild river swallowed me. I tried to relax. Within seconds my life jacket rocketed me to the surface and I gasping for breath as I swam through the remainder of the white water.

Through the waves I saw Dave paddling his safety kayak hard towards me. As soon as he saw my 'okay' signal, he broke into loud cheering. Once he had towed me to the safety of the riverbank, I broke into a big smile. I wanted an action-packed white-water adventure and I certainly felt I was getting my money's worth!

Leopards and Kali
Not everyone enjoys swimming through rapids, and sturdy rafts provide a welcome sanctuary to those who are looking for a more tranquil ride through the class III+ rapids on this big volume pool-drop river. For the majority of the week-long descent, the Kali-Sarda is a benign river peacefully snaking its way through a wilderness paradise under blue skies and blazing sunshine, with only the occasional puffy white cloud to enhance the picture-perfect setting.u00a0

Hans Bohnenblust, a kayaker from Switzerland, enthused, "The Kali-Sarda offers a truly holistic river experience with beautiful scenery, great beach campsites, social campfires under star-studded skies and some entertaining white-water on a journey through a chunk of genuine Indian wilderness."u00a0 As if to corroborate his musings, when we beached our boats later that afternoon, fresh leopard tracks criss-crossed the white-sands of our riverside campsite.

Wilderness experience
A self-contained river journey down the Kali-Sarda is arguably the ultimate way to see the lower reaches of the Kumaon Himalaya. The complete lack of road access makes for a real wilderness experience. From the put in point at Jhulaghat, the river flows past the terraced farms of Kumaoni and Nepali villages, gigantic white-sand beaches, and dense tropical jungles with plentiful wildlife.

It's a predominantly peaceful river journey through deep valleys and pristine wilderness. After the first few days of serene floating, you pass the confluence with the Saryu River and the famous mahseer fishing spot at Pancheshwar. Suddenly the big rapids -- Dimberghat and mighty Chooka -- loom large on the horizon: a final white-water challenge that's sure to get the adrenaline flowing before the expedition terminates at Boom on the outskirts of Tanakpur.

A trip down the Kali-Sarda is a week-long, action-packed adventure with the bonus of warm water and exciting (rather than terrifying) grade III white-water to keep you suitably entertained during your descent. The river offers an unparalleled outdoor wilderness experience perfectly suited to both, first-time rafters and experienced white-water addicts. India's best-kept secret delivers on every level: weather, wilderness, wildlife and white-water.