FAQ's
1) Which Rafting Trip
For You?
2) Is it safe?
3) Do I need to be fit to
go on a rafting trip?
4) Do I need to know how
to swim?
5) I am a first timer -
can I join a trip?
6) Do I need to buy
some special gear before a rafting trip?
7) What kind of food will
I be served?
8) Is the water safe for
me to drink?
9) Where are the toilets?
10) Do I have to help out
on a trip?
11) Do I have to paddle on
each rafting trip?
1) Which Rafting Trip For
You?
White water rafting trips come in a number of different guises,
and which one you choose largely depends on your experience,
fitness and levels of gung-ho.
At one end of the scale are the rapid getaway 1-3 day long
adrenaline trips, the supreme example of which are the Ganga - a
roller coaster ride which combines excellent whitewater with
camping by the river, with campfire barbecues thrown in.
Then, there are multi-day trips, which combine thrills with
access to territory you couldn't visit in any other way. This is
expedition, or wilderness rafting where you don't see anybody
for 3-6 days, with technical rafting of Grade 3 and 4 (on some
rivers, the odd Grade 5). The Alaknanda, Bhagirathi, Kali/Sarda,
Zanskar and Brahmaputra rivers are such trips.
Speak with your guides, before you go. We have the rating
system below for you to go through, so you can choose the trip
of your liking.
2) Is it safe?
Rafting is one of the safest adventure activities you can take
part in. All our trips are guided by competent and experienced
guides with atleast five years of experience on all rivers that
we run. In addition, all safety gear like lifejackets, helmets,
footbraces etc. are provided for. River guides are trained in
First Aid and C.P.R and can handle minor injuries.
3) Do I need to be fit to go on
a rafting trip?
Rafting does not require very high levels of fitness.Nearly
anybody over 14 years of age can run nearly all rivers on offer.
Ofcourse, heart patients,expecting mothers or any other serious
ailments are an impediment.
4) Do I need to know how to
swim?
All our guided trips are open for non-swimmers as well. A
comprehensive safety briefing isgiven before each trip and
moreover, the ability to swim is not a consideration when you go
down a whitewater river.
5) I am a first timer - can I
join a trip?
Yes, all guided trips are open for first-timers as well. You
can join a weekend trip or an expedition trip, as long as you
are gung-ho about the activity.
6) Do I need to buy some
special gear before a rafting trip?
You need only your shorts, T-shirts, a pair of strap-on sandals
and your sense of humor on most of our trips. Spray jackets and
spray pants, wetsuits are provided for colder rivers, by us.
Sleeping bags for expedition-style trips are advisable.
7) What kind of food will I be
served?
Our 20 years of experience in hospitality helps us to serve you
what our guests say- The Best Food along The Ganges. Meals
served are buffet style - wholesome and delicious at camps (you
WILL be surprised!) and easy to prepare on expedition trips.
8) Is the water safe for me
to drink?
At the Camp 5 Elements we use packaged drinking water fro
cooking & drinking.On the expedition trips, water used is
spring water (preferably, the first-use kinds) which is boiled
and then treated with tincture of iodine.
9) Where are the toilets?
On our camps, we have bio-toilets in use because of closeness
to river and Reserved Forest Regulations. You however, do not
have to squat - there are proper seats.The only difference is
that you cannot use the flush.
10) Do I have to help out on a trip?
On our Camp based trips, everything is catered for and you need
to only enjoy the few days that you have taken off for the trip.
On multi-dayers, you can participate in as much as you'd like to
- helping with the rafts, the tents, the campfire etc., so
choose your own pace.
11) Do I have to paddle on each
rafting trip?
You can choose to set the pace of your own trip - each raft has
one or two non-paddling positions which you can opt for incase
you do not wish to paddle. Paddling however is half the fun and
you can participate in paddling as much as you wish to.
