By Dave Manby
Photos: Dave Manby
and Alan Fox
These two rivers rank as the best runs I have done in a while but they are almost unknown in the kayaking world! So what is wrong with them? Well, I can think of one reason: you can’t boast about them in the pub because no one has heard of these rivers.
Dave Manby
www.airtighthousetesting.co.uk/
www.davemanby.co.uk
the Saryu and East Ramganga – into the unknown
A group of mates, the majority of whom are over 50 and some over 60 years old, have been running rivers in Northern India. Using Himalayan River Runners for our logistics we have run a bunch of rivers including the Tons, the TsrapChu-Zanskar, the Ganges and the Pindar. So why am I promoting the Saryu and East Ramganga when I have run these other classics? They are a great introduction to multi-day self-support river paddling. They are not super hard with most rapids being grade 3-4. They are probably too good as a first trip; anything after these may well be a let down!
How did I hear of them? We were having dinner with Yousuf, the owner of HRR, after one of our previous trips and Yousuf suggested these two rivers for our next one. Yousuf had scouted them as a possible raft trip but had never got further than that. He passed around two or three pictures, they looked OK, so it became our next destination. That was the research we did and later I discovered my mate, Rob Hind, had been on the exploratory trip who said, “You’ll enjoy it,” which knowing Rob was sort of reassuring!
October was (almost) randomly selected by people’s work commitments and the following year we landed at Delhi airport. We were met, as usual, by Yousuf’s man and his Mahindra jeep to take all our kayaks and other gear off to the river, while we were taken to a hotel booked by Yousuf, to chill out in before catching the night-sleeper train to Kathgodam railway station.
By taking the night sleeper we:
- Avoided driving across the Ganges plain, which is not good for your nerves or life expectancy.
- Experienced Indian Railways at their finest.
- Found the best way to cure jet lag. It is not fast but why would you want it to be; who would want to arrive at their destination at 3am? Sometimes you wake in the night to find the train is stationary in a siding whilst a goods train clanks passed, but then there is a clunk as your train starts clik-clakking you back to sleep.
into the Himalayas
We were met at the station and taken for breakfast before an 8-10 hour drive into the Himalayas. This is not hard-core suffer-fest expedition paddling! A night in a government-run tourist lodge was rewarded by views of the snow-capped peaks in the morning before we headed on down to the river in Bageshwar. That afternoon there was time to walk around the town, to do some last-minute shopping and get organised for paddling the following day.
The next morning we drove a few miles upstream and had the normal struggle on day one of a self-support trip between getting what you want to take on the river and what you can fit into your boat, before setting off down the river. We were quickly rewarded with a beautiful narrow canyon and some minor rapids to stretch our limbs. Then, after paddling on down through the gravel-bar rapid and under the Bageshwar bridge, the intrusion of roads and towns were left behind. The river valley narrowed slightly and the rapids proper arrived, always with a flat stretch after to recover and laugh.
From Bageshwar we paddled for three days, running mostly read and run grade 3 to 4 rapids There was one portage which was a definite portage – you just don’t paddle rapids that go under boulders – and one we looked at long and hard before humping boats. We stopped for the occasional excursion to a temple at a confluence or just for a stretch before camping on beaches, cooking with driftwood and gazing at the stars until sleep took over.
East Ramganga
On day three the valley widened and we arrived at the take-out where the East Ramganga joins the Saryu and where a smiling Dewan and his trusty minibus were waiting. We loaded up and set off for the put-in for the East Ramganga. This run was a day shorter but just as scenic and the rapids just as entertaining. We had discussions on the flat between the rapids about which was the better river: the Saryu or the East Ramganga but we came to no conclusion before we arrived back at the confluence.
You could resupply again and paddle on down the Saryu to join the Seti River, which forms the border with Nepal and then experience some big volume paddling and even bigger sandy beaches to camp on before arriving at Tanakpur, which is where the raft trips down the Seti finish. One day I will have the two to three days spare to add this to the trip. An alternative is to visit the Jim Corbett National Park, a tiger sanctuary, for a night or two and not far off your route back to Delhi.
So what is so good about them?
Well I can think of one reason: you can boast about them in the pub because nobody else will have run them, so you can lie as much as you like!
Information
These rivers, like all Himalayan rivers, are monsoon rivers so they will change year to year, so portages may arrive or disappear. September would be high water with July and August being madness, why would you want to paddle and camp in the rain?
We have done these rivers on two occasions, in October and November. The November trip had lower water and so each river took an extra day: three nights on the Saryu and two nights on the East Ram Ganga. Bear in mind, however, that our group doesn’t start paddling till the sun is not only up but has hit the beach and warmed, if not dried our paddling kit. We do like to stop in plenty of time so we can cook and set up camp before it gets dark. We always stop for lunch.
If you were super motivated were fit and got up early, you could halve these times – but why would you? Remember the mantra, “The faster you travel the more tedious it gets.” The Gora Ganga is the next valley north and was reputed to have been an equally good paddle. When we went, there had been a major flood down the drainage the year before and the river was a mess, boulders just dropped anywhere, sandy beaches stripped away and no real form to the river – we got off fairly quickly. You could paddle it by careful scouting and frequent portages but it would have been an effort without the reward! By now it may have formed channels that did not end in a syphon!
Weather
We had warm weather and clear skies on both our trips on these rivers. We paddled in dry cags and shorts – a full dry suit would have been overkill! Youth could get away with shorty cags. November was decidedly cooler at night – I think I need a new sleeping bag before I paddle it again in November. You will need a bivi bag or tarp or a tent; the dew is heavy so don’t leave your kit out to dry – it will get wetter!
Logistics on the ground
Himalayan River Runners can be contacted at info@himalayanriverrunners.com. If you visit their website you will see they do offer guided trips based at their camps on the Ganges and Tons. The Saryu and East Ramganga are your own trip; no one is guiding you, telling you what is round the next corner, where and when to camp. It is all the better for that! HRR have run the logistics for our two trips on these rivers (and the other trips) faultlessly. If you have more than eight paddlers you will need a second minibus and if there are eight of you, don’t take too much extra baggage! Obviously the fewer paddlers in your group the higher the individual cost will be.
If you can’t fly your own boat to India boats can be hired in India, Himalayan River Runners have some and there are other operators on the Ganges basin who will hire boats and organise their transfer to Delhi for you. You should take your own paddles, dry bags and everything else for the river.
The overnight sleeper trains are very popular and book up months in advance. HRR can book these for you. They will need photocopies of passports, visa numbers and the like to book tickets – required by Indian Railways for no apparent reason.
On the river
Sandy beach camps. We had occasional visitors – more on the second trip as roads go in – mostly the visitors were people collecting sand from the beaches for building works or firewood. Occasionally we were the tourist attraction but for India it’s remarkably people free. There is little habitation on the river banks and if you want to you can always paddle on a bit!
The best bit of kit we had on the river – a Katadyn BeFree water filter. Best advice for food if you are taking dehydrated food – the sort you ‘cook’ in its foil bag – take a kettle not a saucepan they are easier to use!
Off the river
Food in the guest houses is veggie curry, rice, chapatis with dhal and it is hard to tell the difference between breakfast, lunch or dinner. Occasionally chicken was added to the menu but the area is predominantly vegetarian – the Hindu influence. We found great ‘street’ food, especially the samosas, to break the drives en-route and between the rivers. Alcohol is available – but only at government-run liquor stores. Be warned the beer tends to be 6%+ – why would you transport anything less alcoholic up those roads!
