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On the Horns of The Tons…
The Region
The Tons river flows through Garhwal, the western part of the Himalayan state of Uttaranchal, bordering Himachal Pradesh. With its source in the 20,720 ft high Bandarpunchh mountain, it is the biggest tributary of the Yamuna, and, in fact, carries more water than the Yamuna itself.
The Tons valley lies in the Jaunsar Bawar region of Garhwal, a little known area, unique in culture and history. Another name for Uttarakhand was Panchaldesh, referring to the five Pandava brothers from the great Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Pandavas, and their rivals, the Kauravas, figure especially in the anthropology of the Tons valley, where the villagers actually claim to have descended from the two clans. Their social customs are very unlike the rest of conservative Garhwal. Polyandry, and to some extent, polygamy, are the normal practice. Economically, these customs probably owe their origin to a necessity to keep population down and prevent division of property. A system of bride price, where the worth of a to-be-bride increases with the number of past husbands she has had, is still prevalent.
The Trip
A low to medium volume, Class IV river, the Tons was first run in 1980 by Jack Morison, followed by a commercial exploratory trip in 1986, which ran the entire length of the river. Since then, apart from a 15 km commercial section, the river has hardly ever been challenged. The main raft section is around Camp Lunagad, a summer camp, near Mori village.
Our associates made the first Indian descent on the hardest section on this river (Khunigad - Tiuni) in April 2003. This adventure kicks off from our base camp on the Tons river, with familiarity gained on the 15-km-long commercial section of the upper Tons near Mori. A short overnight hike into the hills adjoining whets the appetite before we begin the 60 km expedition journey, down to Icchari, where the river is dammed.
Below Tiuni, we encounter Foreplay, Premature Ejaculation, a series of Class III+ rapids, followed by Afterglow, Channel Rapid, Pillow talk, Thrice Bitten, Deadly Dedsu before we reach the bridge at Atal, the village below which we camp on Day 01. Day 02 begins with several Class 3 rapids after which we flow into a gorge where we tackle the Lone Ranger, Three Musketeers, and the Roaring Bagni. We reach our campsite near Atal for the night, covering approx. 20 kms.
Below Atal, we paddle through a long gorge where we hear ample chatter of monkeys and the call of cuckoos. The land takes a gentler and tropical rhythm from the upper, more alpine, valley near the base camp. Palm trees grow at the edge of cliffs and their roots drop 80 ft into the nourishing water of the Tons.
The gorge opens out at the bridge near Minus and the river flows gently for the next 7 kms till we reach Major Surprise, the biggest rapid on the trip. Major Surprise is followed by a series of big rapids before the river flattens out again near the dam at Icchari. The river section till Major Surprise is about 25 kms and depending on whether it”s a portage of not, and the time at hand, we either camp there or continue to reach Icchari.
2009 departure: May 22 - 30; Best raftable period: May-June (We can also customise this trip for a min. group of 6 persons).
ITINERARY:
Day 01:
Arrive at Camp Lunagad (435 km from Delhi) in the Tons valley. Overnight at camp.
Day 02-03:
Rafting on the Tons from Mori-Khunigad. Familiarization with paddling commands and paddling strokes. Overnight at camp.
Day 04-05:
Trek up to Ringalli Rest house and back, an old British Rest House. Overnight Camp. Return to Camp Lunagad by the afternoon of Day 05 for lunch.
Day 06-08:
Drive 1 hr (30 km) down to Tiuni, below the confluence of the Pabbar and Tons rivers. Begin rafting expedition to raft till Icchari dam. Overnight camps on the river. Arrive Delhi.
Cost: on Request
Cost includes (for Indians and Non-Indians):
- Drive ex-Delhi
- Restricted area permit and fee
- Tented and rest house/hotel accommodation on twin share and all meals while on the trip;
- Lead safety boater, professional guide fee and camp staff, all transfers by jeep/ coach,
- Guide, wetsuits (if required), all sightseeing.
Cost excludes:
- Delhi hotels and airport/stn transfers,
- expenses of a personal nature such as alcohol etc.;
- insurance;
- any hike in air fare/fuel cost/taxi rates;
- end of trip tips and gratuities;
- any costs arising out of unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather, landslides, flight cancellations, road conditions and any other circumstances beyond our control.
Note:
a) The US $ conversion equivalents are calculated using the exchange rates averaged over the previous year. Please check for any foreign exchange fluctuations at the time of booking.
b) Rates quoted are on twin share. If you prefer single accommodation, please check with us. If you are traveling alone and wish to share accommodation, we will try our best to find you a roommate. If that is not possible, you will need to pay a ‘forced’ single supplement which will be intimated to you.
Booking conditions: All bookings are subject to availability of space on the trips. We book space on a 100% advance. All payments by wire transfer, cash or cheque/draft in favor of "Wanderers Leisure Travels Pvt Ltd."
Activity Level
This expedition trip is designed for energetic and flexible people who have the spirit of adventure and a positive attitude. Previous experience in the outdoors and camping helps, though is not a must. These trips are participatory in nature, and everyone is expected to pitch in, set up and break down their own tent, clean their own dishes and help with loading and unloading the rafts.
Contact us for more information about this trip.. | 
