River Rafting,Jim Corbett
Named after the hunter turned conservationist Jim Corbett, this national park is situated in Nainital district of Uttarakhand.
Established in 1936, it serves as a protected area for the critically endangered Bengal tiger of India. It is a home to about 488 species of plants and hundreds of species of animals. With extreme ecological characterstics, the park is known for its sub-Himalayan belt.
Apart from exotic wildlife, the park is known for several adventure sports as well. The forst and the foremost thrilling activity at Corbett is White Water Rafting.
River Kosi is a favourite destination among rafters. White Water Rafting at Corbett can be enjoyed most during the monsoon season. It is the season when the park is officially closed for visitors. The Kosi River, although with high water level in monsoon, is a safe zone for rafting. One can find various resorts near the river that provide facilities and proper arrangements for the sports.
Apart from white water rafting, Jim Corbett (Kosi Rover) is an ideal destination for activities like river crossing, rock climbing and rappelling (roping down) as well.
It is advised to carry dry bags to keep personal belongings while rafting. People can carry their inhalers, insulin or medicines, sunscreen lotions and sunglasses also. One should wear comfortable full cotton clothes and good rubber-soled shoes. Personal Photo Identity is compulsory while rafting in Corbett.
Rafting and white water rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk and the need for teamwork is often a part of the experience.This activity as a leisure sport has become popular since the 1950s, if not earlier, evolving from individuals paddling 10 feet (3.0 m) to 14 feet (4.3 m) rafts with double-bladed paddles or oars to multi-person rafts propelled by single-bladed paddles and steered by a person at the stern, or by the use of oars.Rafting on some sections of rivers is considered an extreme sport, and can be fatal, while other sections are not so extreme or difficult. The International Rafting Federation, often referred to as the IRF, is the worldwide body which oversees all aspects of the sport.
Safety
White water rafting can be a dangerous sport, especially if basic safety precautions are not observed. That said, fatalities are rare in both commercial and do-it-yourself rafting.Meta-analyses have calculated fatalities fell between 0.55 - 0.86%per 100,000 user days. Studies have shown that injury rates in rafting are relatively low,however may be skewed due to a large number of unreported incidents.Typical rafting injuries include trauma from striking an object, traumatic stress from the interaction of the paddler’s positioning and equipment and the force of the water, overuse injuries, and submersion/environmental injuries, non environmental, undisclosed medical conditions (such as heart problems).
Depending on the area, safety regulations covering rafting, both for the general do-it-yourself public as well as commercial operators, may exist in legislation. These range from the mandatory wearing of lifejackets, carrying certain equipment such as whistles and throwable flotation devices, to certification of commercial outfitters and their employees. It is generally advisable to discuss safety measures with a commercial rafting operator before signing on for that type of trip. The required equipment needed is essential information to be considered.
Like most outdoor sports, rafting in general has become safer over the years. Expertise in the sport has increased, and equipment has become more specialized and improved in quality. As a result, the difficulty rating of most river runs has changed. A classic example would be the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, which historically had a reputation far exceeding its actual safety statistics. Today the Grand Canyon sees hundreds of safe rafting trips by both do-it-yourself rafters and commercial river concessionaires.
Risks in white water rafting stem from both environmental dangers and from improper behavior. Certain features on rivers are inherently unsafe and have remained consistently so despite the passage of time. These would include ‘keeper hydraulics’, ‘strainers’ (e.g. fallen trees), dams (especially low-head dams, which tend to produce river-wide keeper hydraulics), undercut rocks, and of course dangerously high waterfalls. Even in safe areas, however, moving water can always present risks—such as when a swimmer attempts to stand up on a rocky riverbed in strong current, risking foot entrapment. Irresponsible behavior related to rafting while intoxicated has also contributed to many accidents.