Monsoon thrills

With the arrival of the monsoons, Mumbai gears up for some unique adventure activities meant specially for the rains

Mumbai has already experienced its first showers and it is goodbye to the heat wave. While most Mumbaikars had been waiting for the monsoons to strike as a respite from the water crisis and the heat, there are a bunch of adventure sports and activities that can make the rains a lot more fun outdoors. Whether you want to experience the thrilling rapids of the rain-fed rivers, or simply soak in the lush green beauty of nature, cycling down the Western Ghats, now is the time to do so. Adventure guides and experts give a low-down on how to find yourself the best outdoor adventure for the monsoons.

Somit Doshi, Vertical Bug: Canyoning is a sport, which can take place only in the monsoons. It is different from rappelling in a way that you also have elements of slithering, hiking and traversing involved. If the ground is dry, it becomes appropriate for only rappelling. The biggest challenge to canyoning is the unpredictability of the weather. You may have to wade through hip-deep pools of water or rappel in extremely slippery conditions.

As far as safety measures go, we carry basic first aid and each person climbing down is tied to a harness, so that they don't fall to the ground even if they slip. The canyoning trip we have planned for July is a climb down a waterfall in Bekre near Neral, which is a one-day adventure. This is not as difficult as other sports and if people have comfortable shoes and proper gear, even beginners can make the trek. Sumit will be organising canyoning in Bekre on July 17 Cost per head: Rs 1,500 For details contact: 022-24036726

Abhijit Mathere, Lets Camp Out: There’s a seasonal waterfall located at an 8 km trek distance from our base in Lonavala where we organise waterfall rappelling. We gather in Lonavala in the morning for the trek and then organise the rappelling in the afternoons. Not many people know about the location of this waterfall, since there are other perennial falls that are more popular in Lonavala.

Waterfall rappelling is different from usual rappelling because you have to take into account the tremendous force of the waterfall. Since we mostly take beginners, we use the side of the falls with the weaker tide. You also need to have top-of-the-line equipment, since the rocks are slippery and it's quite possible to slip, in which case only the harnesses keep them from falling. Abhijit will be organising waterfall every weekend from July 29 till the end of the season. Cost per head: Rs 1,399 + 3.50 per cent Govt Service Tax. (Including breakfast, tea and lunch) For details contact: 9819813493

Prasad, Travel361degrees: Cycling during monsoon months is a completely different experience from the night cycling tours we usually organise. Since the trip is from Neral to Khandas Village, you get to see a lot of forest cover and stretches of lush fields. It is true that you get slippery terrain with the rain, so we have a safety vehicle come along with us for the tour. If someone is feeling ill or has an accident, they can travel aboard the safety vehicle. We also rest in the safety car when the rains become too heavy for cycling.

What people should remember is that this is meant to be a fun ride and not a race. While we have some seasoned cyclists, there are many who are getting on a bike for the first time. We provide geared bikes to those who do not have them, for an extra fee but we mostly allow any type of cycle. Prasad will be organising monsoon cycling on July 10, 7 am onwards Cost per head: Rs 600 (Including breakfast and lunch)/ Rs 1,900 (Including breakfast, lunch and geared bikes) For details contact: 9594569068

Andre Morris, Outbound Adventure: The most popular sport during the rains is, of course, white water rafting. We take our participants to the Ulhas River, a completely rain-fed river that has some interesting rapids during the monsoons; we are the only ones who take on this river as of now. We wait for a couple of weeks after the start of the monsoons to let all the debris in the river clear up. Since Ulhas is narrower than many other rivers, we have designed smaller boats that fit six people.

You can take an auto from Karjat or simply drive the entire way to Kundan Village, the starting point. Be warned though, rafting in this river is a bit unpredictable, since it's completely rain-fed. So, if there is too much or too little rain, we have to cancel the tour. We usually warn our participants that this is not a joy ride but an adventure ride! Andre will be organising white water rafting in the Ulhas River in the 1st or 2nd week of July. Cost per head: Rs 2,000 (Including rafting, gear, lunch and transportation from the ending point to the starting point of the river) For details contact: 9820195115