IntoIndia

Guides

At IntoIndia, we believe that as a company we are only as good as our guides. Our team has many years of experience guiding throughout the Indian Himalaya running rivers and leading treks, from the barren cold desert of Ladakh to the tropical rainforest of Arunachal Pradesh.

All our guides speak perfect English, have current First Aid and CPR certification and form the most experienced guiding team in India today.

James (Jam) McManus After 14 years of river running and trekking all over the world, Jam decided that India should be the destination of choice for his clients. He enjoys nothing more than being on the river or in the mountains, introducing others to the beauty of the Indian outdoors.

Avilash Bisht Avilash is our main mountaineer and trekking guide. His passion and love for the mountains shines through on every trekking trip. He has travelled most of the Himalaya on various mountain expeditions and his knowledge of local people and customs make him a world class trekking guide. He is also a keen raft guide having completed all the major Indian rivers.

Pankaj Lagwal Pankaj grew up in Shimla surrounded by the giant peaks of the Himalaya and from an early age he has been drawn to Mountaineering. He has been leading peak ascents and treks since 2000 as well as climbing several peaks over 7000m. He has a degree in Philosophy and always has sometime insightful to share while trekking through the mountains!

Kaanha Singh Kaan is our regular safety kayaker on river expeditions. His talent and strength in a kayak are a real asset to the company. A native of the Tons River Valley, he grew up with the river and his experience and knowledge as a kayaker make him a hugely important member of the team.

Rosie Furlong Rosie is one of the few female guides working in India. A keen raft guide and kayaker she has worked in India since 2005 as well as working in the USA and Europe. Rosie has a degree in Environmental Science and is the driving force behind our strict responsible travel code of conduct.

Vaibhav Kala Vaibhav is a household name in the industry in India. With over 15 years experience, he is a driving force behind rafting new rivers in India. He was expedition leader on many first descents including the first commercial descents of the Brahmaputra and Tons rivers.

Dhruv Naresh Rana Rana is a keen raft guide and kayaker with over ten years experience. Having learned to kayak and raft at an early age, he has represented India at the highest level in kayak slalom. Rana brings something special to every trip with never ending enthusiasm and passion for white-water.

Responsible Travel

Economic Responsibility:

• All our fresh vegetables and fruit are sourced from markets and locally owned and run shops. Only specialist goods such as kayaks and rafts are imported.
• We are happy to advise clients on tipping. When we receive tips the money is split evenly between the guides, cooks, porters and drivers.
• We encourage clients to pay the market price for gifts and souvenirs in local markets. On IntoIndia itineraries we usually visit at least one local market and use family run restaurants where possible.
• When in transit to and from a trek or river expedition we use locally run hotels rather than multi-national hotel groups.

 Environmental Responsibility:

• If you are taking an internal flight on your IntoIndia holiday we will offset your carbon emissions through Climate Care (www.climatecare.org). We encourage you to do the same on your international flights to India. 
• We sponsor Clean Himalaya a recycling and waste management project, dedicated to maintaining the sanctity and beauty of the Ganges and Himalayas. For more information and to make your own donation please see www.cleanhimalaya.com.
• We minimise the amount of canned and packaged goods on our trips, reducing our non-biodegradable waste. 
• We operate under a strict 'leave no trace' policy. All biodegradable waste is buried deep in the ground, breaking down over a short period of time. All other waste is carried off the expedition and disposed of in a responsible manner.
• On all our trips we use pit toilets which are the most eco-friendly form of toilet available to us. We dig a hole in the ground, place a portable toilet seat over it and assemble a tent around the seat. Waste is covered with soil and lime until the hole is full. In less than a month the faecal matter will have broken down due to the action of the lime. 
• We use Katadyn filters and iodine to purify river water, cutting down on the quantity of plastic bottles used.
• In order to reduce soil erosion on trekking trips, we stay on existing trails where possible.

Social Responsibility:

• We are familiar with local customs and traditions in the areas we operate, and aim to respect these at all times. We advise clients on appropriate dress and the importance of respecting local people and customs.
• Most of our staff comes from the areas where we operate. We participate in their development within the industry providing training in first aid, guiding and English conversation.
• On IntoIndia expeditions we attend cultural and social events such as ethnic weaving centres, tea plantations, and Arrti prayer services. We encourage our clients to partake in local traditions whenever possible.

Charities

At IntoIndia we try to give something back to the communities where we operate. Below you will find information on the N.G.O's we sponsor. In brief cash donations, books, clothing, computer equipment, hospital equipment can all be put to great use in India. We are also looking for teachers who would be willing to work for at least 3 months, no formal teacher training is required. If you would like to get involved in any way, please contact us to discuss ways in which you can help.

Chander Abha Memorial School for The Blind, Kullu.

The school is located in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh about 500km north of Delhi in the Himalayas. The school provides full board to over 20 blind children some of whom have learning difficulties. The school is located on a busy street in the centre of Kullu and they are hoping to move to a better location on the edge of town. The school follows a formal curriculum but the main objective is to prepare the students for employment and self sufficiency post school.

Social Outreach Foundation, Delhi.

SOF founded in 1995 is a voluntary N.G.O set up to provide quality education for less privileged children in Noida, Delhi. The students are from poor social economic backgrounds whose parents are unable to enroll them in regular fee paying schools. Over the years the secondary school has grown in size and there are now over 200 students, 8 teachers and many volunteers. The school mission is to help their students become self-supporting individuals. SOF also supports the students post school in vocational training.

Saikripa, Delhi.

Saikripa was formed in 1988 by Anjina Rajagopal and through her guidance the N.G.O has grown steadily since. They now have 4 premises, Bal Kutir is a residential facility for homeless children, there are currently over 30 kids there between the ages of five and 16. Sai Shiksha Sansthan is a secondary school for disadvantage kids and provides education for over 300 children. Sal Bal Sansar is a primary school for slum children, it provides free education and a mid-day meal for all the students. The main purpose of the schools is to divert children towards education and spending time more fruitfully, rather than taking to begging and loitering on the streets. Finally they have a new constructed vocational train center which provides training in computers, baking, tailoring, early child care, beauty treatment and electronics to the graduates of the schools.

Safety

At IntoIndia, your safety is our number one priority, and successful trips with happy clients are the cornerstone of our company. We leave nothing to chance and have a procedure in place for every conceivable eventuality.

• Satellite phones are carried on all remote kayak, raft and trekking expeditions.
• At least one safety kayaker and one cataraft accompany all river expeditions. In the case of a raft flipping safety kayakers help and support those in the water and escort them back to the raft safely. They are faster and more manageable than rafts and are an essential part to our river expeditions. Catarafts, like catamarans, have two hulls and are virtually unflippable on even the biggest white-water. This means that they will always be around to lend a hand in the unlikely event of a rescue situation.
• We use up-to-date equipment of the highest quality. On river expeditions we use Hyside rafts, internationally recognised flotation devices and Pro-Tec helmets. We use four season, two-person tents, which can withstand the harshest weather conditions on both river and mountain expeditions.
• Our Guides. Like any company in any industry you are only as good as your staff. Our staff form the most experienced guiding team in India. They are all trained in First Aid, CPR and River Rescue. On most of our trips we have over 50 years cumulative experience. All our guides are trained in house and we source our staff from the areas in which we operate. Our guides speak perfect English as well as Hindi and some of the many local dialects of the Himalaya.
• Our Support Staff. The company could not function smoothly without experienced ground staff. They are there to ensure your trip is as good as it should be. Our staff are trained in hygienic preparation of meals and offer a great variety of food on every outdoor trip. We use Katadyn water filters on all trips to provide clean, safe drinking water.