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Rafting
in Nepal
There
are numerous fine rivers in Nepal which offer excellent rafting
or canoeing. You can glide on calm jade water with a magnificence
of scenery all bout or rush through roaring white rapids,
in the care of expel river men employed by government authorized
agencies. One can opt for a day of river running or more.
 Karnali
River
The Karnali
is a gem, combining a lowland trek with some of the prettiest
canyons and jungle scenery available in Nepal. Most experienced
river people who have boated the Karnali find it one of the
best all-round river trips they've ever done. In high water,
the Karnali is a serious commitment, combining huge, though
fairly straightforward, rapids with a seriously remote location.
At low water the Karnali is still a fantastic trip. The rapids
become smaller, but the steeper gradient and constricted channel
of the Karnali keep it interesting.
Being
the longest and largest river in all of Nepal, the Karnali
drains a huge and well-developed catchments. Spring snow-melts
can drive the river up dramatically in a matter of hours -
as the river rises the difficulty increases exponentially.
The river flows through some steep and constricted canyons
where the rapids are close together, giving little opportunity
to correct for potential mistakes. Pick your company carefully.
The trip
starts with a long but interesting bus ride over to the remote
far west of Nepal. If you're allergic to bus rides, it's possible
to fly to Nepalganj and cut the bus transport down to about
five hours on the way over, and two hours on the way back.
From the frontier town of Surkhet there is a lovely two day
trek through lowland Sal forests to the village of Sauli.
From Sauli it's 180km to the next road access at Chisopani,
on the northern border of the Royal Bardia National Park.
The river
section takes about seven days, giving plenty of time to explore
some of the side canyons and waterfalls which come into the
river valley. Better-run trips also include a lay over day,
where the expedition stays at the same camp site for two nights.
The combination of long bus rides and trekking puts some people
off, but anyone who has ever done the trip invariably raves
about it. Finish with a visit to the Royal Bardia National
Park at the end for an unbeatable combination. Top
 Sun
Kosi River
This
is the longest river trip offered in Nepal, traversing 270km
through the beautiful Mahabharat Range on it's meandering
way from the put in at Dolalghat to the take out at Chatara,
far down on the Genetic Plain. Its quite an experience to
begin a river trip just three hours out of Kathmandu, barely
60km from the Tibetan border, and end the trip looking down
the hot, dusty gun barrel of the north Indian plain just nine
or 10 days later. Because it's one of the easiest trips to
organize logistically, it's also one of the least expensive
for the days you spend on a river.
The
Sun Kosi starts off fairly relaxed, with class 2 and small
class 3 rapids to warm up on during the first couple of days.
Savvy guides will take this opportunity to get the teams working
together with precision, as on the third day the rapids become
more powerful and frequent, and those on high water trips
find themselves astonished at just how big a wave in a river
can get. While the lower sections of large volume rivers are
usually rather flat, the Sun Kosi reserves some of its biggest
and best rapids for the last days. At the right flow it's
an incredible combination of white water, scenery, villages,
and truly quiet and introspective evenings along what many
people consider to be one of the world's 10 classic river
journeys. Top
 Trisuli
River
Just
out of Kathmandu, the Trisuli is where the bulk of the commercial
trips operate due to the easy access. Without a doubt this
is the cheapest trip available in Nepal - if you sign onto
a $20 a day raft trip, this is where you'll end up, and it's
no wonder.
What
makes the Trisuli so cheap is also what makes it one of the
least desirable rafting trips in the country. The easy access
is provided by the Prithvi Hwy, which is the only highway
connecting Kathmandu and India, and it runs right alongside
the river. During most flows the rapids are straightforward
and spread well apart. The large number of companies operating
on the river drives the prices down, but it also detracts
considerably from the experience of the trip. Beaches are
often heavily used and abused, with garbage, toilet paper
and fire pits well assimilated into the sand. This, combined
with the noise and pollution of the highway, makes the Trisuli
a less than ideal rafting experience.
It's not all bad news though. During the monsoon months the
Trisuli changes character completely as huge run-offs make
the river swell and shear like an immense ribbon of churning
ocean. There are fewer companies running at this time of the
year, and the garbage and excrement of the past season is
well on it's way to Bangladesh as topsoil.
The
best white water is found on the section between Baireni and
Mugling, and trips on the Trisuli can be combined with trips
to Pokhara or Chitwan.
Top
 Kali Gandaki
River
The
Kali Gandaki is an excellent alternative to the Trisuli, as
there is no road alongside, and the scenery, villages, and
temples all combine to make it a great trip.
The
rapids on the Kali Gandaki are much more technical and continuous
than on the Trisuli (class 3 to 4 depending on the flows),
and in high water it's no place to be unless you are an accomplished
kayaker experienced in avoiding big holes. At medium and lower
flows, it's a fun and challenging river with rapids keeping
you busy for three full days.
Being
one of the holiest rivers in Nepal, every river junction on
the Kali Gandaki is dotted with cremation sites and aboveground
burial mounds. If you've been wondering whats under that pile
of rocks, we recommend against exploring. Due to the recent
construction of a dam at the confluence with the Andhi Khola,
what was once a four to five day trip has now become a three
day trip, starting at Baglung and taking out at the dam site.
At very high flows it will probably be possible to run the
full five day trip to Ramdhighat by just portaging the dam
site. This option would add some great white water and you
could visit the wonderful derelict palace at Ranighat, which
is slowly being taken over by the surrounding jungle. It's
a fantastic place to stop and have a look around.
If
you are able to raft to Ramdhighat on the Siddhartha Hwy between
Pokhara and Sunauli, you could continue on to the confluence
with the Trisuli at Devghat. This adds another 130km and three
or four more days. The lower section below Ramdhighat doesn't
have much white water, but it is seldom rafted and offers
a very isolated area with lots of wildlife. Top
 Seti
River
The
Seti is an excellent two-day trip in an isolated area, with
beautiful jungle and plenty of easy rapids. Beware of companies
who market this as a hot white-water trip. While it's a beautiful
river valley well worth rafting, it's not a white-water bonanza.
The
logical starting point is Damauli on the Kathmandu-Pokhara
(Prithvi) Hwy between Mugling and Pokhara. This would give
you 32km of rafting to the confluence with the Trisuli River.
This is an excellent trip for learner/intermediate kayakers.
It
is possible to raft a higher section, starting at Dule Gouda,
which would add another 30km, but considering the quality
of the rapids it probably isn't worth it. Beware if you decide
to try the upper section of the river as it disappears underground
above Dule Gouda! Perhaps this is what they refer to as class
6.
 Bhote
Kosi River
Just
three hours from Kathmandu, the Bhote Kosi is one of the best
two-day raft trips to be found anywhere in the world. The
Bhote is one of the most recently opened rivers in Nepal,
and represents the forefront of river rafting.
The
Bhote Kosi is the steepest river rafted in Nepal - technical
and totally committing. With a gradient of 80 feet per mile
(24m per 1.6km), it's a full eight times as steep as the Sun
Kosi, which it feeds farther downstream. The rapids are steep
and continuous class 4, with a lot of Continuous class 3 in
between.
The
normal run is from approximately Hwy Km 95 (above Barabise)
to the dam at Lamosangu. The river has been kayaked above
this point, but a raft trip here would not be recreational.
At high flows several of the rapids become solid class 5,
and consequences for mistakes on the entire river will become
serious.
This river is one of the most fun things you can do right
out of Kathmandu and a great way to get an adrenaline fix
during the low water months, but it should only be attempted
with a company who has a lot of experience on the Bhote Kosi,
and is running the absolute best safety equipment and guides. Top
 Upper
Sun Kosi River
Not
to be confused with the Bhote Kosi which finishes at Lamosangu,
the upper Sun Kosi is a fun 20km stretch of easy class 2 water
and beautiful scenery. From Khadichour to Dolighat the river
is crystal blue, with brilliant beaches on which to picnic.
A great place for a short family trip.
 Marshyangdi
River
The
Marsyangdi is one of the best whitewater runs in the world.
The trip starts with a class 5 bus ride from Dumre to Besisahar,
which is a good opportunity to steel your nerves and awaken
your fight-or-flight responses. If you make it to Besisahar
intact, you're in for a beautiful trek up to the village of
Ngadi. with great views of the Manaslu and the Annapurnas
ahead of you the whole time. The scenery is fantastic.
From
Ngadi downstream to the end of the trip at Bimalnagar, it's
pretty much solid white water. Rapids are steep, technical,
and consecutive, making the Marsyangdi a serious undertakine.
Like the Bhote Kosi successful navigation of the Marsyangdi
is dependent on companies having previous experience on the
river, and using the absolute best guides and equipment. Rafts
must be self bailing, and should be running with a minimum
of weight and gear on board. Professional safety kayakers
should be considered a standard safety measure on this river.
For
people looking for a six to seven day trip with lots of demanding
white water and great mountain scenery, the Marsyangdi is
hard to beat.
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