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ARTICLE: ROSS MONTANDON IMAGES: WEST HOWLAND

Himalayan Whitewater Adventure

how to

HOW TO PLAN YOUR OWN

With big mountains, big rivers and even bigger adventures, Nepal has become a popular destination for whitewater paddlers who gravitate to its gorgeous multi-day river trips like bears to a honey-pot. If you’re looking for somewhere a little different, a step up in adventure from your usual club trip to the Alps, or similar then it could be just what you’re looking for.

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“Known as the ‘River of Gold’ this is a very popular

river for multi-day trips, sandy beaches,

cascading waterfalls, jungle corridors, big, but

friendly, whitewater, this trip has everything you

need for that perfect Himalayan adventure.”

Nepal is home to some of the best multi-day, big volume whitewater in the world. It’s a destination location that has kick started the passion for exploration and expeditions for

many budding whitewater kayakers. Its combination of diverse culture, great whitewater and not to mention paddling in the shadows of some of the highest mountains in the world is a heady mix. Nepal, with out a doubt, is a world class paddling location and, as we’re about to explain, organising your own Himalayan adventure really isn’t that hard. So here’s the CKUK guide to plan your ultimate Himalayan river trip!

IS NEPAL FOR ME? One of the fantastic things about Nepal is that it really has a great

range of whitewater, from grade 2, perfect to sharpen skills and

learn on, to remote grade 5 multi expeditions. It is one of the first,

and logistically easiest, locations where whitewater paddlers can

get to experience the joys of multi-day paddling. Not to mention

having a wealth of culture, people and breathtaking natural beauty

If you have never travelled outside of Europe, or the western

world then Nepal could certainly seem a bit of a culture shock. This

however is all part of the experience, and the main paddler hang

outs, such as Pokhara and the Thamel area of Kathmandu have all

the requirements and comforts you should need to get you adjusted.

HOW LONG SHOULD I PLAN FOR MY TRIP? Getting from place to place can be very time consuming in Nepal,

for a variety of reasons. The roads and traffic do not make travel

quick or as efficient in Nepal compared to what you are used to.

This can mean that it takes you a day to get between rivers, at the

very least. So your time can easily be soaked up in simply getting

from A to B. An absolute minimum I would recommend is three

weeks. If you are lucky enough to have time and opportunity then

five or six weeks is ideal to give you more time to explore and

adventure further a field. Stay any longer and I promise you, you

may never leave, some people don’t!

FLIGHTSThere are many airlines that fly to Nepal now. But whether they will

take your boat is a different matter. Depending on your intended trip

hiring a god quality kayak in Nepal has been made easier over the years

through various outfitters. You want to fly into Kathmandu Tribhuvan

Airport and from here it is a short journey to Thamel the tourist district.

HERE ARE A FEW AIRLINES FOR CONSIDERATION • Air India

• Jet Airways

• Qatar

• Emirates

• Turkish Air

WHERE SHOULD I STAY? KATHMANDU There are two main hangouts for kayakers in Nepal, Kathmandu

and Pokhara. Both have everything you need to refresh and

energize before heading back out on the river.

Upon arrival in Kathmandu your best bet is to head straight to

the tourist district of Thamel. It’s home to many hotels, restaurants,

rafting/adventure/trekking companies and many, many outdoor

clothing and equipment shops. From here you can settle in, find

your feet and arrange buses to Pokhara or taxis to your intended

river. He many rafting outfitters have a wealth of experience and

they can organise most logistics for you if required, for a price.

As for accommodation there are many to chose from and all

vary in price. As a guide you can get

a suitable private room for as little $8

no problem.

HERE ARE SOME OF OUR FAVOURITES TO CONSIDER Kathmandu Guest House

http://www.ktmgh.com

This is a top end guesthouse for

travellers looking for a bit more luxury.

Holy Lodge

http://www.holylodge.com

A paddler friendly hostel with simple rooms.

Prince House Guesthouse

A small but quiet guesthouse a private

room can be $10 a night.

Northfield Guesthouse

http://www.hotelnorthfield.com

Right on the main drag of Thamel with

a host of rooms for any traveller rooms

start at around $20.

RIVERS FROM KATHMANDU There are nice selections of rivers that

can be completed setting out from

Kathmandu. Some can be done fairy

quickly, others lend themselves to

perfectly to the adventure of a longer

multi-day trip.

BHOTE KOSI This has a range of grade 4/5 whitewater

making it ideal for a paddler warming up

for some of the more remote whitewater.

This run is all roadside, allowing you to

pick and choose what rapids you tackle.

The Lower Bhote Kosi is a touch more

mellow and flows out into the Sun Kosi.

BALEHPI KHOLA A real gem, slightly lower volume than

the nearby Bhote Kosi, but all with read

and run whitewater. Grade 3 /4 can easily

be done in an afternoon.

SUN KOSI Known as the ‘River of Gold’ this is a very

popular river for multi-day trips, sandy

beaches, cascading waterfalls, jungle

corridors, big, but friendly, whitewater,

this trip has everything you need for

that perfect Himalayan adventure. We

think that enjoying the nine-day run

from Dolghat to Chatra is one of Nepal’s

absolute classic river trips. u

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FURTHER READINGA pre-trip essential purchase for anyone thinking of paddling in Nepal is Whitewater Nepal 3rd Edition) by Pete Knowles & Daz Clarkson-King. Order your copy from http://bit.ly/1fQNPjS

POKHARA Pokhara is a seven-hour bus ride from Kathmandu, or a short

internal plane flight. With its mellow vibe, lakeside location

and close proximity to, in our opinion, some of the best rivers

in he country, Pokhara is a great hangout spot for any paddler.

Although considerably smaller than Kathmandu Pokhara still

has a plethora of guesthouses and restaurants to keep you

smiling, and ideal for a pre, or post, chill out. The main drag

is known as Lakeside, which, as it’s name suggests, overlooks

Pokhara Lake. From Pokhara you can arrange logistics for your

lots of the classic whitewater runs, and if you want to stay close

to town, you can even spend a day running laps on the Upper

Seti, 30-minutes outside of Pokhara. Again all the major outdoor

adventure companies have offices in Pokhara and there’s even a

great kayak shop!

RIVERS NEAR POKHARA UPPER SETIGrade 3 /4 of boulder garden whitewater, an ideal section for a rest

day, as it’s local to Pokhara.

UPPER MODI KHOLAGRADE 4/5A truly beautiful run, that flows along the trekking route in to

the Annapurna Mountain range. The upper sections require a

day’s walk in, with porters carrying your boats. There are plenty

of tea houses along the way if you wish to break it up and stay

over on the hike, and if you want to break he run in to two parts.

The Modi can be paddled from various places. The higher up

sections from New Bridge reach a continuous grade 5,whilst

further downstream, past Landruk; it tapers off to grade 4. If you

are looking for something a little less full on then the Lower Modi

holds some enjoyable grade ¾ . All the way down to the Kali

Gandaki confluence.

KALI GANDAKIGRADE 3 /4 A fun run, and very popular with commercial rafting companies over

two nights on the river. Sadly some of the classic sections were lost

to a hydro project some years ago, but it is still a fun, if shortened,

multi-day, either with raft support or with loaded kayaks. The Kali’s

almost jungle like scenery leads you through some fun whitewater,

with a few bigger rapids thrown in to keep you on your toes.

MARSYANDI GRADE 4This is many a visiting paddler’s favourite run, and can be paddled

over two days, either camping or and staying in riverside teahouses.

You could even hire yourself a taxi driver to stay with you, as the

river comes close to a road in many places, so you can call time

whenever you’ve had enough. This is another run that’s suffered from

a hydro project, but it still boasts more quality whitewater than most

European rivers can shake a stick at. If you want to push things a

little harder then venturing upstream to Ngadi means you will find

steeper, more committing, whitewater to slate your thirst.

MADI KHOLAGRADE 4/5 This can be done in one long day, or split in to a two-day run. The first

sections of whitewater are fast and committing grade 4/5. However it

soon flattens out for the remaining paddle to the take out.

GETTING TO AND FROM THE RIVERYour best bet is to arrange a taxi, and you can hire a taxi from

most rafting outfitters, or just find one in the street and negotiate,

to follow you along a river. A good alternative is to join the

commercial rafting trips, leaving you to enjoy the whitewater with

an empty kayak. Do bear in mind though that this can take some

last minute planning as outfitters keep things pretty flexible.

CURRENCY The currency in Nepal is rupees, although big purchases, such as

bills for hotels can be paid in US dollars. You can change sterling

very easily in to rupees in Kathmandu or Pokhara.

SEASONThe best season for kayakers is from September through to

December. With October being the busiest season. Whilst the

rivers are still runnable in December things can cool off in the

valleys. Springtime can also offer some good paddling, from

around Feb to May time, but the choice of rivers is more limited.

WHAT SHOULD I TAKE?The beauty of Nepal is that you can pick up pretty much anything

you need in Kathmandu, for very little cost. In a nutshell all you

really need is your paddling kit, and a medical kit (even these could

be bought in-country if needed). The rest is no problem. By the

river a pair of long trousers and a light down jacket is perfect for

the evenings and mornings. On the water a shortie can be a good

call, although it can get surprisingly chilly in some of the gorges. A

pair of board-shorts & thermal leggings combined with a lighter-

weight long-sleeved cag is a good compromise.

VISAThe visa application is very simple for Nepal; you will need a

passport that has more than six-months left before it’s expiry date.

The visa can be done online, or upon arrival. Remember to take

two passport photos with you when you travel, in fact take lots with

you as they come in handy for rafting and trekking permits too.

http://www.nepembassy.org.uk/visa.php

GET PLANNING.By now you’ll hopefully be hooked on the idea of your own

personal Himalayan adventure and will be surfing the net and

dreaming of big, fluffy waves. Now is an ideal time to begin

thinking about and planning your trip and if you do find yourself

paddling under the shadows of those magnificent mountains we

promise you you’ll return again and again. Namaste!

“One of the fantastic things about Nepal is that it really has a great

range of whitewater, from grade 2 to

remote grade 5 multi expeditions.”

ABOUT THE AUTHORRoss MontandonRoss has been writing for CKUK for many years now. He has paddled extensively in Nepal, Europe, North America, Morocco and New Zealand. Ross is a Level 5 Coach and runs his own whitewater kayak coaching company, New Wave Coaching. He runs trips to Nepal, Europe and Scotland. www.newwavecoaching.co.uk A pre-trip essential