| WHAT
TO BRING
Expedition elements include
professional guides and leadership, private
ground transportation, porters and permits.
Tasty and carefully prepared western meals,
rum punch, tea, coffee and snacks. We always
offer a vegetarian option and can cater
to special diets.
State-of-the-art Equipment:
self-bailing rafts, life jackets, helmets,
wetsuits on certain rivers, dry bags for
gear, tents, and camera barrels.
Personal Equipment:
The less luggage you have to carry around
the more you will enjoy yourself. Clothing
should ideally be light weight, dry quickly,
and provide insulation even when wet. Synthetic
fibers are preferable to cotton on the river
for this reason. Here is a fairly extensive
list to serve as a guide.
For Camping and Traveling
A sleeping bag and pad. Your sleeping bag
should be a two to three season bag, either
down or synthetic filled. A foam pad or
Thermarest sleeping mattress is mandatory
for a good nights sleep. For those who do
not have a sleeping bag and pad, they can
be rented easily in Kathmandu or Pokhara
for about fifty cents a day. Lightweight
pants. Cotton underwear. Light weight long
sleeved shirt or T-shirt. We use these as
sunscreen in camp....don't worry about getting
enough sun, you will. A fleece style jacket.
Polypropylene or wool is preferable.
Toiletries: keep it to a
minimum, and forget the cosmetics...., you
won't have a chance to use them. Bring plenty
of moisturizing lotion. Spare glasses or
contact lenses if you wear them. Flashlight
or headlamp with spare batteries. Water-bottle
River Wear
River sandals like Tevas, Chacos or Alps
are the preferred footwear on the river.
It is essential that all rafters have footwear
that they can wear in the raft which will
not come off in the event of a swim , as
this is considered standard safety equipment.
Old running shoes will also do. Shorts or
a swimming costume. A sarong for women (a
long piece of cloth wrapped around your
waist) is another good option, and can be
purchased cheaply in Nepal. This is invaluable
for visiting villages and respecting local
custom for dress. A baseball style cap and
good sunglasses are absolutely essential.
Sunglasses should be equipped with a retaining
device to keep them on your face where they
belong. Sunscreen (spf 15 or or greater
and waterproof) is essential DON'T FORGET
LIP BALM, SPF 15 MINIMUM!
For Trekking (Karnali,
Marsyangdi and Tamur Expeditions)
A day pack for the trek to the river. Long
sleeved thermal top and bottoms (long underwear).
Light and medium weight weaves are the handiest.
Walking shoes or light weight hiking boots
are a must. People who are used to walking
long distances over uneven terrain will
do fine with light hiking shoes or even
running shoes. Some of the guides will do
the trip in Tevas, but if you saw their
feet, you'd opt for better footwear. Heavy
mountaineering boots are more of a burden
than a blessing. Toilet paper and a lighter-
nice to have a spare.
Optional Items
Small binoculars for wildlife viewing in
the national parks. Camera and film. Also
bring a good cleaning kit, as field conditions
are harsher than in towns. Spare batteries
are also handy. Fishing equipment. Walk/Discman
and tunes. Reading and writing material.
Personal first aid kit. Perhaps the most
important thing you can bring is a good
mental attitude...
Personal Spending
There is not a lot you can buy on a river
in Nepal, bearing that in mind you will
not need to take much in the way of money,
say 500-1000 rupees (US$15). We'll fill
you in on the beer kitty when you get here.
Chocolate, sweets and cigarettes are seldom
available anywhere on the rivers; so bring
a few treats for yourself, they can be great
bargaining chips for that massage you may
need on the layover day...
A day
on the River
There are no rules to running
rivers other than those dictated by common
sense. To enjoy and learn, the participants
need to be flexible and adaptive in changing
situations. With this in mind here's what
we normally plan on any river journey...
We rise at dawn with the
sun and wander to the campfire where a huge
pot of coffee is waiting. After a hearty
breakfast and loading the rafts, we start
rafting. We try to get on the water by around
9am. On the river you'll paddle hard through
the rapids and cruise in between. On any
of the larger volume rivers you could safely
say about 30 percent of the time is spent
running rapids and 70 percent cruising.
The day's rafting is punctuated
with a leisurely lunch break around midday,
as well as stops to scout the more challenging
rapids, explore temples and villages, waterfalls
and other interesting sights. The length
of time spent rafting is directly related
to our choice of spectacular campsites.
Typically we are on the water 4-6 hours
each day. We get into camp around 3-4pm
in the afternoon and there is plenty of
time to explore and relax. On longer trips
there is always a layover day built into
the itinerary, a chance to do as little
or as much as you wish. These areas are
also difficult to get to... it would be
a shame to end up rushing. Evenings are
spent around the campfire, drinking hot
spiced rum and getting to know the people
on the trip. Food is communally prepared,
every day a different raft crew helps with
the simple preparation of vegetables. The
kitchen becomes one of the main social points
on the trip, and without a doubt the best
place to catch up on the latest gossip or
get to know someone better..."Gut that
chicken for you, mam?"
After a few days on the river,
time has little meaning, river times takes
over. Having played hard all day, it's often
a surprise to look at your watch before
going to bed to find it's only 8pm, whereas
you were sure it was closer to 10. The next
day we begin all over. Longer expeditions
have the advantages of offering some real
heart thumping whitewater with the incredible
journeying aspect of a long river trip.
With more time on the river, things are
more relaxed, relationship progress at a
more natural pace, and memories become firmly
entrenched for a lifetime. Long after the
whitewater has blurred into one long white-knuckled
thrilled ride, the memories of a moonrise
over the river and the friends you inevitably
make will remain.
SAFETY
Most people's image of white
water rafting is one portrayed by films
and the media and almost everyone who hasn't
done it imagine it as a horrendously dangerous
sport. The truth is the reverse: accidents,
even minor ones, are rare and rafting has
a much safer accident record than say mountain
biking or skiing.
For something like twenty
years Nepal had an enviable record where
no western client had died rafting, but
in recent years there have been a few fatalities
and it's probably no coincidence that these
involve low-budget operators.
BASIC
SAFETY GUIDELINES
At the time of writing there
were no minimum safety conditions recommended
by any official body in Nepal. We run the
rivers according to international guidelines
and regulations in other countries.
- Minimum of two rafts per
trip
- The person in charge of the raft is a
qualified, trained guide with a minimum
of 2 years (200 days) rafting experience.
- Our Raft guides have done the river at
least 10 times
- Our Trip Leader will have a minimum of
20 previous trips on the river
- All our guides have a current First Aid
certificate and are trained in Resuscitation
(CPR)
WHICH
RIVER ?
Your choice of river for
a rafting/kayaking-trip will depend on a
multitude of factors, many of course personal
to you, but here are some ideas to get you
started. Our river descriptions will also
prove helpful.
Remember that the time of
the year is critical to your choice; in
high water conditions, September to October,
some rivers are highly dangerous (for example
the Marsyandi) and all others are much more
difficult. You need to think carefully about
this.
In low water conditions some
rivers, such as the Sun Koshi lose most
of their interest, however the upper Kali
Gandaki and the Karnali are always good.
Long multi-day
trips
If you have seven days or
more, are looking for white water and a
really exciting and memorable experience,
then the choice is between the Tamur, the
Sun Koshi, and the Karnali - these are all
World Classics, with excellent white water,
stunning scenery, unspoiled villages away
from all roads and beautiful beaches. These
surpass all other rafting trips in Nepal!
If you are looking for a
long multi-day trip, but with easier white
water, then the best are in the Far West
of Nepal: the Seti-Karnali or the Bheri;
both remote and beautifully unspoiled.
Medium
length trips
If you still want an exciting
multi-day white water raft trip, but your
time is more limited, the obvious choices
are the Trisuli and upper Kali Gandaki.
The cheapest trip is likely to be the Trisuli
but this is spoilt by the main highway that
runs alongside most of it. The upper Kali
Gandaki is a much finer river in our opinion
and the Arun is an alternative but slightly
expensive option. For experienced rafter,
the magnificent whitewater and scenery of
the Marsyandi surpass this.
If you prefer easier water,
then the most accessible option is the lower
Kali Gandaki; this offers good scenery,
jungle, wildlife and unspoiled beaches.
Short
Trips
The Trisuli is the obvious
and popular choice for either white water
or easier rafting. However we think that
if you have 2 days and are looking for an
easy trip, then the top choice must be the
Seti, away from roads, and with beautiful
scenery. If you only have a day then the
upper Sun Koshi is relatively unspoiled
and offers perfect whit water from May to
September, yet close to Kathmandu. For the
adrenaline seeking crew, the Bothe Koshi
offers 2 days of challenge and continuous
adrenaline buzz. Most guides name it the
best two-day white water stretch in the
World!
Summary
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