Active Eye Nepal

RAFTING AND KAYAKING

For those who really want to get away from the trappings of everyday life, a rafting or kayaking adventure in Nepal is hard to beat. Nepal’s rivers are up there with the best. Most originate from the glaciers of the high Himalayas where they carve and plunge, twist and spew their way through deep mountain river gorges and forested foothills towards the Gangetic Plain.

There is plenty of white water to keep the adrenalin high, with more tranquil stretches in between allowing you time to reflect and soak up some fantastic scenery. Evenings are spent relaxing, often around a driftwood campfire. Overnight is spent in two person tents.

Rivers are graded on a scale from one to six; One being little more than a swimming pool, whilst five and six require experience and familiarity on rivers of a similar nature. Four is considered to be challenging without being exceedingly dangerous to the novice rafter.

Active Eye does not run its own rafts, we do however have a reciprocal arrangement with an established rafting company in Nepal in respect of trekking and rafting arrangements. All of our trekking guides are registered and professional in their approach; likewise all rafting staff have completed the necessary training and are registered fully experienced experts who meet the highest safety standards.

Before your trip, you are given guidance (both verbally and practically) on the do’s and don’ts of rafting with stress placed on the importance of working as a team and how best to achieve that.

Kayaking clinics

We also arrange introductory kayaking clinics during the seasons for people with little or no experience. Clinics normally run for four days and cover all the basic skills; including paddle strokes, Eskimo rolls and rescues and the art of being able to read river flows.

The Trishuli River: ( 2 days / grade 3+)

This two day trip is best done after the monsoon between the months of September to December when the monsoon rains have played their part in swelling the river to more exciting heights. The Trishuli is the most popular rafting river, due mainly to its proximity to Kathmandu and easy road access. Rafting here fits well into a trekking programme in the Annapurnas or a visit to Chitwan National Park.
The river flows through scenic valleys and impressive gorges along the way. As you descend, run offs from the high hills above swell the river level that reaches a crescendo during the last hours of the second day. After ‘Take Out’ most people travel on to either Pokhara for trekking or Chitwan for a safari experience.

The Kali Ghandaki: (3 days / grade 4+)

Named after the goddess Kali, The Kali Ghandaki rises in upper Mustang, a remote region of Nepal on the borders of Tibet. This wild and unpredictable river (like the goddess herself) winds its way through remote canyons where the rapids are continuous with little time to rest in between. The Kali is a lot more technical than the Trishuli, it combines some fantastic white water along with exceptional scenery and remote villages. Being a holy river there are many cremation sites along the way.

The approach to the Kali Ghandaki involves a journey to Pokhara (see trekking Annapurna region) followed by a further 60 kms by road . This trip can quite easily be combined with a trek in the Annapurnas.

Bhote Koshi: (2 days / grade 4/5)

Soon after putting in, the beauty of the Bhote Koshi is clearly evident,. This wild river provides an adrenalin rush you will find hard to equal in life. It is also easy to combine an extreme rafting experience with all or any of the other adventurous pursuits available in Nepal. A journey here would fit easily into an Everest Base Camp trek within a 20-day itinerary or Annapurna Base Camp. It is arguably the best two day rafting trip in the world.
The river originates from the high Bhot and Shisma Pangma (the tenth highest mountain in the world) in Tibet. It carves its way through some tremendous scenery and remote valleys before it eases to a more placid pace near the dam at Lamosangu.‘Put In’ is a three hour drive north of Kathmandu near the Tibet border.

Marshangdi: (4 days / grade 4/5)

Known as the raging river by the local people, the Marshangdi is rated as one of the best white water runs in the world, with a series of class four and five rapids. The combination of the natural surroundings along with the local people and culture has earnt the Marshangdi a place up there amongst the top five rafting rivers in the world.
The trip to reach the ‘Put In’ point is almost as memorable as the journey to come. After a four-hour bus ride from Kathmandu we need to trek and ride up the valley that provides some magnificent views of the Manaslu and Annapurna ranges ahead. Rapids on the Marshangdi are steep, consecutive and technical making this river a serious undertaking and one that demands a lot of respect. Previous rafting experience is highly recommended.