Hi All,
As if trekking wasn’t exhausting enough, we decided to book a four day white water rafting and kayaking trip in the north of Nepal (actually Danielle’s idea this time). Our drive up to Bhotekoshi River was absolutely stunning. From the winding roads we could see down into the Kathmandu valley as the sun rose and began to clear away the morning haze. In the distance we could see the Everest mountain range but unfortunately the top of the world itself was obscured by the clouds. We arranged two nights at basic camping accommodation for kayaking and one at a more established riverside lodge for rafting.
Upon arrival we were handed our tent, roll mats and sleeping bags; our hostels now seeming like 4* hotels! The orange tent reminded us of Glastonbury but instead of music and fellow festival goers, we were greeted by the sound of birds and insects in the Nepalese forest that surrounded us! With our belongings unpacked and seated under a cosy outdoor canopy we felt at home in our new surroundings and excited for an action packed few days.
Kayaking got off to a shaky start. All the skills we had learnt on our recent trip to Llangollen in Wales went straight out the window when faced with rapids and strong currents from the get go. Gingerly, we navigated a few rapids and pulled into an eddy (calm side water). Ross, who has more experience, picked it up much quicker and was able to take in the incredible panoramic views. Meanwhile, Danielle had flipped the kayak and was flapping around in the water while heading downstream in an attempt to catch up with it; also looking like she had forgotten 7 years of swim training! Ross could only look on as our instructor went to the rescue. Thankfully, the afternoon went much smoother. We both honed in on our skills and rebuilt our confidence. By the end of the day we could cross the river against the current and eddy in and out of currents and calm water.
Our way back was interesting. Unlike our well organised tour in Wales where a mini-bus was waiting to take us back to base, we had to catch a public bus back. Our instructor bartered with the driver to put the kayaks on the roof while, soaking wet, we squeezed on to the already crowded bus. The locals looked less than impressed. Although we were heading back to a tent for the night, so were the men working on the shores of the river. Their job is to hand dig sand for building work as no machinery is allowed for excavation. The tents that spanned across the shores were made from a few sticks and a tarpaulin. Inside were only a few belongings and a couple of blankets - we were no longer feeling for sorry for ourselves with our temporary tent.
Day two on the water was much more successful - although we both went unintentionally ‘swimming’ on several occasions! Danielle’s panic from the day before had subsided and we both felt more confident navigating the rapids with our instructor. The amount of white water was a dramatic increase from yesterday; waves 4ft tall and jutting rocks meant that we had to think quickly. Ross took the first capsize of the day when rapids sucked him under. No sooner than he had emerged, the instructor yelled to grab onto his kayak as more rapids were coming!
The scariest part of the day was learning to perform the T-rescue move to upright the kayak following a capsize; opposed to pulling off the spray deck, scrambling into the water, and filling the boat. Flipping the kayak upon instruction was easier said than done as the thought of ending up upside down and not being able to get out is not an appealing one. We did both manage to right ourselves in the end, Ross even moved onto attempting half roles.
On our third morning, we headed up the river to ‘The Last Resort’ for a day of relaxation. We were shown to our luxury tent - complete with a proper king size bed and electricity. The camp was set at the side of the river and had beautiful stone outbuildings for the restaurant and bar. We ate too much and enjoyed our day reading by the plunge pool.
Day four spent white water rafting was so much fun! Unlike kayaking there was a much greater margin for error, and 6 other people to pick up the slack! We arrived at the rocky beach and our hilarious Nepalese instructor explained the basics. We piled in and headed down river, paddling in time to prevent the raft from spinning. Unlike the kayak where we cautiously picked a path through the rapids, the raft bulldozed straight over the smaller waves and catapulted us into the air on the larger ones. At one point we stranded ourselves on a boulder before the water dragged the raft to the side and back into the rapids. As we came into calmer water our instructor asked if we fancied jumping from a huge boulder into the fast flowing water. Needless to say we both did!
We returned back to Kathmandu feeling shattered after our time on the river but with another fantastic experience to remember. After our pictures are two videos so make sure you click play!
Love R and D xxx
Comments