Peace Nepal Treks : Nepal trekking, Trekking, Tour, Expedition, Peak Climbing, Rafting, Jungle Safari in Nepal

Those who have been to Nepal often ask: “what has changed in Nepal in the last few years?”

The river running scene

• A lot more people are coming to Nepal specifically to go for whitewater rafting and kayaking in Nepal’s amazing rivers. The message is out on the international grapevine that Nepal is the best place in the world for multi-day adventure trips!
• Rafting companies, both large and small, have become more safety oriented and as a result, safety kayakers are now common place. Even the equipments that are used on the rivers and the service standard of the rafting companies in Nepal have improved a lot in recent years.
• Local Nepali raft guides have taken up kayaking with enthusiasm and are now adding to the world-class level by competing in the Rodeo World Championships.
• For people who are interested in rafting, there is now a wider selection of trips on a number of more rivers in Nepal. Even the Marsyangdi and the Tamur are now open for rafting and some exciting high water trips can be operated even during the Monsoon when the water level is high.
• Better roads and reasonable helicopter flights has made difficult places to be easily accessible.
• Kayak clinics have taken off really well as people have realized how warm and friendly rivers like the Seti are. Some people are not aware of the fact that Nepal is one of the best places in the world to learn kayaking!

Introduction to Nepal
Nepal is a river runner’s paradise. No other country in the world has such a choice of multi-day trips on amazing rivers that flow amidst magnificent mountain surroundings. The warm river water, a semi-tropical climate, impressive geography, exotic cultures, wildlife and friendly welcoming people is very hard to resist! Anyone who has been to Nepal will tell you that Nepal is a magnificent holiday destination with its fairy tale land of temples, mountains, dramatic festivals, exotic cultural diversity, colorful people, medieval villages, superb craft shopping, great food and sight- add to that the bonus of rafting and kayaking in some of the world’s best rivers!
Forget the images of hard ‘Expedition’ boating- yes, there are a few rivers like this but Nepal is just an awesome holiday destination for the average recreational kayakers. Most of the rivers in Nepal are class 2 to 4 and you don’t have to have any special rafting skills to come and try your hands at rafting or kayaking in Nepal. Every person who has holidayed in Nepal has enjoyed themselves immensely. However, in order to make the trip a memorable one, one has to bring the right mental attitude and values, especially time values as you might have to be more flexible and tolerant regarding punctuality to enjoy your time and avoid unnecessary stress.
Rafting in Nepal is usually a ‘wilderness’ experience, a soft and tamed one, as most rivers do not have highways alongside them. Nepal has incredibly white beaches for camping, clean blue rivers, friendly locals and just a few of the ‘nastiest’ mosquitoes and other biting insects (one of the things that isn’t sufficiently appreciated is the dearth of mosquitoes and other biting insects that are in a far lesser number compared to other countries like Peru). Someone has rightly described Nepal as a destination for “blissful escapism”!
Incredibly inexpensive, Nepal is a peaceful democratic country where tourists, rafters as well as kayakers get a warm welcome as this is one of the best forms of eco-tourism.

Why is Nepal famous for rafting?

• A paradise for the average recreational kayakers and rafters.
• Finest choice of multi-day trips in the world.
• Warm water and white beaches.
• Semi-tropical climate.
• Friendly welcoming people.
• No bugs! (Well, almost).
• Spectacular mountain scenery.
• World-class whiter water.
• Rich cultural heritage.
• Wild life & jungle.
• Many rafting and kayaking trips are easy with over 800 kilometers of class 1-3 rapids.

The Rivers

The antecedent system of river drainage partly explains why the rivers of Nepal are so good for rafting and kayaking. The rivers don’t just rush straight down to the plains, but follow convoluted courses traveling through the Midland valleys of Nepal and then cutting their way towards the more mighty gorges through the Mahabharat Range. The profile of the Kali Gandaki River is typical of many Nepalese Rivers as the gradient eases off at an altitude of around 1000 meters (3500 ft). This explains why most rivers run at a relatively low altitude. All the Himalayan Rivers are actively down cutting and carry a lot of materials as sediments in addition to boulders that trundle along the bottom. Hold a paddle shaft to your ears and you may hear the sound!
There are tremendous variations in the volume of water in the rivers. Typically, the mean monthly flow in the monsoon is over ten times more than that of the low water and the instantaneous highest flow may be 80 times more! These are some of the mightiest mountain rivers of the world!

The People
The physical diversity of this colorful land is mirrored in the numerous different tribes and ethnic groups who make up its population. Each group has its own strong cultural traditions, dress and language. High in the mountains, you may meet the Bhotias of Tibetan origin or the famous Sherpas. These high mountain people have always been great traders who supplement their subsistence farming with trade over the high pass to Tibet. The Thakalis are another tribal group who originally occupied the Kali Gandaki valley. They have successfully made a name for themselves as skilful traders and innkeepers.
On your way down the river, you may pass the village populated by Magars and then, a few kms further, a village of the Rais tribe. The guides will be able to recognize the tribe by their distinctive architecture. You will also get to meet ferrymen whose family have been ferrymen from time immemorial and get the opportunity to see them skillfully paddling their dug-out canoes (Dungas) against the current.
Most of these people are Hindus. Hinduism has strong blends of Buddhism and the whole of Nepal seems to be permeated by its Buddhist past and the philosophy of tolerance and respect for life and people of all caste and creed. Despite intense pressure of poverty and limited resources, ethnic or religious strife is almost unknown in Nepal. Most visitors to Nepal are amazed at the level of tolerance and cheerfulness that can be seen among the local people. Some of your most delightful and vivid memories will be of meetings with the local traditional people.

Wildlife
Rafting or kayaking down a river is one of the best ways of viewing Nepal’s abundant and diverse wildlife. You will see a vast number of different birds, over 800 species, ranging from Eagles to Egrets and Vultures to Hornbills! Butterflies and Moths are usually more visible when you camp. There is a huge variety of more than 5000 species of Butterflies and Moths found in Nepal.
If you are lucky, you may be able to catch a glimpse of the rare Gharial Crocodile (the fish eating Crocodile with a strange long snout) or the more common Mugger Crocodile that feeds on anything including: fish, small mammals, dead bodies or other carrions. Rafting groups on the Narayani and Karnali rivers have occasionally sighted the very rare Gangetic Dolphins, one of the few freshwater Dolphin species in the world (a kayaker stands a better chance of viewing the mammals closely). If you are a fisherman, then you might be interested in the famous Masheer fighting Fish which has a recorded weight of 45 kgs!
There are several species of snakes but these are very rarely seen. Rafting groups generally see a lot of Monkeys and Mongoose sighting is also quite common. If you are lucky and on the right river at the right time, you may also see the Tiger, Leopard, wild Elephant, Blackbuck, Gaur, wild Buffalo, Rhino, Hyenas, wild Dogs, Civets, wild Boars, sloth and black Bears. These are, of course, more likely to be sighted on the more remote rivers, particularly in the west.

General Advice for the River Runners

When to go
Nepal’s climate is dictated by the monsoon which starts in June and usually finishes in late September. The monsoon brings torrential rain that floods the rivers so, most people do not want to be kayaking or rafting at this time. This can, however, be the best time for professionals and expert big water kayakers. Peak season for tourists as well as for rafting is from October through November when the monsoon is over and almost all the rivers are moderately high but will be dropping to its normal level, the temperature is warm and the sky is clear with fine and breathtaking mountain views.
The only disadvantage while traveling during this time of the year is that it is the peak season and the airline reservations are harder to get. The other setback that one might face is that it is quite difficult to predict when the monsoon will be over. The monsoon sometimes lasts a month longer than usual and this can turn your holiday into a chaos if you are planning on running rivers as the water level might still be high.
The winter months, late December through early February, are cold but one gets to enjoy the clear sky and the water level on most of the rivers will be low. Lots of river running groups come to Nepal during Christmas and have the time of their life. But the one thing that you should expect, if you are planning on rafting and kayaking during winter, is that there will be cold water and you should perhaps think in terms of wet suits and dry tops.
Late February through early May is also a good time for river running as the water level is reliably low, the air temperature is warm and the rivers are warm and blue. The major disadvantage during this time is that the air is often hazy and you can not be assured of stunning mountain views. In addition, there might be occasional showers of rain.
Pokhara, because of its altitude of 800 meters, gives a fair indication of the average temperature that most river runners may encounter.

Conservation
Every year, the annual monsoon brings a huge deluge that sweeps down the rivers and scours it clean. Thus, camping on riverside beaches in Nepal has a different environmental impact than camping by the rivers in North America or other countries. We suggest that our valued guests practice the following guidelines:

1. Try to limit the size of your group. An excessively large group will geometrically compound your impact on the riverside environment.
2. Leave your camping beach cleaner than when you arrived. The trait of a good raft guide is that he/she always organizes a ‘sweep’ of the beach before departing.
3. Paper and cardboard waste should be burnt. We suggest that you keep your own plastic bag (small) for burnable waste, cartons, old bandages, tissues, cigarette butts etc. and burn the contents when directed by your guide. Please note that cooking fire may be considered holy by some, so, please make sure that you ask the guide before burning the stuffs in cooking fire.
4. Please carry all the non-biodegradable items like: cans, tins and bottles when you leave the river bank so that they can be disposed off in the right place except if the local people request to use those items as containers. It is environmentally unacceptable to bury these items as the next monsoon will sweep them down the river and expose them on another beach. This might be a potential safety hazard as other people might cut their feet.
5. Vegetable waste such as: onionskins and potato peelings should be buried well away from the composite high water level during the monsoon.
6. Food scraps and washing water etc. should be disposed off in the main current of the river and not in an eddy. Greasy washing water should first be filtered through kitchen paper and the paper should later be burnt.
7. Toilet pits should be dug well away from the camping site and below the monsoon high water level. Used toilet paper should be put in a bag to be burnt later. The best practice would be to carry a lighter and burn your own toilet paper.

These basic guidelines have the backing of all the reputable rafting companies and are strictly followed. Do not hesitate to encourage your team members if they neglect something. We will be able to protect our beautiful river environment only if all of us show positive concern and act accordingly.
Nepal Association of Rafting Agents (NARA) requests you to report any flagrant breach of these guidelines. Please take out time to report this as Nepal cannot afford river rangers and if you don’t assist us in conserving these rivers by writing to us, no one else will.

Fire
One of the major ecological problems in Nepal is deforestation. The Himalayan Tourist Code states that one should not make open fire, a general rule that anyone would agree when away from the river. However, on the large rivers of the Himalayas, the monsoon sweeps down huge quantities of drift wood that get deposited on the beaches and in well-populated areas, the villagers gather this for firewood. But, on more inaccessible places, the wood will just remain on the beaches until the next monsoon.

WIt is acceptable to use such driftwoods for small campfires and particularly for burning garbage. Sitting around a campfire occasionally can be fun, but, one does not need to do this every night and there is certainly no place for a roaring great bonfire! Some of our clients say that their best nights were under the stars or sitting with their loved ones and enjoying a candlelight dinner on the beaches.

It is pleasant to cook food on firewood, but the normal good rule is that cooking should be done on gas or kerosene stoves and fire should be used occasionally. Everyone agrees that it is ecologically unacceptable for rafting trips to use firewood as a source of cooking but, some of the guides like cooking on firewood and they will often try to shift the responsibility onto the customer by asking. “Would you like a campfire tonight?” If you are ecologically conscience, then your answer should be something along the lines of “Yes, it would be nice to have a campfire, but we don’t think its right to buy firewood, why don’t we wait until there’s driftwood available?”

Kayaking in Nepal

Introduction

Ten years ago, if you told anyone that you were going paddling in Nepal, most people would think that you were on some death-defying expedition. But, slowly, the message has spread around that you don’t have to be some hairy, aquatic Gorilla to paddle in Nepal. People over the world now feel that Nepal is a paradise for the average water recreational boater on a limited budget. As one Kiwi group said, ‘Any amateur
dude can do it”. Nepal is an exotic, friendly country with many amazing white water rivers that differ in grade from easy to difficult. However, it can particularly be recommended for its magnificent multi-day trips.

Play Boating and Kayak Rodes
Nepal has taken off really well as one of the world’s premier play boating destinations because many top world Kayakers come here to play, hang out and take part in trips as safety boaters.

The other big change in Nepal, over the last few years, is the number of local Nepalese who have taken an interest in the sports. Normally of course, the sport is associated with their work as they are awesome rafters or kayakers! There was a team from Nepal that took part in the first Kayak Rodeo in New Zealand in 1999. However, the locals have been taking part in local Rodeos since Nepal’s first Rodeo in 1973.

If you are looking for strict competition, the Kayak Rodeos in Nepal is not right for you as the Kayak Rodeos over here are mainly about having fun and partying! The events have varied each year with regards to the date and venue; however, it is normally organized during the end of the main tourist season i.e., early December. These events act as a great get-together party for kayakers from all over the world. Check out the major company’s websites & kayaking magazines for dates and venues.

Tips for planning a Kayak trip

Best months for kayaking are probably November and March.

• Though you will meet other paddlers from all over the world in Nepal, it is nice to travel with a couple of your kayaking friends as you will have a nucleus of swimming partners.
• If it’s your first time in Nepal, then, the best option would be to do a raft-supported trip as a warm-up exercise to get used to the power of the Himalayan Rivers. Popular choices are the Sun Koshi and the Kali Gandaki.
• If you’ve never done a self-supported trip before, pick an easier river than you would normally paddle so that you can really enjoy the experience.
• Now it is even harder to go on trips as safety kayakers. It is only possible during the early tourist season and if you have previous big water experience.
• If you are coming to Nepal for just 2-3 weeks, it will probably be best to hire a kayak (there are about 150 companies in Kathmandu and Pokhara). However, if you are planning a longer trip, it will be best to bring your own boat.
• Even if you manage to fly your boat free of cost to Nepal, don’t expect to be able to take it home free of cost as the airline agents in Kathmandu are not bound to honor anything that your home country’s agents may have said.
• You can probably sell your boat in Kathmandu, but not for what it is worth back home. Typically, a modern kayak in good condition will fetch around $400.
• If you are looking for big water paddling, then you would have to come during the monsoon months when the water level is high or during the early tourist season.

The best time for kayaking is the month of November and March.

Kayak Course
Kayak schools are a recent development in Nepal. Travelers, mostly people who have already tried kayaking on a rafting trip, have begun to realize that Nepal is a perfect place to learn to kayak. Most kayak clinics start with a half-day introduction on Phewa Lake in Pokhara, and then move on to a relaxed descent on the nearby Seti River with another four day’s practice and paddling with rafting support. Price for a typical five-day course is around $300, which includes tuitions, gears, food, transport, raft support and camping. This offers the tourists a great value with the added attraction of being able to causally mention that you learned to kayak in the Himalayas!

These kayak clinics are mainly aimed at beginner kayakers who have already been in a kayak before but want to learn to handle moving the water. However, the kayak clinics are also quite popular amongst the intermediate kayakers who want to revise rusty skills and build confidence in a relaxed and supportive environment.

Currently, advanced courses are not available in Nepal but there is no doubt that it will be developed in the near future. Most commercial rafting trips are escorted by safety kayakers and some of them are the world’s best play boaters who will gladly give you coaching tips. If you have organized a raft-supported trip, then the kayak guides are often included in the package and if that is not the case, it is also possible to hire a local kayak guide to accompany your group and show you the best play spots.

Those who feel that kayaking always leads to swimming in the rapids might want to try a more direct approach to river running and sign up for one of the Hydro speed clinics that are organized in Nepal.