himalayan whitewater magazine

Himalayan Whitewater|Issue#1|1

WHITEWATERmagazine

Himalayan

ExpEditi

ons

FEstiv

als

intErviEw

Issue # 1 Apr/O

ct 2013

drEams out oF dolpa

mEghalaya

#1

high pEak wildErnEss First aid

International River Day?

god own countrykErala

Surjan TamangintErvEw

2|Issue#1|Himalayan Whitewater

Kathmandu AdministrationPokhara Operations + 977 (0) 61 465730 www.paddlenepal.com / [email protected]

Nepal’s Leading White Water Adventure Company

Rafting

Kayaking

Canyoning


Publisher & EditorNEPAL KAYAK [email protected]

Contributing writersEmma MillerBen HawthorneCamille LeblancJoe Rea-DickinsNicola PickeringAnup GurungTrina PaturasYek Bahadur Nepal

Layout & DesignAnup [email protected]

Production Francis Leblanc

Advertising ContactBishnu [email protected]

CoverTaken in Thuli Bheri expeditionin Nepal By Ben Hethrone

magazineWHITEWATERHimalayan


From the Editor

Whitewater Mazineag|Issue#1|5

Welcome to the very first issue of Himalayan Whitewater Magazine. It has been a LONG JOURNEY... but here we are sharing incredible & refreshing Himalayan Whitewater adventures with you!

The Republic of Nepal is often described as ‘the rose caught between two rocks’. This famous Nepalese saying emphasizes that the rose can not bloom because of the presence of these two large rocks. In reality, this saying applies very well to the whitewater industry of Nepal, which is the most developed within the Himalayan region. Nepal has over 30 years of whitewater history - a wonderful whitewater playground with a massive variety of rivers yet to be discovered. The whitewater industry should be blooming and leading the way for our neighbouring countries; however, it seems that numerous “rocks” and obstacles are in the way preventing our industry to shine as it should.

Regardless of our political instability, business & development challenges, every year we meet people and make new friends that have had an incredible time on our Himalayan rivers. From a solo adventurer’s expedition in the remote mountains to a first-timers’ commercial rafting holiday - everyone who has experienced Nepal’s whitewater have lived a unique adventure and their stories deserve to be shared.

So here we are, committed to bring you the best of the life on the river from this side of the world. We will tell your river stories and share your feelings & your emotions. Together we will inspire both experienced paddlers as well as those yet to experience our incredible Himalayan whitewater. Along with sharing genuine river stories, we will highlight local paddlers, share knowledge on river safety & discuss environmental issues unique to our Himalayan whitewater playground. Our goal is to be your portal to all things about whitewater and provide the inside scoop with up-to-date information on whitewater events and river festivals in the Himalayas.

We will do our best to offer something new and fresh to the paddling world by delivering exciting river stories along with beautiful photographs and relevant news. Above all we hope that we can help our incredible Himalayan and place it as an essential whitewater be discovered as an essential destination on the world kayaking map.

As Joe Rea-Dickins mentioned in his article Meghalaya (India) could be the world’s next Norway or California. And we would say, YES there are plenty to be explored in the relatively untouched landscape of the Himalayas...”

Keep Rolling -

The Editorial TeamHimalayan Whitewater Magazine


DREAMS OUT OF DOLPA

14INTERNATIONAL RIVER DAY

22“When we take care of the river, only then will we be able to take care of the earth”.

WHITEWATER FESTIVAL

APR/OCT 2013 - Issue #1

CONTENTSHimalayan Whitewater Magazine

EDITORIAL5

MEGHALAYA (INDIA)

Kayaking in the wettest state in the world.

The river starts small and cold, and for the first few kilometres lets you warm up before you get into a 6 or 7 km section of class 4 & 5 which is a lot steeper than its looks on the walk up!

51 Nepali & 38 foreigners from 13 different countries put on their bibs and prepared to participate in the 3 different kayaking disciplines.

28

8


WHITEWATER FESTIVAL

GANGA KAYAK FESTIVAL 38 Festival committee has dreams of making this potential known throughout the world.

Himalayan Whitewater Magazine is available online, free of charge. Any questions regarding distrubtion please contact [email protected] you would like to advertise in Himalayan Whitewater Magazine please contact [email protected]

The publisher makes every efforts to ensure the magazine content is correct. No person, company, organization or party should act up on the published content in this magazine or rely on without first obtaining the advice of fully qualified person. All material published in the Himalayan Whitewater Magazine is copyright and unauthorized reproduction is forbidden. The editors and publishers of this magazine give no guarantee, warrantee or assurances and make no representations regarding the service advertised in this issue.

SURJAN TAMANG 34 Sometimes in Nepal it is not about having talent, it is about having the right person to give you a chance, and take that chance when it comes.

Focus on a local paddler


ARE YOU WELL EQUIPPED?46 The water is unforgiving whether you are trying new lines, running new stretches of river or taking clients out on a familiar stretch of water.

44god own countryKERALA (INDIA)Festival committee has dreams of making this potential known throughout the world.

HIGH PEAK WILDERNESS

FIRST AIDIf safety standards are

raised and qualifica-tions are available it surely will lead to

improved employment and an increase in

tourism… 40


Dreams Out of dolpaBy: Ben Hawthorne

Richard Young


The THULI BHERI through the heart of lower Dolpa region in western Nepal. It is one of the classic world multi-day river expedition, with a week worth of amazing class 4/5 paddling in a stunning and remote location. Having narrowly missed out on a trip during my last visit, I was back in Nepal due to work demands and I was determined that I would get on it this time.


Allow 2 to 3 days since the journey to the Thule is an expedition in itself. 18 hours overnight on a bus from Pokhara to Surkhet, a short

truck drive to the airport courtesy of our pilot and an intimidating flight through the mountains into Dolpa. We were more than slightly nervous about flying in a small plane in Nepal but we soon found out the reason these pilots have such a good reputation! Skimming low over the ridges our eyes caught the stunning views of Dhaulagiri (8,167m) and other snow capped peaks. But these giants were quickly pushed aside when we spied our river glinting in the morning sun far below...the crystal clear waters of the Thule Bheri. “Hey, its all class 2 from up here.” Our jokes were again interrupted by the sight of a fast approaching mountain and the landing strip. I gripped my seat tighter as we bumped down in a huge cloud of dust. We were there!

In Pokhara we were advised you don’t need permits or passports for the trek in or anywhere along the Thule river, only if you cross over into Shey Phoksundo national park. As a bit of advice for other paddlers however; you don’t need the permits but it’s a good idea to get some and take your original passport. It can save you a lot of hassle with scheming con men...Not doing so cost us a stressed out day in Juphal which is a really beautiful spot offering fine views of the surrounding peaks...but not where we wanted to be. The next morning we managed to negotiate our way, grab some porters and we were on our way to Dunai, the district capital. Dunai, is a pleasant small town on the banks of the river. We left most of our gear in the comfortable Blue Sheep Trekkers Inn, allowing us to paddle from Tarakot with light boats.

We were incredibly lucky with the weather throughout the whole trip, blue bird days and beautiful cloudless skies! The mountains glowed in the autumn sun and monkeys tumbled rocks down the cliffs as we hiked 7 hours up the valley to our put in.

There is a single guest house at Lingmo, just below Tarakot, conveniently right next to the bridge, and after arranging our room for the evening we hiked up to the main village. Tarakot is situated on a ridge higher up the trail and is an incredible place. The buildings appear as an optical illusion, rising straight from the hillside and there are no streets or footpaths. The inhabitants make their way around on the roofs with wooden log ladders. As we reached the edge of the village, a local man stopped us with baby on back, gathering rocks and speaking almost perfect English invited us to his home. We spent the next couple of hours drinking Tibetan tea in the company of our host and his family. I will keep this beautiful moment with me for a long time. We left reluctantly, and fell into our beds, filled with a renewed warmth and vitality for this fascinating place and our mission to come.

GETTING THERE

10|Issue#1|Himalayan Whitewater 10|Issue#1|Whitewater Mazineag

We woke up early and excited. After breakfast we met with the local police who wanted our information in case we had any accidents. They then helped us carry our gear to the river and showed us the best place to put on, and we were off!

The river starts small and cold, and for the first few kilometres lets you warm up before you get into a 6 or 7 km section of class 4 & 5 which is a lot steeper than its looks on the walk up! Then we faced couple of severe portages and some sweet corner boofs before mellowing out back down to Dunai.

Before setting off on the next day, we relaxed and inspected the beautiful Buddhist and bon gompas above the town of Dunai and our hosts offered us lunch. In high spirits we paddled for 2 hours (17kms) of gentle water to Tibrikot.

Along the way, we enjoyed the sunshine, fabulous mountain views and the stunning temple above the village. Built on top of a cliff looking down into the golden canyon, the temple gets the first and last rays of the sun, a truly sacred place. We found ourselves a tea house for the night, near the river and went to bed full of dhal bhat and expectation for the next day; when the Thule Bheri will really get going...

After Tibrikot, the proper paddling starts. Just after the bridge you are straight into solid class 4 & 4+ rapids, which carry on straight into “The Golden Canyon” and don’t let up for the better part of 60kms or 4 days paddling!! Again, the weather was smiling on us and we were loving life as we eddy hopped and scouted our way down the Thuli.... always interesting and exhilarating, sometimes scary!

THE RIVER


Approaching 4pm we all confessed to being a little tired and scouted a camp site a beach on river left. We found the perfect spot with plentiful firewood and no habitation in sight. Matt found an Australian commemorative 50c coin on the rock next to the camp fire, surely a token left by a group we had heard were just a few days ahead of us on the river. Glad to have shared such a beautiful spot with others we left our own memorial before departing.

The next day, the paddling continues at a solid 4+ most of the way down to the dreaded Awalgurta gorge, a short but intense section of class 5 to 6 rapids which we had been warned about. We decided to portage this and we reached our final destination of the day in the afternoon of day 4, right in the middle of

a local festival.As we pulled up on the beach we

immediately became the main attraction but lucked out as we were quickly introduced to Deepak, a local English teacher who helped us arrange porters and then found us a tea house 5 minutes walk from the put in!

Below Awalgurta, more sweet paddling led us down to a short but tough canyon we nicknamed Barneys for the pink granite. After 5 days on the river together we were communicating and paddling very fast now and we covered a massive distance down to Karangkot where we camped, exhausted but elated. We knew we were through the main body of the hard-core paddling and were filled with a sense of great fulfilment as we swapped tales around the campfire.



As a team, we proclaimed there would be no scouting on this last day of rapids (and we stuck to this even when we probably shouldn’t have!). Making super fast time we reached the confluence with the Sani Bheri around midday and continued our journey down the now flat and braided river. We arrived at our final camp on a quiet beach before the last stretch and my exit from the trip. Richard, Matt and I were in reflective mood as we approached Devisthal. It had been an incredible 10 days of travelling & paddling and we were sad to say goodbye to each other.

Strapping my boat to the roof of the local bus, I breathed a sigh of satisfaction, a long-term dream of mine fulfilled. This river I have dreamt about for so long kept all her promises: a technical and enjoyable paddling at all times, majestic views of canyons and surrounding landscapes, welcom-ing villagers and authentic stories shared with locals.

Namaste and dhanyabad Thuli Bheri, a wonderful and amazing river in the hidden land of Dolpa.

12|Issue#1|Whitewater Mazineag

PhoToS: Ben hawThorne & richard Young

PaddlerS: Ben hawThorne, richard Young & maTT TaYlor

EPILOGUE


MeghalayaBy: Joe Rea-Dickins

Kayaking in the wettest state in the world

Joe Rea-Dickins

Delhi Meghalaya


However within a few hours of paddling on day two, we approached a horizon line bigger than most and jumped out of our kayaks to scout the rapid. It turned out the river was in a hurry to get all the way down to Bangladesh.

“ “



aBove lefT: at autumn festival Khasi boat race, aBove righT: Scouting a sketchy 50 footer on the Kynshi later named “Shillong in a box.” This beast was run only two weeks later by an American group close on the heels of Chris, Dan and Joe, Below: daY one of The KYnShi



It is a strange thing. In many countries, where rivers are fed by rain, kayakers spend all their time complaining about how dry it is. So when my friends and I started looking into going to Meghalaya, a state in northeast India that receives the

most rain anywhere in the world, we were amazed to discover that no previous kayaking trips had travelled there.

After a long chain of lucky coincidences, we found ourselves in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, in early October 2012 staying with Zorba Laloo, a local who had taken up the sport of packrafting only one year before. This meant that he had been able to get out onto some of the small technical creeks around Meghalaya which allowed us a great starting point for our expedition.

Rather than going off to do a section already paddled by packrafts, we ran a first descent of a section of Wa Rymben, alongside Zorba and his friend Gregg, in their packrafts, a truly hilarious day out. We were being followed alongside the river by around 50 locals who were on the bank, and every time we came to a major rapid or drop we got to watch these one man packrafts follow us down, sometimes upright, but often not. The river itself was good f u n but was a little low. However in

September, at the tail end of the famous monsoon, it would be much like a Norwegian river in the middle of a jungle: fast, steep, big and continuous.

After Wa Rymben and a quick break chilling out and

making new friends in Shillong, enjoying the great night life

and diverse cultures of the north east we headed off to our second river, the Umngot, to discover quite how committing the rivers of Meghalaya are. We figured after a successful first run of Wa Rymben we could attempt a full stretch of river, beginning at the top of the Meghalayan plateau at 1,000m and

finishing at the Bangladeshi border at 60m altitude. We knew that the river dropped the full 1500m in a 40-60km stretch of river and we had worked out the average gradient was similar to a testing Welsh river, but we never looked at specific sections. It started out great, with nice pool drop sections and spent a day on some great boulder garden style grade 4/4+. However within a few hours of paddling on day two, we approached a horizon line bigger than most and jumped out of our kayaks to scout the rapid. It turned out the river was in a hurry to get all the way down to Bangladesh. What followed was a completely unrunnable set of waterfalls that totaled around 160 meters that were walled in on both sides, surrounded by steep jungle walls that didn’t allow for a route to portage.

We were being followed alongside the river by around 50 locals who were on the bank, and every time we came to a major rapid or drop we got to watch these one man packrafts follow us down, sometimes upright, but often not.

“ “



We decided that the only option we had was to leave the river and begin our exit. With the help of a fisherman who just so happened

to be looking for fish at the last eddy before the horrendous drop, we negotiated the ‘path’ which was essentially a 45 degree mud slide through thick jungle for the remaining hours of the day, and chose to return to camp at the river due to the worrying wildlife that lurked in the jungle, and the vicious midges that swarmed us on the walk up. The following day involved much of the same, negotiating dubious tracks through thick jungle and crops, climbing around 500m altitude to the top of the plateau and walking around 8km with our fully loaded kayaks. Fortunately for us, we were able to reach a road and flag down a vehicle by sunset and were able to make it back to Shillong in time for the first ever drum and bass concert to be played in the rapidly modernizing city.

When we had fully recovered from our tiredness from the river, and our hangovers from Shillong’s fine nightlife, we went back to the maps to research a river which had been recommended by a Shillong-based fisherman who knew many of the rivers of Meghalaya. After watching some of the videos we showed him, he was certain the Kynshi would be the perfect river for us. Having

learned our lesson from the Umngot we set out to run the final 30km of the river before it entered Bangladesh, putting on a small tributary for a few km, to kayak a completely remote section, isolated by gigantic gorges and thick impenetrable jungle.

Often travelling to areas with little history of whitewater exploration means you are happy to get what you can, and enjoy nice sections with much effort, however the Kynshi was not this. It was the perfect river. It starts with around 1km of completely beautiful flat water as the river meanders away from the mining road we used to access it. After this it picks up gradient slowly, beginning with big volume wave trains, and as it steepens up transforms from boulder gardens, to tight gorges, and then into steep creaking with plenty of waterfalls thrown in for good measure. The river, being a major drainage was still flowing with significant volume (I would guess around 100cm3) which led us to portage around 15 different sections of rapids making progress slow, which worried us as we had only packed food for two days. However by around midday on our third day, we hit flat water and a popular fishing area which signalled the end, and once we got off the river everyone was in agreement that the Kynshi was one of the best rivers any of us had ever kayaked.


PicTure: Umngot before crazy gradient


Meghalaya could be the worlds next Norway or California“ “


Back in Shillong we relaxed and had the pleasure of attending the annual Autumn Festival, a cultural gathering from all the north eastern states, with

displays of sword fighting, archery, boat racing, tribal dancing in the day, and performances from local bands in the evening, all enriched by the local foods and rice beer on sale from the stores. I don’t know what was best, good quality meat in India or the tasty beer. What really amazed me about this event was that it was not set up by some outside charity or organization trying to make a quick buck out of the cultures of the northeast, but was completely set up and run by local organizations and communities. In fact, we only met one other group of foreign tourists at the event, a true sign that the rich cultures of the northeast are still celebrated and are being preserved well by its own people.

The following fortnight was spent finding rivers on maps that looked perfect, only to find out that there were issues with insurgents, elephants, tigers, electric eels and other such problems, so ended up returning to the Kynshi for round two. It was exceptional: “second run: twice the fun.” In the two weeks we’d been away the water level had dropped, and my guess would be that it was running at around 60cm3. This allowed for almost all of the rapids to be navigated, and between our group we only portaged four short sections of rapids, all of which were runable, but just totally terrifying. We packed the correct amount

of food this time which also meant we were not worried about going hungry on the river, allowing us a slower pace to really take in the mind blowing scenery. I can honestly say after running this river twice, it is one of the best grade 4/5 multi-days anywhere in the world.

Back in Shillong one last time we said our goodbyes and left for our flight home to the UK after a completely incredible trip. This was my first time in the north east of India but it absolutely will not have been my last. From the culture, to the scenery, and of course the incredible kayaking I can see myself visiting and revisiting this area for years to come. In fact, I have already got a plan hatched to go back during the next monsoon to see what the small creeks in the area have to offer. Who knows, Meghalaya could be the worlds next Norway or California ….


http://angshimalayanadventures.com


InternationalRiver Day

wiThin The nexT 20 YearS, manY of TheSe riverS will Be gone, manY Big damS will Be BuilT, and manY glacierS will diSaPPear reSulTing from The effecTS of climaTe change.“ “BY: nePal river conServaTion TruST


All of us know that rivers such as the Nile, Sindhu, Mesopotamia, Yangzi River and many more are considered to be

the beginning of human civilization … The word ‘River’ is a strong metaphor in itself, in human civilization, in all religion as well as in the nature. Even though almost all human civilization started from the rivers, why do we still hesitate to celebrate and show our appreciation to the rivers?

There has been a lot of misconception, misleading and politicizing events that have led people to equate rivers with just Water (as in World Water Day) or it has been diluted with Wetlands (as in World Wetland Day). But the core essence of river is different: it serves as a lifeline of all living beings! It is an interesting fact that no rivers on this planet are salty, yet, 2/3rd of the planet comprises of salt water.

The plight of today’s neglected rivers is very saddening. Human beings exploit the rivers by using it as a garbage carrier, waste dumping site (chemical, solid and human waste) and revert to extreme usage of the river as a source of irrigation and hydropower. In spite of the various awareness raising programs that are organized, deforestation is still on the rise and on top of that we do not care for our watersheds and the sources. We must never forget that the river is the artery of earth without which the earth cannot sustain itself. In the race for the so called development, which has turned out to be the race for destruction, we, the human

beings, have forgotten to take care of our own roots.

“When we take care of the river, only then will we be able to take care of the earth”. Any unnatural activities that we do on the earth are reflected on the rivers. All of us should keep in mind that if all the rivers are destroyed, human civilization will cease to exist as well. To address these issues and to take the initiation to preserve the rivers before it is too late; we must act now and dedicate a day to the rivers. We can call it

the ‘International River Day’- a day when we celebrate, we work

and we talk about our social, economical, ecological,

political and human civilization’s livelihood, it can be the day when we take measures to care and sustain our precious earth.”

I propose a day to be marked as an International

River Day once every year, Himalayan River

Summit to be held once in every two years and the

International River Summit to be organized every four years so that

the river communities around the world get united to promote and celebrate the free flowing rivers for better livelihood of mankind. The proposed dates could be February 28 and the International River Summit can be held every leap year i.e., February 29. We can commence this celebration from Nepal/Himalayas where we have over 6000 rivers and streams. Though Nepal still has many free flowing rivers, it faces imminent threats that can negatively affect the livelihood of the people and also escalate the fear of widespread suffering.

“whEn wE takE carE oF thE rivEr, only

thEn will wE bE ablE to takE carE oF thE

Earth”.


aS we all Know, each and everY himalaYan riverS are ProPoSed To Be dammed, iT iS onlY a maTTer of Time and moneY. if we are noT aBle To SToP ThiS and if ThiS haPPenS, There will Be no free flowing riverS for our fuTure generaTionS and The imPacT on The ecoSYSTem will Be huge aS iT will add more To The gloBal warming and climaTe change.

“ “


The Koshi Chaos: 18th August 2008- It was not a natural disaster, but a man-made tragedy….

Over a hundred and ninety thousand people have been displaced in Nepal alone, more than 2.5 million people were made homeless and thousands were washed away and killed. Even today, thousands of them are still homeless in the lowlands of Eastern Nepal and in the State of Bihar in India. The Koshi flood situation (when the Koshi River broke the manmade barrier and took its original course) is among the worst man made disaster in the history of modern world. This is just a beginning of what lies ahead in the future if we do not stop destroying the natural resources. We should all be prepared to face the consequences when Mother Nature loses her tolerance and unleashes her fury.

There is an alarming concern worldwide as to how we can save and manage some of these Himalayan Rivers which flows all over from Amu Darya in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet (China), Bangladesh, Bhutan and Mekong River between Myanmar and Thailand. Many of these rivers are cross-bordering and have created ill feelings between some of the countries. Our primary concern is what can be done to preserve these rivers as they are degrading day-by-day.

Within the next 20 years, many of these rivers will be gone, many big dams will be built, and many Glaciers will disappear resulting from the effects of climate change. As we all know, each and every Himalayan Rivers are

proposed to be dammed, it is only a matter of time and money. If we are not able to stop this and if this happens, there will be no free flowing rivers for our future generations and the impact on the ecosystem will be huge as it will add more to the global warming and climate change. No matter what we do on the river, these important things have to be addressed and for this we need to be aware about our river communities, politicians and the policy makers.

Himalayan Rivers are the life line and the livelihood of close to 1.4 billion people. We cannot afford to take this risk and must do something about it. There will be many man-made disasters like Koshi if we do not look into this situation compassionately and carefully before more dams are built in the near future. This is the agenda I would like to put forward to all the concerned people and organizations. It seems like in Asia, especially in the Himalayan River basins, we have taken the rivers for granted. Whenever we talk about the river in this region we, especially the politicians and the corporate houses, have an inclination to think in terms of megawatts and mega dollars that can be made and this comes first before anything else. We must change our mind-set about our rivers as there is more to it than just megawatts and money. We simply cannot give away our livelihood to a handful of rich people. Just imagine- if all the Himalayan Rivers are dammed, what sort of impact will it have on the livelihood of the people, let alone the ecosystem?

Why International River Day?


The impact on our eco system, the river communities, the aquatic life and the livelihood of the people, among other important considerations should be borne in mind. When and where will it stop are the questions that all of us should ponder very carefully while weighing all the pros and cons in a holistic manner instead of just seeing it as a piece-meal solution. We are not against the development of hydro dams but there has to be an ecological balance for the economic development and growth in Nepal. In this hitch modern world, there are many ways to generate power. Why should we not look for other alternative solutions and other renewable energy resources so as to come up with micro hydro and small hydropower?

Celebrating the International River Day can be a good wake up call for all of us to realize the damages that we have done to our rivers and what we can do to revive it. What it means is: taking care of our drinking water, irrigation, biodiversity, livelihood of the people, addressing climate change and global warming issues as the rivers are drying up and the glaciers are melting, taking care of watersheds, stopping environmentally unfriendly dam constructions, managing our rivers wisely and reminding people again that the river is sacred in all religion and it serves as a hallmark of our civilization on earth.

While celebrating the International River Day, I hope that all of us understand the extent of our mistakes, the damages that we have already done to our precious rivers and come up with various ways to rectify our mistakes.

This is the right time to change our mind-set, there are many cross-border

rivers and we have always considered it as a dividing factor between the countries, between states, between the cities and villages. Not only that, there have been a lot of ill feelings between the countries and states about the rivers’ ownership and sharing. Many experts predict the next big war will be over fresh water. We all have already experienced the change of weather patterns and effect of climate change. In addition, our freshwater storage is melting day by day. As responsible as we are, do we still want to wait till the last moment or do we want to act now to preserve the precious rivers for our future generations? Now is the time to look at

the rivers as a uniting factor instead of a dividing one and think of ways so

that this gift of Mother Nature can be shared wisely among all the stake holders of this planet. The declaration of International River Day is a good beginning to address this issue. I urge the UN Head Quarter to take this matter very seriously and to

support the declaration of the International River Day, every year on February 28.

Thank you very much for all your support to save our human civilization and our roots.

BY: megh ale founder / PreSidenT

nePal river conServaTion TruST

celeBraTing The inTernaTional river daY can Be a good waKe uP call for all of uS To realize The damageS ThaT we have done To our riverS and whaT we can do To revive iT.

““


Himalayan White Water River Fest is THE biggest KAYAKING and RAFTING competition organized in Nepal. Every year at the end of November, Nepali and foreign

kayakers gather up on the river bank and compete over a few days for the joy of local villagers and friends. The 2012 edition took place on the Trisuli River, exactly between Kathmandu and Pokhara, as the perfect set up for a big white water competition.

A few months have passed but from my own perspective after participating in 7 of these events over the years as well as from the feedback received from both our Nepali and foreign participants – this was the best so far!

Normally organized by NARA – the Nepal Association of Rafting Agents, this year’s new generation “river festival” was the brain child of newly born Nepal Kayak Club; however, initial planning was launched by Maila Gurung and Anup Gurung. For several political & logistical reasons (not uncommon in Nepal) the entire event was

handed over to the Nepal Kayak Club at the very last minute with zero funding and dwindling sponsors. Thanks to a great team and an overwhelming amount of support from Nepal’s Adventure Tourism community, the event turned out to be a tremendous success.

The Himayalan White Water River Fest 2012 scheduled 3 different disciplines: the Slalom Race, the FreeStyle Rodeo that were both held at Fishling, and the Boater Cross Race that was held at Twin Rocks just above Royal Beach Camp. This year participants were permitted to use a different kayak for each event if they preferred. Volunteers registered participants at Fishling and were overwhelmed with a surprisingly high turnout of both participants and spectators. 51 Nepali & 38 foreigners from 13 different countries put on their bibs and prepared to participate in the 3 different kayaking disciplines. It was exciting to have the World Class Academy join in on the fun with 18 participants and several teachers & parents cheering on the riverside.

The

NepalFestivalWhiteWater

of


The 1st day started off the competition with a challenging Slalom course. Paddlers were pushed to navigate through 14 gates, both up and down stream, leaving many gates missed. Paddle Nepal swept the Slalom Course with veteran Nim Magar in 1st place with an impressive perfect run, followed by Furba (Shyam) Tamang in 2nd and Mahadev Katuwal in 3rd. The highlight of the day; however, was female participant Sandra Hyslop of the World Class Academy who charged through with a perfect race and gave the men a run for their money taking overall 8th place!

The 2nd day returned participants to Fishling for the very popular Free Style Rodeo. Experienced world class expedition paddlers Raphael Thiebaut, Stéphane Pion, Jacob Sedivy and Ben Hawthorne volunteered their time and expertise by judging the exciting event. Paddlers were given 45 second runs to combine a variety of tricks in clean but fairly unforgiving wave. Spectators from all over the world cheered on their friends and were impressed by the calibre of paddling as the last 5 paddlers made it to the finals. Exhausted after several runs over the course of the day, Dipesh Gurung from Paddle Nepal held on to 1st place while the remaining 4 paddlers tried to

knock him out. Finally, pushing himself to the limit, local favourite Subash Sedhai from JigiOutdoor team gave an incredible performance and stole 1st place, leaving Dipesh Gurung from Paddle Nepal in 2nd and Raju Gurung from GRG Adventures in 3rd. It was an exciting day enjoyed by all with the added bonus of Anna Bruneau from the World Class Academy behind the microphone keeping us all informed and entertained.


The 3rd day allowed a bit of a sleep in with the Boater Cross Race held just above the Royal Beach Camp. A mass start in groups of 6, all

fighting to the finish line in a knock out style race saw some carnages and some disqualifications! As a new discipline for the Himalayan White Water River Fest several participants found themselves confused by the rules and a few unhappy paddlers were knocked out earlier than they had anticipated, keeping us all guessing for the final results for overall event champion and “paddler of the year”!

While the small team of event organizers disappeared behind the scenes to calculate scores and prepare for the awards ceremonies, Nepal’s famous rock band CobWeb set up stage and fun games were played with amazing prizes awarded from generous sponsors such as Pokhara’s ZipFlyer and Kathmandu’s Bungy Nepal. Finally after a hilarious dance off, prizes were lined up on stage and Anup Gurung president of the Nepal Kayak Club took the stage. Dear friends of Nepal’s kayaking scene were paid tribute for their inspiration and support over the years – Gerry Moffat, David Allardice & Peter Knowles – dherai dherai dhanyabaad (Thank you veryA very much)! Megh Ale, chairman of Nepal River Conservation Trust assisted with the prize distribution. As in the past, Nepali winners received prizes of kayaking equipment, while our foreign winners received prizes and certificates for local adventure activities.

Later that night, the most famous rock bands of Nepal CobWeb and Newaz ”Nepali Awaz rocked the Royal Beach Camp while tired participants from around the word, old & new friends, competitive rivals, business owners & their guides, mentors, sponsors, parents & children, brothers & sisters, husband & wives celebrated together dancing their hearts out late into the night.


The 4th and final day was really just a casual paddle down the river open for all to enjoy, kayakers relaxing in their kayaks and spectators taking some strokes in the rafts. The focus of the day was to bring attention to the plight of the River Conservation Trust and saving Nepal’s Rivers for tourism. Megh Ale lead the group through an inspiring team building exercise reminding all participants that anything is possible if we work together, share motivation and communicate clearly our goals. After the fun paddle down to Fishling, the entire group walked their rafts & kayaks back along the main highway, stopping traffic for 15 minutes in a friendly protest to “Save the Rivers”.

A few mistakes were made during the awards ceremony but overall the event was a great success with less politicians and companies gaining from the festival and more athletes working together and sharing a healthy competitive spirit. This new generation has great enthusiasm and has shown that changes are possible. This success is also the results of many years of volunteer service from our brother Pete Asteles from Peak UK that have shown us the way, enabling us to finally run competitions on our own. The organizers have promised us an even bigger event for 2013, … so be prepared to throw some freestyle moves, race the fastest downstream, and join us as spectators, the White Water family is waiting for you!


thE winnErs oF himalayan whitEwatEr challEngE 2012lefT To righT: ShYam Tamang, diPeSh gurung, nim Bahadur magar, mahadev KaTuwal, raju gurung, SuBaSh Sedhai, Pramod gurung. miSSing in The PicTure: andY mcmurraY & rYleY Penner

Himalayan Whitewater|Issue#1|33Whitewater Mazineag|Issue#1|33


surJan Tamang is a 20 y.o.

whitewater kayaker from Nepal. Born by the Bhotekoshi River (near

the Tibet border), he moved to Manali (Northern India) with his family when he

was 3 y.o. In 2009, he returned to Nepal and started working for a rafting company

as a helper. He quickly got introduced to kayaking and picked up some techniques

from the boys around him. In a year he became a good kayaker and got his first job as a safety

kayaker for a rafting company. In fall 2012 Surjan got a very unique opportunity,

he joined the World Class Kayak Academy (WCA) that was in Nepal for a semester. WCA is a pretty unique high

school where the students are all young and talented whitewater kayakers earning their education exploring rivers

and culture around the World. I met with Surjan in Fishling shortly after he returned from his

exhilarating semester at WCA and here is what he told me:

Focus on a local

paddlerBy: Yek Bahadur Nepal

Himalayan Whitewater|Issue#1|35Whitewater Mazineag|Issue#1|35

DN: So what exactly is the World Class Kayak Academy?

Surjan: Well, WCA is a cool high school; a school where we learn much more then what I have learned in school in Nepal or India. We have classes on the morning and get to play in our kayak in the afternoon.

DN: How did you get a chance to participate in WCA?

Surjan: The story behind is long and quite complicated, but to make the long story short I heard about the WCA through Nepal Kayak Club (NKC). I simply apply for the position

DN: You mentioned that the process was complicated. Could you explain a little?

Surjan: I went back home to India during the rafting off-season. I didn’t hear anything from WCA’s contact in Nepal while I stayed in India. After returning to Nepal I tried to follow up and get some details about the selection process but it sounded very confusing. You know getting some information in Nepal can be quite tricky J. After being filled with doubts, I gave up on the idea of joining the WCA and decided to work, the busy rafting season was already on going. And the school wasn’t going to support my family anyway.NKC contacted me to know about my plans. I told them that I was no longer interested, but they encouraged me to persevere. NKC was willing to pay what I would have made in a season to support my family. After that talk I felt powerful again. Within 2 days I went to Kathmandu and met with WCA’s contact in Nepal. Shortly after that I was starting my semester with WCA

DN: How was the school and what did they teach you? Is it something you were expecting?

Surjan: School was awesome; a lot of fun with new friends, the perfect way of being in school. It reminded me of my school, which I have stopped 4 years ago. The school itself was pretty strict. I thought WCA would be all about kayaking and whitewater. In fact, it was a real school so it was little hard to follow the rhythm at the beginning. Every morning we started early with a workout and then we were taught English, math, culture, history, media and

lot more apart from kayaking. We also had some cool assignments where we learned how to edit videos, etc… I learned a lot of new things. It was nothing like I expected but it was better than my expectations.

DN: You were the only Nepali student in the team. How challenging was that?

Surjan: Without a doubt, I was fully prepared for any challenges that were about to strike on my way. However, I did struggle at the beginning, specially understanding the english and learning about their culture and customs. It took me about a week to get to know the people and get use to with the schedule. After a week I was loving it.

DN: What did you learn in terms of kayaking?

Surjan: I’ve been kayaking for 4 years and I thought I knew something about kayaking and whitewater. I eddied in and eddied out more in two months with WCA than in my last 4 years of kayaking. What I knew was very different to what they taught us: paddling techniques, river running style, safety, team work, etc‚… now I can say that I know much better about kayaking and this experience has boosted my confidence. I yet have to practice and be master on what I learned with WCA.

DN: What else did you learn except whitewater?

Surjan: I learned a lot of things that I was missing in the last 4 years. One of favourite part was what they call “service learning project”. We would basically go to schools, orphanage houses and spend time learning, teaching, playing with the kids, fixing, painting‚ … helping them in anyway. This social time was designed to improve our communication and make the local place better.Also, every week we had this ritual of getting rewards for something special we had achieved during the week. I liked that concept of telling people what you liked about their attitude and behaviour. Once, my schoolmates voted me for the “unselfishness” award. I was surprised because this is part of our culture: when we buy something to eat we always share with people, so I did the same with my schoolmates. With this award, I realized that sharing was not “automatic” for them.


# Are there any specific changes that WCA brought into your whitewater carrier after this semester?

Surjan: WCA did make a big change in my young whitewater carrier, it taught me a new way to learn and enjoy paddling. Before WCA, I always thought that play-boating was the ultimate thing and nothing was more fun then playing and throwing impressive moves. But now I have fallen in love with creek boating. I just have to convince my friends to go creaking… which can be difficult. Creeking can be quite expensive because you need to travel around and explore rivers and it is not in our white water culture yet. But hopefully it is starting.

# So, tell us a little bit about your own goal(s). Where do you see yourself in the coming years?

Surjan: My goal is still the same as it was before: to become a professional kayaker. But today what I have learned is that being a professional kayaker is not just dreaming about it but actually doing it. Training, training, training‚… and this is what I am doing right now. My goal is big but lets see how far I can reach. Sometimes in Nepal it is not only about having talent, it is about having the right person to give you a chance, and take that chance when it comes.

# Why do you say that “Nepal is not about having talent”? Are there any organizations that helps the young kayakers like you?

Surjan: Well, sadly Nepal functions that way, you need connections and you need to bribe if you want a fast and reliable service. So one small task can take you one month if you don’t agree to bribe or if you don’t have some one to help. Since 2011, we have NKC (a non-profit organization ) who is truly supporting young paddlers in Nepal by offering training, networking and keeping a good communication among the paddlers and the industry. For example, my kayak and gears were provided by NKC during my WCA semester. When I talked to them about doing some creeking expeditions, NKC seemed very interested and they may be our best support to do so in the near future…

# So do you want to add anything?

Surjan: I want to send a special thank you to my schoolmates and new friends, they collected money to buy me a kayak as a good bye present, and gave me better river gears. I also want to say a big thank you to World Class Academy for giving me an opportunity of a life time. Thank goes to everybody who helped me and believed in me. I will see you soon out there on the water.

Image: Surjan on his new kayak and gears right before the interview


http://www.gurkhaadventures.com


v

T“i havE bEEn kayaking For 7 yEars and havE waitEd my wholE liFE For an EvEnt likE this! i think thE ganga kayak FEstival should continuE For many yEars to comE and kEEp giving this grEat opportunity to youngEr gEnErations” (sanJay rana, Overall ChampiOn)

he first ever Ganga Kayak Festival took place on February 20, 2013 on the River Ganges in Uttarakhand, India. The event was organized by Bhupendra Singh Rana and his team of local kayakers and

raft guides. Kayaking is a popular sport amongst Indian locals but, there has yet to be a platform for athletes to showcase their skills. Bhupendra, himself, has had the opportunity to compete around the world in various kayaking competitions. His dream has always been to organize an event in his home country that would also give Indian nationals this same opportunity. Bhupendra’s dream brought the 2013 Ganga Kayak Festival to life.

The racecourse was held on the Golf Course Rapid on the River Ganges in Foolchatti. There were 3 events: the first 2 events were a Sprint and Boater Cross race with Indian competitors only and the third was a Mass Boater Cross that was open to all kayakers. The Sprint consisted of a timed lap down the river where the athlete had to touch 2 banners (one in the middle and one at the end). Each athlete was allowed 2 timed laps; the person with the fastest time was the winner. 34 kayakers competed in the Sprint event – 2 of which were female athletes racing for the first time. This race proved to be an impressive one with times that were within a millisecond of each other. The results of the Sprint are:

1ST Place: sanJay rana wiTh a Time of 1:21.902nd Place: ayodhya prasad wiTh a Time of 1:22.123rd Place: sohan rana wiTh a Time of 1:28.94

The Boater Cross event was for the top 16 athletes from the previous Sprint event. There were 4 heats of 4 kayakers competing on the same course with the same rules as the Sprint event. The top 2 from each heat moved on until there was a final 4 competing for the Boater Cross title. The boys battled hard and really brought the heat to see who would be the Boater Cross champion. The results of the Boater Cross are:1ST Place: dinEsh prasad

2nd Place: sanJay rana

3rd Place: kan singh chauhan

Ganga Kayak Festival


BY: trina paturas


v

“i am FEEling so proud oF mysElF and am rEady to hEad to nEpal now For thE himalayan whitEwatEr challEngE!” (dinEsh prasad, BOater CrOss ChampiOn)

The Ganga Kayak Festival was held over one day this year with competitors that were mostly of Indian descent. The hope of the committee is to grow the event in size each year and eventually make it a multi day event with international competitors. There is great potential in India for the world of kayaking and the Ganga Kayak Festival committee has dreams of making this potential known throughout the world.

1ST Place: rishi rana (india)2nd Place: anil bhandari (india)3rd Place: nick pEarcE (england)

The Mass Boater Cross event was much different than the two previous competitions. There were

over 40 competitors from all around the world who brought various skill sets with them. The race started with a Le-mans style start on the beach with the athletes running to their kayaks, putting their spray deck on, and sprinting down to the finish point. There were no gates to touch this time. The results for the Mass Boater Cross are:

“i havE bEEn training so hard For this compEtition and am so gratEFul to thE ganga kayak FEstival committEE For making this EvEnt happEn.”(rishi rana, mass BOater CrOss ChampiOn)

“i owE a hugE thank you to my tEam and sponsors/supportErs that madE this drEam oF minE comE truE. i am ExcitEd to sEE whErE this compEtition will go in thE FuturE and look Forward to sEEing indian athlEtEs gain worldwidE rEcognition.” (bhupEndra singh rana, president Of the GanGa KayaK festival)


Back in the early 1990’s when the first Himalayan White Water Rodeos were held, hardly any Nepalese entered the competition. Now they are taking the sport more seriously! There has been a big change over the years for Nepali kayakers and now I feel there needs to be a change towards everyone realizing the need for quality First Aid training.

High Peak First Aid has been working with a number of forward thinking companies and individuals to raise the safety standards in different tourism sectors. Our aim is to provide quality First Aid training and each year we offer several courses with a sliding scale of fees to enable everyone a chance to gain a qualification that is internationally recognised. There are organisations in Nepal that provide First Aid training so we are careful about not flooding the market, but wanted to add a different qualification that originated in the UK. Our approach is to train people in the environment where they are likely to use their skills - which is why you will find us by the river or up a mountain and not sat learning the bones of the body in a classroom. There is no need to have a high school education to take part and we try to make it as practical as possible. There are entry level, intermediate and advanced courses. The course is taught in English and translators are available for students who need assistance. As well as making the training enjoyable, we train people in leadership skills and ensure that they feel confident to deal with an emergency. If safety standards are raised and qualifications are available it surely will lead to improved employment and an increase in tourism… well, that’s what we hope for Nepal and that is why High Peak First Aid will continue to give encouragement and support'.

PeakwildernessFIRST AID

High

By nicola pickEring

high PeaK wilderneSS firST aid nePal 2013


Next thing to consider is a suitable bag/container. Some people like to use a waterproof stuff sack, however, a stuff sack is exactly that – all your kit is stuffed in and difficult to locate – especially in an emergency. Even worse, if you have stuffed the bag down the front of your kayak, and that kayak is now trapped underwater. We recommend carrying a couple of kits in a group to avoid this problem and to carry a large dressing to stem bleeding on your body or in your buoyancy aid, preferably one in a vaccum and waterproofed pack. In the event of someones head bouncing off a submerged rock when they are paddling the river upside down – at least you will be ready to stop the bleed and fix their face!

You can then produce the rest of the kit. Packing individual items in plastic sealable bags is a good way to keep the kit dry, then pack all the items into a nylon First Aid bag, preferably with individual pockets so you can find it all, then you can put it in the stuff sack. Also, best to let everyone know where the kits are and do not forget to check it each day to ensure it is still dry.

Now onto a multi-day trip First Aid Kit! I am not going to add quantities as this all depends on the amount of people and space you have.

• How many people is it for?• Where are you going – day trip or remote?• How long for?• Is help readily available or likely to be delayed?• Does your group have any preexisting medical conditions or special needs?• What type of environment are you working in – wet/dry/altitude?• What is your ability to carry the kit, are you limited on space?• What is the level of experience of the person responsible for the kit?• Do you have to abide by protocols of your employer/trip organiser?

on making a First aid kit you nEEd to considEr thE Following:

Here at High Peak First Aid we have put together a list of first aid supplies for a river expedition and advice for a day trip. For longer trips where a person could become ill and help is far away, you also need to consider the use of antibiotics and other drugs. Drugs/pharmaceuticals must be given under the direction of a suitably qualified person. In another article we can advise on a list and then it would be up to the organi-zation you work for to get a Doctor to oversee their administration.It is too easy to throw together a bag of first aid equipment, however as a starter you need to ask yourself the following questions maybe you could think of more?

did we PacK everYThing in The firST aid KiT?



Gloves -

Wound Dressings -

Triangular Bandages- Shears -

Zinc Oxide Tape -

Duct Tape -

Waste Bag - several -

Face Shield -Cohesive Bandage -

Plasters -

Wound closures -

Blister kit -Vaseline -

Foot Powder -Tweezers and needle -

Paperclip! -

20 ml syringe -

Antihistamines -DFO Gel -

Rehydration salts -

Dextrose tablets -

Antifungal cream -

Burn Dressings -

Splinting material -

High Peak First Aid waterproof First Aid manual!-

Writing materials and water-proof paper

For protection against disease transmitted by body fluids. To help prevent wound infection. Latex free and correct sizeLarge – high absorbency with elasticated strap to aid compression and stop bleeding – not for use as a tourniquetWound Dressing – mediumWound Dressing - smallFracture Straps as an alternativeWith a blunt nose that are able to cut through straps and clothingTo help prevent blisters. Hold dressings in place. Conforms easily to the bodyFor repairing equipment, holding dressings in place in very wet conditions. Sticks to itself even when wet. Care needed to not cut off circulation, try and avoid direct contact with skinDisposal of soiled dressings if you have to carry waste out. Good for vomit, burns or emergency pooping tooCPR barrier with a one way valveFor sprains – bandage sticks to itself and not to the skin and provides support for a sprain Can be useful but may not stick in wet conditions. More useful for cut thumbs in the camp kitchenFor bringing edges of large wound together – may not stick in the wet. Medical grade glue is useful for wound to hands and face. Shop ‘superglue’ may be toxic or cause a skin irritationFor hands or feetFor chafing buoyancy aids and clothingEssential to ensure feet are dried out each dayFor picking out splinters that could go septicUseful for heating up the pointed end and using to gently puncture a finger or toe nail if a large painful bruise develops under the nailUseful for drawing up clean water and then to use as a mini ‘pressure’ wash to blast dirt out of heavily contaminated wounds. A clean plastic bag filled with water with a small hole in can also workFor minor irritations from insect bitesGreat for pulled musclesOr mix a 50/50 mix of fresh juice and water and a pinch of salt per litre of mixUseful for extremely low blood sugar levels as long as backed up with more complex carbohydratesFor between the toes and other moist warm places were fungus and itchiness occurs!Useful for places you cannot immerse in water, such as the face. Will, also help prevent infection and keep fluid in. Commercial lightweight splint – usually a thin sheet of aluminium encased in a skinny layer of closed cell foam. Compact and lightweight

When you forgot your training!

ITEM DESCRIPTION

www.highpeakfirstaid.co.uk


Check out www.highpeakfirstaid.co.uk for more info.

Sano BaBu Sunuwar wiTh The faKe Blood and woundS we uSe To maKe The Training more realiSTic

day tripsYou should at least carry a suitable wound dressing, gloves, CPR face shield (remember there is the option of compression only CPR if someone

has facial trauma) and some clean water for flushing out dirty wounds, a large plastic bag and some tape. In the event of a bleed you can clean the wound, cover it, apply a plastic bag over the top and tape it down to keep the wound dry. Infection in a wound is the last thing you want! A bone does not even need to be broken for an infection to pass through the sheath of the bone. Bone infections can be extremely difficult to recover from – even small wounds can introduce a BIG infection. You must keep wound dressings dry and change on a regular basis, and that can be a lot of dressings on a long trip!

For a day trip if every person carries the minimum suggested kit, preferably more based on your risk assessment for the trip then you should have plenty for an emergency.

If you are wondering how to do a risk assessment we have a great way we teach our High Peak Wilderness First Aid students that we can pass onto you another time!

http://www.highpeakfirstaid.co.uk


KERALA

“godS own counTrY”

By: Manik Taneja

With the vast Arabian Sea in the west, the towering Western Ghats to the east, the forests blessed with a teeming population of wildlife, the land zigzagged by 44 major

rivers and countless creeks and waterfalls - it is of little wonder that they call Kerala “Gods own country”. Kerala has the unique distinction of being India’s cleanest and greenest state. It can also boast of the fact that it has the highest literacy rate, almost 100% and the highest physical quality of life in the country. All this coupled with an exotic cuisine make Kerala one of the most frequented destinations by tourists in all of South Asia.

The Western Ghats is a beautiful range of mountains running parallel to the entire length of the western coast of India. The monsoon season in India that unleashes its fury during the months of July-October over the Ghats creates a lot of river and creek systems akin to the South Island of New Zealand.


The Southern River Runners (www.srr.org.in) a bunch of individuals hailing from Bangalore and Chennai have been running and exploring rivers in South India for the last four years. In these four years the group had to overcome many challenges posed due to unavailability of paddling equipment, dealing with uncooperative forest/district officials and managing wild monsoon floods in the thick jungle. Despite such challenges SRR has managed to thrive and have run many first descents on the rivers of South India. Last year the team set out to explore the rivers of Calicut district in Kerala and discovered a treasure-trove of steep creeks and waterfalls. They were also pleasantly surprised that the administration of the district welcomed the paddlers with open arms. They provided a lot of logistical help with arranging permissions and granting access to previously unknown river sections.

A strong team of 5 kayakers paddled the first descent of three class 4-river sections on the Chalipuzha and the Iruvanjipuzha in July 2012. “Puzha” pronounced, as “Pudha” is the Malayalam word for river. During the trip the team discovered a variety of waterfalls, big slides, and classic hard class 5 sections that were earmarked for later expeditions. The scope for white water kayaking in this region is huge.

MALABAR RIVER FESTIVAL

SRR is now organizing India’s first Malabar river festival (http://

www.facebook.com/MonsoonRiverFestival) to celebrate all that Kerala has to offer the kayaking industry. The festival will be held between August 23rd and 24th in association with tourism department of Calicut. The aim of this festival is to promote the sport of kayaking and make the international paddling community aware of the fantastic and unexplored rivers that Kerala has to offer. The organizers of this festival plan to have various categories of competitions including kayak slalom, a boater cross, a rodeo and a separate group of events for female paddlers.

The organizers of the event hope to raise an estimated $10,000 dollars in prize money from corporate sponsorship and the event will be covered extensively by the local media. The competition will be held on the Chalipuza and Iruvanjipuza Rivers that are located about 35 kilometers from the major town of Calicut (Kozhikode). Participants will also have an opportunity to explore the region by themselves both before and after the festival.

Situated at a distance of 350 kilometers from Bangalore and 200 kilometers from Cochin, Calicut is well connected and there are direct flights and trains operating from all major cities in India to Calicut.

http://www.srr.org.in/

http://www.srr.org.in/

http://www.facebook.com/MonsoonRiverFestival

http://www.facebook.com/MonsoonRiverFestival


Paddlers constantly push themselves to find new challenges on the water. However without the proper knowledge; an exciting day of paddling can turn into

a disaster. Boats flip. People swim. Obstacles appear where they haven’t been before...It is all part of the exhilaration of paddling. Accidents can happen quickly to the most experi-enced river folk. The water is unforgiving whether you are trying new lines, running new stretches of river or taking clients out on a familiar stretch of water. Paddlers should receive the proper training, practice, experience and equipment, so that if and when something does go wrong, they know what to do.

arE you wEll EquippEd?



arE you wEll EquippEd?

thE Following is a rEcommEndEd list oF gEar:

pErsonal kayakEr & raFt guidE:

• Helmet• Bouyancy Aid/ Personal Flotation Device• Throwbag (15-20m)• Locking karibiners X3• Knife (that you can open one handed)• Whistle• Tubular webbing (3m) X2 (for raft guide a

flip line)• Metal pulley X2• 6mm prussick X2• 7mm prussick X1• Paracord (10m)• Survival kit (incl. fire)• First aid kit• Mobile phone

raFt ExpEdition:(This equipment is in addition to personal kit)

• 10mm Static rope (75-100m)• Metal pulleys X3• Locking karibiners X8• 6mm prussick X2• 7mm prussick X2• O-ring• Webbing or static rope for anchor (10m)

X3• Repair kit• First aid kit

Being prepared on the river takes a lot of equipment. Paddlers have a responsibility to uphold the highest safety standards in order to protect friends, clients and most impor-tantly themselves. Remember - always make sure someone else knows where you are going and your expected time scales!...This does not mean don’t go big and don’t get the gnar… It just means have the equipment and know how to use it, for when the gnar gets you.

Several courses for White Water or Swift Water Rescue are offered in Nepal. Initiative Outdoor is one company that offers these courses.www.initiativeoutdoor.com

wordS: emma miller


http://www.chitwanbamboolodge.com

http://www.coldfeetadventure.com


for a better hope and better future of the new generations...www.nepalkayakclub.com


http://www.himalayanom.com

http://www.facebook.com/silkroadpokhara?ref=hl


OUTDOOR MAGAZINE

adventure stories of [email protected]

http://www.himalayanom.com

http://www.facebook.com/silkroadpokhara?ref=hl


GO OUT, LIVE & EXPLORE

TM

MADE IN NEPAL TO SUPPORT NEW

GENERATION

WWW.JIGIOUTDOOR.COM

http://www.jigioutdoor.com

himalayan whitewater magazine

Documents