Kali Gandaki River Rafting
A deservedly popular and medium length of river trip is combining exhilarating white water with fine scenery. One of the famous names of Himalayan Rivers, The Kali Gandaki raises in Mustang an enclave of Nepal Poking into Tibet on the other side of the Himalayas here; it is a flat and braided river, flowing in an arid open valley. As it tumbles down between the majestic Dhaulagiri and the Annapurna ranges, it creates one of the world's deepest gorges. The explorer Michael Peissel ran this stretch of the river in a small hovercraft in 1973 and at least two other groups have rafted and kayaked in this section.
All day you have to continuous keeping paddlers busy against all technical rapids on the Kali Gandaki River. Both experienced and novice rafters love this. Nowhere else is it possible to find such diversity on a 3 day raft trip. Nice drops, sparkling chutes and turbulent rapids provide class III to IV+ runs during the fall and spring seasons.
After your exhilarating white water trip you have options either to drive or fly back to Kathmandu or to visit the Royal Chitwan National Park or again you can go for the trekking trip in the popular area of Annapurna region for few days.
River Grade: | Class III - IV |
Starting point: | Nayapool |
Ending Point: | Andikhola (Mirme) |
River Distance: | 55 km |
River Days: | 3 Days from Pokhara, 5 Days from Kathmandu |
Best Season: | Sep - Dec or March - May |
Program
Day 1– Pokhara - Naya Pul - Modi Beni: Pokhara can be reached by plane or by car taking thirty minutes or five hours respectively. The journey to the river begins early in the morning from Pokhara. The put-in point is 40km away at Naya Pul and the drive takes approximately 2 ½ hours. Mule caravans can be seen coming down to Pokhara and the mountains views are spectacular. After a briefing and preparations, everyone is on the boat. The first day’s treat includes a series of Class III and Class IV rapids. Interesting rock formations are seen on the canyon walls as we paddle past. High above the river lie villages perched on hilltops. Birding is a special feature on this trip and such specimens as Red shank, cormorants and kingfishers can be seen along the river. The day ends at the campsite.
Day 2 –Modi Beni - Purtighat: Soon after breakfast the second day’s trip begins and there are more Class IIIand Class IV rapids to maneuver, but as the day progresses, less of these are encountered compared to the previous day. Going further down, the landscape changes gradually and the valleys become wider. There are more temples along the way and villages mostly inhabited by Brahmins or Magars. Before the jungle corridor is entered, waterfalls are encountered that cascade down stalactite formations. The night halt is on a remote beach.
Day 3 – Purtighat - Mirmi: At the confluence of two rivers (the Modi and Kali) rests the village of Modi Beni. The spot where two rivers meet is considered a holy site by Hindus and a massive boulder here is recognized as an important shrine by the locals. Some small rapids are encountered here and are relatively easy. The valley then widens, and the great gorge is left behind. The river loses its ferocity and the surrounding hills are no longer steep. Back in civilization, farmers can be seen busy in their fields and children wave from a distance. A lunch stop here brings an end to this marvelous three-day river trip. A change of route on the way back to Pokhara makes the journey more interesting as the road leads through rising hills, farmland and charming Gurung Villages. This three-day river trip takes one through the most diverse cultures and landscapes.