What to do AFTER your incredible rafting trip...

So you've just finished your 4 day kayak clinic on theTrisuli or once in a lifetime raft down the Sun Kosi, what's next? Here's a few of our suggestions what you should do in Nepal after your rafting trip.

1 - Go on Safari

Take some time out and chill out in Chitwan National Park. Join one of our safari tours and go on an elephant back and walking safari in the jungle. Keep your eyes peeled for the famous one horned Rhino, Deer, Hog, Monkeys and more. We recommend the 2 night 3 day package to get the most out of your jungle experience. 

2 - Do a Bungee Jump!

Nepal boasts the second highest bungee jump and the HIGHEST canyon swing in the world. If your an adrenaline junkie why not head up to the bridge to take the jump?!

 

3 - Chill out in Pokhara

Pokhara is nothing like Kathmandu. It is peaceful, surrounded by the Annapurna mountains and a great place to spend a few days. Take a boat out on the lake, have a massage or try one of the many cocktail bars. You will feel like you are in a real holiday destination in Pokhara.

 

4 - Go on a trek in the Himalaya

Most people come to Nepal specifically for trekking and you can understand why. We have some of the most beautiful mountains in the world in Nepal. Whether you have 1 day or a month spare there are plenty of trekking options for you. Ask us for suggestions.

 

5 - Go paragliding

Due to the lake in Pokhara, Nepal is actually one of the safest destinations for paragliding. Soar with the eagles with a mountain backdrop, can you think of a better way to spend a morning?

 

6 - Visit the birthplace of Buddha

Legend has it that Buddha was born in Lumbini close to the Indian border. If you have the time this is a remarkable place to visit. Take an afternoon walk/cycle around the many temples in the area. One of the most peaceful spots in Nepal

 

7 - Biking in the Himalaya

As well as rafting and trekking, there is also some amazing mountain, downhill, single track, we've got it all! From a day trip out of the Kathmandu Valley to a week long expedition in the mountains, there's something for every level.

 

8 - Visit a few of the many Hindu and Buddhist temples.

In Kathmandu especially, there are many religious temples for you to discover. Pashupatinath, Boddhnath, Bhaktapur Durbar Square and the Monkey Temple are some of the few to give you an insight to the bright and colourful culture of Nepal.

 

9 - Go Canyoning

Abseiling down waterfalls! Jumping, climbing, scrambling and shimming down some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world. Need I saw more. It's worth the trip just to see the 100m water wall at the top of our canyoning site! Probably our second most favourite thing to do next to kayaking!

10 - Go rafting!!!

Well...come on now, we are water people! There are over 6000 rivers in Nepal and although we don't run all of them commercially, there are many rafting and kayaking trips that you can join. If you loved your first trip why not join us for another. Get in touch now to book your next rafting/kayaking adventure!

If you fancy doing any of these activities, then please visit our website for further details www.grgadventurekayaking.com or contact our office in Kathmandu info@grgadventurekayaking.com and we'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Cleaning Initiative - Pokhara Lake

The GRG team have been at it again. As we are primarily based In Kathmandu, it is not often we find ourselves in Pokhara. We recently ran a Kaligandaki Rafting trip and afterwards had a few spare days before our next adventures. So we decided, we've got the staff, we've got the kit...why not spend the day cleaning the Fewa Tal, which is the beautiful lake in Pokhara.

Pokhara is a very popular tourist destination in Nepal. They flock there for the start and finish of their treks, it is also a famous site for paragliding

We set up a tarp on the banks and had a two of our guys busy cooking up some yummy snacks to keep energy levels up! The rest of us jumped in our kayaks and rafts and started paddling the edges of the lake. The kayakers would go ahead, jump out and fill their sacks then drop it back in the raft before going out again.

We managed to collect over 40 sacks of rubbish that day and caused quite a stir! We had a few locals jump on the raft and offer to help out, visits from the police to find out what we were doing (when we told them they were a little bit confused and asked 'why would we want to do this'?! Which kind of gives you an idea of Nepali mentality!!)

Although this is not a long term solution, it is a step in the right direction, ad if we keep it up we hope that others will follow and eventually we will get a handle on the litter situation in Nepal.

I would personally like to thank all our staff at GRG who voluntarily gave their time and did so with a smile! Even though we were sifting through rubbish we actually had a lot of fun and laughed the whole day! I think the highlight was when everyone got thrown out of the raft, including our adventure dog, Buttons, who then scrambled onto one of the kayaks and capsized him as well!

Next up - the Sun Kosi! We are running a rafting expedition to the River of Gold on the 15th September and plan on taking an extra gear raft specifically to collect garbage as we go down.

There's always time to learn kayaking!

Paddling back quick for lunch!

Sun Kosi - the best river in Nepal?

The SunKosi is one of our favourite rivers here at GRG. It is a 7-9 day (depending on the time of year)  whitewater rafting and kayaking expedition. The trip starts just three hours from the center of Kathmandu, near the Tibetan border and takes you all the way to the flat plains, to the confluence of the Ganges. It has been rated one of the top ten river journeys in the world by National Geographic and we couldn't agree more.

At GRG, it is one of our personal favourite and we run on average six trips to this incredible river a year, more than any other rafting operator in Nepal. Five are headed out this fall alone.

This trip has something to offer for every level of paddler, even if you've never been on a river before! For the complete beginners, you can raft it between Oct-Dec, April- June. For those who are daring enough we can even teach you to kayak as we paddle down.

For more experienced paddlers, the best time is at HIGH water, Sept-Oct of May-June. We will always have safety kayakers along with our trips and gear raft support to keep you safe.

The Sun Kosi boasts some of the best rapids in the world. Hakapur, Jungle Corridor, Jaws, Rollacoaster, Black Hole and Rhino Rock to name a few! You can see below footage of a kayaker running the infamous Hakapur rapid.  

But it's not just the whitewater that makes this trip so special. Where else can you escape the world, be without internet, phones and technology for that long. It gives you the opportunity to leave everything behind and just enjoy the river. Surrounded by small local villages and jungles, we camp on the most pristine white sandy beaches (You'll think you're in a postcard!). We'll show you the best cliff jumps, waterfalls for showers, take you to hidden caves and local temples as well as visiting rural villages to try out some local cuisine (you'll be trying to re-create 'Sukute' (dried, fried Buffalo) when you return to your home country).

If this sounds like your kind of trip then contact our office for more details on 00977 14700928 / 9841447561 or email info@grgadventurekayaking.com. Visit our website www.grgadventurekayaking.com for full itinerary.

Trip dates confirmed for fall 2013:

• 15th September,
• 5th October,
• 23rd October,
• 2nd November,
• 15th November

(other dates available on request, these dates are guarenteed to run.

 

Flying through the air

It's not all about the river, the evenings are great fun as well!

One of the few pristine white sandy beaches we camp on

Stunning sunsets every night

Yummy! We'll cook you up a treat on the river

Some of the wildlife that can be spotted as we travel down

Gearing up for Hakapur Rapid

Want to have a shower here?

Simply Stunning

International River Guide Training - Nepal October 15th - October 29th

If you are thinking of becoming a raft guide, then this is the course for you! During a two week intensive course you will learn everything you need to know to become and competent raft guide, and what's better, you get to do it all in the heart of the Himalaya's!

Course Description:

The most comprehensive river-guide training program in the world, IRGT utilizes a world-class, experiential based curriculum designed to teach the skills required to be a professional whitewater guide. Located within the Heart of the Himalayas, the Nepal 2013 IRGT Course operates within Asia’s most dynamic river systems. The training program is the only expedition oriented course, where advanced outdoor instruction and environmental leadership combine. IRGT caters to a diverse market including gap year, university students and adventure enthusiasts. Upon completion of the course, participants are accredited with the following skills based certifications: Whitewater Rescue Technician (Rescue 3 International), First Aid/CPR: Emergency First Aid in the Outdoors (H.S.E.) and Class II-IV International River Guide. 

• Whitewater Rescue Technician (WRT) Certification (International Rescue 3 Accredited)
• First Aid/CPR: Emergency First Aid in the Outdoors (H.S.E. Accredited)
• Class II-V International River Guide & Environmental Leadership Certification: (Live The Adventure Ltd ./ I.R.G.T. Accredited)

 2013 Course Overview:

The course begins on the dynamic Trisuli River where participants explore Himalayan hydrology, river running, risk assessment, navigation and rescue techniques. Evening fireside discussions include talks on geography, environment and Nepali river livelihood trends. Following comprehensive river training, participants enjoy a peaceful rest day in the lakeside town of Pokhara. Students then undertake a multi day river expedition and further training on the Kali Gandaki River, a high volume drainage situated between three 8,000-metre peaks in the Heart of the Himalayas. The 15 day course concludes on the Marsyangdi and Trisuli for on-river assessments and IRGT Celebrations.

2012 Testimonials:

I had the privilege of doing the International River guide training course with Gerry Moffatt and Anthony Eddies Davis in October 2012. I can't say enough about the way this course was run; their professionalism, local knowledge, experience and everything else down to their humor and their music taste made this course the most worthwhile two weeks of my life.  Further than just the skills and qualifications I gained from doing the course, I found being around Gerry and Ant inspiring. As well as delivering internationally recognized course curriculum, they went above and beyond what was advertised for the course sharing their vast experience and passing invaluable lessons of work ethic, respect for the environment and of the importance of giving back to the industry. 

Finn Henry. (IRGT Graduate 2012, GRG Trainee 2012)                                                                                       

Assessment:

Following IRGT Course completion, each student will undergo a thorough, skills-based assessment designed to match individual whitewater skills with the International Scale of River Difficulty, I-VI Grading System. Participants are also evaluated in the following categories: Whitewater Rescue, First Aid and the IRGT Course Curriculum.

Cost & Booking:

The 2013 IRGT Course will be held in Nepal from October 15^th - October 29^th. To insure a safe, hands-on and rewarding experience, IRGT can accept no more than 16 participants per course, therefore it is highly recommended interested parties book well in advance to secure a place. Tuition for the 2013 Nepal Himalaya IRGT Course is 1950 GBP per participant. Contact info@grgadventurekayaking.com for complete course details.

IRGT Guides & Lecturers:

Gerry Moffatt: Guide & Whitewater Navigation Lecturer

World-renowned Expedition Leader and Filmmaker, National Geographic refers to Gerry Moffatt as, “the most experienced River Guide in the Himalayas.” His 30 year kayaking, mountaineering (Everest 2007, 2009) and outdoor skills-based teaching career spans throughout Asia, Africa and South America. 

Anthony Eddies-Davies: Guide & First Aid/Swift Water Rescue Lecturer

Anthony’s industry leading outdoor centre Live The Adventure Ltd and ‘Outdoor Instructor Academy’ provides professional training programs and expeditions focused on adventure sports and skills based travel. For over 25 years, his world-class facility and staff continue to be a preferred outdoor education provider for Rescue 3 International and the British Canoe Union.

Note on International River Running - The Experience of a Life Time

Expedition based river running is a phenomenally rewarding skill-set. River systems are often the only access to remote, rural villages abundant in culture, rich pastimes and untouched landscapes. As a worldwide training program, IRGT hosts courses within the Alps, Andes and Rocky Mountain Regions. The 2013 Nepal Program combines diverse Himalayan Culture with adrenalin packed whitewater rafting and kayaking. A unique opportunity to learn from the best, participants depart with the skills required to work as an international river guide. The IRGT experience is one of the most unique educational programs on the market – and by far – the most fun.

If this sounds like something you are interested in, it's not too late to sign up. Email us on info@grgadventurekayaking.com for more details.