The Kali begins its journey high on the Tibetan plateau in
the kingdom of Mustang.
Plunging its way down through the Himalayas, the river
carves the deepest gorge in the world between the two 8000m peaks Dhaulagiriand Annapurna. The Kali Gandaki was first opened to
commercial use in 1991. The journey descends through challenging white water,
unique cultures and amazing beaches. When not negotiating rapids, time on the
river can be spent under cascading waterfalls and enjoying the backdrop of the Annapurnaranges. Both experienced and novice rafters will love it. Being one of the
holiest rivers in Nepal,
every river junction on the Kali Gandaki is dotted with cremation sites and
above ground burial mounds.
As the trip begins and ends in Pokhara you need to get there
one day before the trip.There are few
options depending on your budget and time schedule.All of them are relatively easy to arrange
and if you want your tour operator can assist you.
DEPARTURE POINT Pokhara
RIVER START POINT Near Beni
RIVER FINISH POINT Mirmere
OUTWARD TRAVEL TIME 4
Hours
RIVER GRADEIII
- IV
RETURN TRAVEL TIME 5 Hours
Itinerary
Day 01
At around 7/8 am, we drive for around 3-4 hrs to the put-in
point near Beni. Throughout this drive we have stunning
views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiripeaks as well as the sacred Machapuchare. Upon arrival, we unload all the
equipment and you will receive a full safety briefing.Have lunch and then the guide will take you
to the river starting point ready to begin your exciting 3 days raft trip.
First day we begin with some class III rapids this is a warm up for the team,
after 10/15 minutes you will be encountering 2 big class 4 rapids i.e. ‘Small
Brother’ and ‘Big Brother’. Your guide will be making you work hard at doing
exercises to work as a team maneuvering the raft efficiently.After scouting the rapid, the safety kayaks
will go first then the raft. Soon after encountering these two big rapids we
will reach the Modi Khola confluence where we will choose the beach for the
evening campsite. We unload the rafts and one raft team prepares dinner and rum
punch whilst the others play or relax and take in the scenery.
Day 02
Once the rafts are packed we start down the river for a day
mixed with adrenaline calm and spectacular scenery including views of
Annapurnna 1 and Himachuli. We will tackle many class III sections and the
challenging class IV named REFUND. This section of river is abundant with
vines, wildlife and lush vegetation hanging from the cliff faces. Our campsite
is below the village of Purti
Ghat.
Day 03
Soon after being back on the water we reach the holy village of Seti Beni. The river has
deposited a house size boulder in the confluence with a smaller tributary.
Since confluence is considered holy places in the Hindu religion, this boulder
has become an important shrine to the local river people. There is usually a
great audience to watch and listen to the spectacle as each team negotiates the
rapid that has formed around this holy place.Not long after this it is time for the journey to end. Our bus will be
waiting for us. We load up the gear and prepare for the bus journey back to Pokhara.
KAYAKING:
This is a great river for intermediate to advanced Kayakers.
Most rapids are pool-drop and there are surfing waves almost all the way down
the river. Many rafting operators in Nepalhas the best kayakers and instructors l, they are always willing to share their
enthusiasm and expertise. We encourage kayakers to join any of our trips. You
needn’t worry as our safety kayakeris
always with the expedition
