Hiking (Rafting) Route: Timrang Area (Khadi Chaur to Chehere Bazaar)
Date: May 24, 2009, Sunday
Duration: 4 hours
Distance: 17 kms
Hike Coordinator: Upasana Rai
Participants: Chip Pulitzer, Ashay Thakur, Asim Khanal, Deepak Maharjan, Dipesh Nepal, Geetika Joshi, Mahesh Raj Regmee, Mamata Ojha, Niraj Shah, Piyush Joshi, Rajiv Shrestha, Sabita Khadka, Sanjeet Baidya, Shilpa Shrestha, Siris Bajracharya, Ujjwal Hada, Upasana Rai
Photos: Shilpa Shrestha, Chip Pulitzer
Caption: Niraj Shah, Upasana Rai
Report By: Chip Pulitzer, Sabita Khadka
Geolocation: Khadi Chaur (27°45’12″N 85°50’9″E), Below Chehere Bazaar (27°41’39″N 85°44’51″E)
– Chip Pulitzer
After gearing up, our guides were careful to show us all the ways in which we could die so that, should the opportunity present itself, we would have the full array of options to choose from.
The whitewater rafting trip to Timrang was a resounding success. I had been rafting before but never in Asia, so this was really a treat. We left early in the morning and drove to pick up our guides who were standing in the streets of Kathmandu with their kayak, which was one of the strangest things I’ve seen since I’ve been here. We then drove out of the city and took the windy road up, over, and down the mountains. The road proved a bit too much for some of our party who began yaking on each other in the back of the van, but nothing could thwart our intrepid adventurers and we pushed on.
After a breakfast of tea, hard boiled eggs, and a spicy soup that set my insides ablaze we continued to the rafting site. After gearing up, our guides were careful to show us all the ways in which we could die so that, should the opportunity present itself, we would have the full array of options to choose from. We set off down the river with hopes high, riding the melted snows of the Himalaya. Although occasionally rainy, the weather was beautiful and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.
Eventually we came to a large rock, and our guides explained that we could scramble to the top and jump off if we wished. One by one we took the 30 foot plunge into the churning white foam beneath (in reality, the rock was about 20 feet high but the story is better if I say 30; the next time I tell it, it will be 40). Those who could swim clawed their way out of the current and back to shore; those who could not were plucked from the river by the waiting rescue raft like gaffed tuna. The only casualty was the nerves of our guide which were frayed when one of our band who, in his zeal to practice his ‘one-two-three-GO’ approach, slipped prior to reaching ‘three’ and skimmed the rock face on the way down instead of jumping away from it. After reviving him (our guide) we continued on.
We passed bleating goats and waving schoolchildren, men pounding rocks and busses honking horns. Eventually we reached the end of our journey, and we hauled our rafts from the water. As we dried off and packed up, the lads regaled the girls from the UN (who were tagging along with our party) with so many stories of past D2 adventures, and such vivid recounting on EverestUncensored.org, that we can expect the site will receive either heavy traffic, or international aid, or both. We headed home and, as we entered Kathmandu, another successful D2 excursion drew to a close. Many thanks to my new friends for organizing the trip and allowing me to come along!
– Sabita Khadka
Our boat once got struck in a viscid rock. We tried hard to free our boat but all efforts were futile and crew got scared .However, nobody dared to show any sign of fear on their faces
We have regular hiking every weekend but this time our coordinator thought of a wet adventure. Instead of hill trip she decided to take us on a river trip i.e. whitewater rafting on Bhotekoshi river.
We had total seventeen rafting enthusiasts piloted by four experts. Before signing on for the trip, we signed waiver forms indicating understanding and acceptance of potential serious risks. Prior to rafting, river guides gave us a briefing about river safety ,handling equipments, things to be and not to be done during rafting, positions like hold, right side hold, left side hold, aggressive swimming , relaxed swimming etc. They warned us that rafting could be hazardous especially if basic safety precautions were ignored. But sometimes moving water or other unanticipated measures could present risks even in safer areas. We were informed not to panic in case of any such unforeseen events. We would jeopardize ourselves if we panicked, as it could hinder their rescue operation.
We were all set for a thrilling experience and whitewater actions with adventurous state of mind. We divided ourselves into three groups with seven in one boat. We had four other foreign acquaintances along with us. Thereafter we geared up with rafting equipments: helmet, life jacket and paddle. Then we ventured into rafting journey paddling along the rhythm of simmering river. The river was cool enough to take us away from constant frenzy of city life.
The crew received continuous commands from guide. Everyone wholeheartedly followed their instructions as rafting could be precarious if instructions were not considered seriously. Our boat once got struck in a viscid rock. We tried hard to free our boat but all efforts were futile and crew got scared .However, nobody dared to show any sign of fear on their faces and finally the team adroitly managed to detach the boat from that glutinous rock.
We had fun spattering water on one another and pulling fellow rafters out from their raft into the river. We also plunged ourselves into the river to float and swim whenever it was calm and pleasant. There were continuous stretch of rapids and currents throughout the river and absolute thrills ran through us only when challenging rapids splashed against our face rejuvenating our adventure spirit. Another good part of the rafting was rock stunt in the water. Initially everyone was scared but later the rafters gathered courage to jump from the rock when it was proven to be mishap-proof by our guide. A moment of freefall in the air was chilling but I am sure everyone who jumped, experienced a strange sense of pride within themselves. We also encountered an enthusiastic audience on the road, excited to see us pass beneath.
We concluded our scenic, serene adventure with the setting sun. I am blissfully happy to have made this trip and have also started looking for the next one. I have gained one very happy day in my life and also moments to cherish. I would recommend rafting to anyone seeking challenging recreational activity.
Please click on the image to see its large version.
Great Trip!
Since summer is here, i hope to see some more water adventure sports around here. Hope u all must have enjoyed the roughness of the tide.
ya, and some real action pictures of rafting is also missing here.
40 >>>> Siris JI OPPS you Look naked 🙂
NIRAJ — >>> You couldn’t find the gym yet ? Your arm is like a pregnant over sized women 🙂
Nice trip..
OMG… it seems the trip was too much adventurous.
I missed it. Unlucky me!
Yo photo 61 ko caption chai lastai galat bhaiyo hai….EU team yesto galat caption rakhna diney???beautiful ladies harey…….ha ha ha ha ha
The One-Two-Three-Go guy, that’s me!! The trip reminded me of the enlightenment Shamesh Dai once talked of. We take the luxury of being alive for granted, when I slipped off, i felt i understood some part of that enlightenment.
Thanks Upasana Didi, for organizing one of the best Sunday outings in some time.
Fan of Chip and his report.