2024 LCC River Karnali Trip – Nepal

This year a small team of club members headed for Nepal to paddle and raft the River Karnali, one of the major rivers in the remote west of Nepal. The Karnali is the longest and largest river in Nepal at 315 miles, and most definitely one of the best. In the far western region of the country, often affectionately named the ‘Wild West’, it gives you an insight into rural Nepal’s lives. It is big volume and drains most of the water from western Nepal. The river rises in the vicinity of Tibet’s Mount Kaliash and then carves its way through the Himalayan landscape.

It is often described as Nepal’s mightiest river, even in low water the levels are pretty impressive, there is no bad time of year to go, but October, November and April, May are when the levels are ideal and the weather is perfect.

Dhungeswor to Chisopani Bridge

Day 1 – Kathmandu

Martin & I arrived in Kathmandu around 8.30 in the morning and after swiftly making our way through obtaining a visa, passport control, security checks and baggage reclaim, we decided to wait for Keith and Stuart who were due to land about 9.30. Unfortunately, they hit the rush and it took them well over an hour to get through to baggage reclaim.

All baggage claimed, Keith haggled for a taxi to the hotel and no sooner had we left the airport than we had our first introduction to Nepalese driving; constant overtaking, horns-a-plenty and no regard for which side of the road they’re supposed to drive on.

After landing at the hotel, checking in and a quick bathroom break, we set off to explore Thamel, the area of Kathmandu we were staying in. Keith, having been there several times before, lead us on a mystery tour around narrow streets crowded with people, mopeds and shops galore with smells everywhere of incense and spicy food (mingled with some less pleasant smells). We were in search of the best exchange rates to get some Nepalese Rupees, and after going round and around, it was decided the very first one we passed had the best rates – only to get back there and find their rate was now the same as everyone else!

Money exchanged we went looking for a rooftop café for lunch. Keith found a “Himalayan Rooftop Terrace” on Google and off we went… except when we got to the side street, it wasn’t there. We enquired at the hotel and the security guard took us up another dead-end side street where he conferred with another security guard; neither knew where it was. I was getting hangry (“hangry” definition: hungry and irritable) and hot, so we gave up and found a courtyard café instead.

We then returned to the hotel for an afternoon nap and showers before meeting up with Colin and Sue who arrived in Kathmandu the day before and spent the day sightseeing. We found a nice restaurant just around the corner from the hotel for dinner and enjoyed good food while a short-lived thunderstorm hit.