The Marshyangdi is the mother of all rivers. In
the local dialect, it means 'raging one' and
rage it does! Few rivers rival the Marshyangdi
for exhilarating whitewater and unparalleled
mountain views. It is steep, powerful and not to
be underestimated. With some of the wildest
commercially run white water in the world,
sustained sections of steep technical rafting
test our teamwork throughout the trip. Usually a
turquoise blue in color, the rapids wrap
themselves around weirdly sculpted boulders and
steep chutes plunge into deep green pools as the
river drops down from the Annapurna range. With
the awe inspiring, breathtaking backdrop of the
Manaslu and Annapurna ranges, it is a
photographer dream. It may be a dream of a
whitewater run, but it is a logistical
nightmare. Even still, our guides fight among
themselves for the honor of running it. The huge
boulders require instinctive and expert river
reading skills to identify the right lines. The
rapids are so continuous and technical that we
run the rafts empty of gear for maneuverability.
In true Nepali style, we employ porters to carry
our gear. Don't worry; we still manage to
squeeze on board our extensive first aid kit and
the exceptional Drift Nepal lunch box. If you
ever see a group of wizened river rats drowning
in a Pokhara bar, you may hear the Marshyangdi
described as an Adrenaline overload, most
beautiful river I have ever done, Orgasmic, a
Jewel of a river or Liquid Madness! |
Day 01: Drive to Dumre by bus, then drive
from Dumre to Bensisahar by bus. You camp
overnight at Bensisahar.
Day 02: Rafting from Bensisahar and camp
at the beach at the confluence of Chepe River
and Marshyangdi River.
Day 03: All day rafting and camping on
the beach near Turtle Bazaar.
Day 04: Rafting to Bimalnagar. After
lunch drive back to Kathmandu.
Best time to Raft : There are two rafting
seasons. The best season is September following
the monsoon and extending through October,
November and sometimes early December. The
second season follows the spring thaw from March
to May, the best water being in April/ May.
Combine the Marshyangdi or the Kali Gandaki with
any of our treks in the Annapurna Region If you
are short of time we can arrange an airfare back
from Pokhara to Kathmandu (or vice- versa). Keen
to see a tiger? Add on a jungle safari to Royal
Chitwan or Bardia National Park. |
