Welcome to Himalayan white water rafting adventure journeys. Holiday Mountain Treks provides exclusive information of Nepal's River journeys/trips, River introduction of all opened for Rafting, River grading/system, rafting equipments, Kayaking courses, detail program/itineraries, seasons and basic knowledge of raft in Nepal with Fully escorted to Tirshulu River, Seti River, Bhotekoshi Khola, Kaligandaki River, Sunkoshi River, Karnali River and Tamur khola as a Government authorized trips/tour organizer/operator agency in Nepal.

White water rafting means cruising down a rushing river in an inflatable rubber raft or white water kayak over crashing waves and swirling rapids for the excitement of a lifetime. Nepal has earned a reputation as one of the best destinations in the world for white water rafting. Nepal's thundering waters, coming from the glaciers of the mighty Himalaya, provide unmatched thrills for rafting and immersing oneself in the landscape. A rafting trip is bound to be the highlight of your stay in the country.

Rivers are graded on a scale of one to six, with one being a swimming pool and six a one-way ticket to your maker. Four is considered to be quite challenging without being exceedingly dangerous to the novice rafter. Five requires some previous river experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a river journey all about?
River running is virtually as old as civilization itself, but rafting and kayaking as recreational activities are relatively new. A river journey in an exotic foreign country is one of the most enjoyable and effective ways to experience rural areas, observe different ways of life, cultures and natural environments a conventional traveler may not. These pleasures are complemented by an even greater thrill; running through powerful fast flowing rapids.

We rise at dawn with the sun, and after a hearty breakfast and loading the rafts, we start rafting. You paddle hard through the rapids and cruise in between. The day’s rafting is punctuated with a leisurely lunch break around midday, as well as stops to scout the more challenging rapids, explore temples and each day depends on our choice of spectacular campsites. Typically we are on the water for 4-6 hours. Camping on isolated sweeping white sandy beaches and sleeping in tents under the stars and open sky is an ideal introduction to the great outdoors.

Teamwork is crucial to the success of any true adventure. The guidance and instruction of our staff enables you to play an active role in paddling your raft successfully through exhilarating whitewater and you are totally involved in the adventure. Most trips include a layover day when people can wander to nearby villages, explore, learn to kayak, play volleyball, or just relax on a sunny beach with a book, a chance to do as much or as little as you wish. The pace of the trips is very relaxed; we have plenty of time for rest, exploration and discovery.

We put a lot of time and effort into preparing superb, hygienically prepared, wholesome and abundant food, as rafting promotes a healthy appetite. We encourage everyone to learn the art of camp cooking and most people enjoy the opportunity to be involved. We always offer a vegetarian option and can cater to special diets.

When to go?

Best times of the year for river running in Nepal are September through early December, and March through May. In September, early October and May the rivers are running high with the monsoon runoff. From the middle of October, the weather is settled, and this is one of the most popular times for rafting and kayaking in Nepal due to warm water and long hot days, perfect for the river. The spring season has lower flows to begin with, which generally means the rapids are more technical and not quite as pushy - a good time for trying some of the steeper runs. From June till August the monsoon rains arrive and the rivers hold 10 times their low flows, and can flood with 60 - 80 times these flows.

We choose our departures to coincide with optimum river levels and climate, as we like warm water and sunshine. Almost all the rivers we run are free flowing, and river levels can fluctuate dramatically over the season. High water provides the exhilaration of greater speed, bigger waves, and challenging rafting. Lower flows require tight teamwork and more precise maneuvering.

How safe are the trips?

Safety is very important part so we take safety very, very seriously on all the trips. It is our first and never-forgotten priority. We have whitewater professionals, trained in CPR, emergency wilderness first aid and swift-water rescue. They are highly experienced, and levelheaded in the most demanding and stressful situations. Many have rafted all over the world, and some have been involved in pioneering first descents of rivers in Asia , Africa , and the Americas . All our expeditions have professional safety kayakers accompanying the expedition who can get to a person in trouble faster than anyone else. Far from just another kayaker, these are people who will run anything blind, with a rescued person hanging off the back of their boat, and all the while smiling like they just discovered teeth. We use specially designed Avon Mark XI self-bailing rafts, the best flotation devices, helmets, and paddles available. We carry an extensive medical and rescue kit on all expeditions, and are absolutely fanatical about hygiene in camp. We rely on the experience, capability and expertise of our guides, state-of-the-art river gear, as well as pre-planned and thoroughly thought-out rescue plans to keep things together in the unlikely event that something should go astray.

Do I need to know how to swim?

The high-buoyancy lifejackets and helmets you wear will keep you afloat like a buoy at sea. However it would be good to know how to doggie paddle and it is definitely worth considering the time of year and flows. If you are very apprehensive then consider easier flows.

Do I need to be very fit?

The strength of a weekend warrior will more than suffice for what is needed muscle wise. But keep in mind that there will be moments going through a class IV rapid that you will wish you did more than 12 once curls as your workout routine.

What to Bring

As on the trip's nature on the rafting it is best to bring as little as possible to the river. There are however, some essential personal items that you may need.

• Lightweight clothing that will dry quickly, eg. shorts, t-shirt, swim wear for on the river.
• Warm clothing for the evenings including a fleece or a pullover.
• Sunscreen and lip protector.
• Sunglasses (with retaining device) and/or a cap.
• Towel.
• Toiletries and any personal medication.
• Flashlight.
• Footwear that will stay on in the river, tennis shoes are best.

What we provide on the trip

*Self bailing Raft
*Light weight plastic paddle
*Wild water Helmet
*World standard imported life vest
*Paddle top - during winter
*Experienced river guide
*Rescue expert kayaker
*All meals - during river
*Transport to and from river
*Tent or Shelter
*Waterproof camera container
*Personal dry bags
*First aid kit
*Cooking and kitchen utensils

What is the weather like?
One of the most fascinating things about Nepal is that in the space of a hundred miles you can go from the coldest and most bitter conditions on earth to the sweltering heat of the North Indian Plain. In general it’s best to plan for subtropical to temperate conditions on the rivers. Temperatures in the daytime range from 25-32 degrees Celsius, with evenings being 8 to 10 degrees cooler. Expect typical northern hemisphere seasons, with the monsoon thrown in. Most people are surprised to find that Nepal is actually the same latitude as Florida or Egypt and the extremes in temperature and climate are all do to altitude variations.

What river do you recommend?
Before you decide what river you’ll do, you need to decide what it is you want out of the river trip to begin with. There are trips available from two to 12 days on different rivers, all offering dramatically different experiences. If you are looking for something short we offer the Bhote Kosi, Trisuli, Seti and the Kayak clinics. All are very different trips with different water flows.

Longer trips such as the Karnali, Sun Kosi and Tamur have the advantages of offering some real heart-thumping white water with the incredible journeying aspect of a long river trip.

There are other rivers in Nepal. Ask yourself how daring are you? Do you want to rough it? Do you want to trek? How much time do you have? What can you afford. Whatever the combination, we are bound to have a trip to suit you. Just browse our web site and you will see, and feel free to e-mail us and our staff will be happy to help you put together an ultimate experience.

What equipment will I need for the river?

The best idea would be to keep it light. Most anything you can dream of can be found in Kathmandu. Once you know what trip you will be on, we will send you all the information you need on what to bring and more importantly what not to bring. Bringing only what you need will leave plenty of space for retail therapy.

How are Rivers graded?
River grades are supposed to be international and constant - ours are not exaggerated