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 Dhaulagiri and 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 Annapurna ranges. 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
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 Dhaulagiri peaks 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 Day 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.
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