River Rafting in Nepal >> Buri Gandaki River Rafting

Combines a pleasent trek and short -river descent - typical Nepali villages, good mountan views and a little - traveled but easy river. There are several days of class 4 and 5 kayaking further up river.

The River
Lots of people know the Trisuli, Marsyangdi, and Kali Gandaki but menting the Buri Gandaki had few people know anything about it, few have trekked the valley and hardly anyone has rafted or kayaked it. Half way between Kathmandu and Pokhara and yet it is a mystery river! Like the Marsyangdi, the Bui Gandaki rises wholly in Nepal and drains the Eastern slopes of Mansluand the Ganesh Himal before flowing south through a steep - sided valley to join the Trisuli River upstream of Mugling. Many people have seen this confluence from the main highway to Kathmandu, they have seen the blue waters of the Buri Gandaki joining the usually more silty waters of the Trisuli and perhaps wondered what lies upstream. In fact, upstream is a river very similar in volume and charactiristic to the Marsyangdi but not as steep or as steep or as difficult in its lower portion. A glance at the river profile will show that the Buri Gandaki has fairly easy gradient from down stream of Arughat Bazar. Upstream of here the gradient is still quite reasonable; it averages 2.3 % {120 ft a mile} from Sirdibas {Setibas on some maps} down the Arughat. This section of the river flows through a gorge -like valley, which gradually opens out above Arughat. The Royal Trek, that used to be the main trail from Kathmandu to Gorkha, crosses the river at Arughat but it not very papular. A few groups do trek up the valley of the Buri Gandaki to Manaslu and Himalchuli but the valley is still relatively unspoilt and a good introduction to Nepal villages and the friendly local People.

Facts From: Arughat {Alt.480m.}
To: Trisuli {Alt.330m.}
Distance: 34 kms {21 miles}
River Day: 1 - 2
From Kathmandu: 1 plus 2 days trek.
Difficulty in Nov: Class 3
Average Gradient: 0.4 % {20 ft a mile}
Est. Max Gradient: 0.6 %