Trip Report Nepal

[Houndoc]

Sitting in the airport in Doha on my way home.

Just completed 30 mile trek followed by 80 miles (with a lot of great whitewater) down the Tamur River in eastern Nepal.

Amazing camp sites on the hike (waking up to views of 4 of the 5 highest peaks in the world is something special. )

Only other foreign tourists we saw in the 10 days outside Kathmandu where the next group doing the same expedition happened to be crossing a bridge in their bus as we floated past so they got out to watch.
Only 3-4 groups raft this river each year

 

[Houndoc]

Finally sorted through my photos and some that were shared by another team member, and the official photographer of the group.

I will try to post in a somewhat time line fashion. Luckily none of you will know which may be out of order!

We will start with a few from a day in Kathmandu (I know many of you will now have Bob Seager singing in your head).

 

[Houndoc]

We then caught a flight on Buddha Air (with some awesome views from the air- able to see most the high peaks of the Himalaya) to the city of Biratnagar loaded up the bus and started an hour hour drive to Basantapur for the night. The drive down some steep canyon roads would have been more relaxing if the bus drive would down shift!
Also had one flat tire delay.
Our gear was then loaded into a tractor that would parallel us (as best the 'roads' allowed) while we trekked.

 

[Houndoc]

The following morning we started walking.
Over the next 4 days we covered roughly 30 miles, with a starting elevation of about 6,000 ft, high points little over 10,000 and then descending to 2,000 feet. And us our less than tactful guide told the group a night or two in after getting tired of hearing complaints "any one who hikes the Himalaya and doesn't expect a lot of up and down is an idiot."

The next 9 nights where in tents- loved waking up to views of the 'top of the world'. We also got to share camp sites with anything from local volleyball games to yaks, depending on the night.

 

[Houndoc]

 

[Houndoc]

Once camped on the river, cold but much needed baths were in order.
The next morning we 'started' down the river, covering at most 1/2 mile in that first day. Severe monsoon floods a few months ago had drastically altered the river and the first rapid was unrunnable. It took the crew 6-7 hours to get our seven rafts through. We were the first raft group (of three or so per year) on the river the season, so for the guides it was a trip of discovery as many rapids had been changed over the entire trip. We got one fun 4+ rapid and made camp. The next day had one more we could not run, but the rest the trip went smooth.
It was fun that many locals would stop farming or other tasks to watch and film us as we went past.
The only other foreign tourists we saw in the entire time outside of Kathmandu is on the 4th day of the river we happened to be crossing under a bridge at the same time the bus carrying the next group (Italians) who would be running the river was passing over. The got out to watch us.

 

[Houndoc]

On the last day, woke up still camped over the river at 6am, had couple more hours on the river (with a cool local temple stop), an hour bus ride, flight back to Kathmandu, time to shower, eat dinner and head to the airport to start the trip home with a 2am flight to Doha.

 

[rholbrook]

Whoever said money can't buy you happiness, doesn't know where to travel. So cool.

 

[Houndoc]

Final notes.
On the way to Nepal had about 8 hour layover in Qatar. Once I figured out HOW to leave the airport, spent a couple hours exploring Doha (easily reached via subway. )

Well worth doing.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

😎 very cool. That region is a hole in my life. Seeing your awesome trip only digs that hole deeper.

 

[Houndoc]

😎 very cool. That region is a hole in my life. Seeing your awesome trip only digs that hole deeper.

Deserves to be on most people's bucket lists.

 

[02SE]

It looks like an incredible trip. Thanks for sharing.