SUN KOSI – River of Gold
8 Days River Distance: 272kms.
Grade (high water): IV-V
Flight: Biratnagar-Kathmandu.
Pre-raft Briefing: HE Office (Kathmandu Guest House) 5pm on day prior to Day 1.
Reputedly one of the world’s top ten rivers, the Sun Kosi – the River of Gold – flows through the untouched countryside and small villages of the beautiful Mahabharat Lekh mountains of the central Nepali Himalaya. The start-point lies three hours east of Kathmandu at Dolalghat and the end-point is at Chatra, near Dharan in the Eastern Terai.
The Sun Kosi’s volume increases considerably as it combines with seven big tributaries to become one of the major rivers of South Asia. The first few days offer fun class II-III rapids and allow time to learn the skills and team work needed for the much larger, far more challenging rapids to come. From the third day onwards the whitewater builds into great, thundering class III-IV+ rapids. The Sun Kosi presents the chance to see a very special part of Nepal that is rarely seen by outsiders and, with it, billions of litres worth of heart-pumping, world-class whitewater action.
Rafting the River of Gold – In addition to out-standing whitewater rafting, the Sun Kosi offers varied and changing landscape from terracedfarmland to steep gorges and then to sub-tropical jungles. Each night we camp on large, sandy river banks in close contact with village people and rewarding sights of wildlife. The final part of the rivermay well be the most dramatic – 10kms of nearly non-stop class IV rapids through the ‘Jungle Corridor, and climaxing with the ‘Big Dipper’ rapid.
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SUN KOSI – DAY TO DAY PLAN
Day 1
| 0630 |
Meet and depart from Himalayan Encounters, Courtyard of Kathmandu Guest House. Breakfast en-route. |
| 0800 |
Drive east from Kathmandu on road to Tibet, to confluence of the Bhote Kosi and Indrawatti Rivers (approx 3 hrs) now called the Sun Kosi |
| 1100 |
Arrive at Sun Kosi ‘put-in’. Unload bus and set up equipment. Safety talk. Demonstration of equipment |
| 1230 |
Lunch |
| 1300 |
Raft 2-3 hrs to Camp I |
| 1600 |
Set up camp on sandy river bank |
| 1800 |
Dinner |
Days 2-7* (Typical pattern of activity*)
| 0700 |
Wake-up call with tea and coffee |
| 0730 |
Breakfast |
| 0800 |
Take down camp, set up rafts |
| 0900 |
Raft for 3-4 hrs |
| 1230 |
Lunch |
| 1300 |
Raft for 3-4 hrs. |
| 1600 |
Set up Camps II, III, IV, V, VI, VII |
| 1800 |
Dinner |
Day 8
| 0700 |
Wake-up call with tea and coffee |
| 0730 |
Breakfast |
| 0800 |
Take down camp, set up rafts |
| 0900 |
Raft for 2-3 hrs |
| 1200 |
Lunch |
| 1230 |
Pack up gear. Drive to Chatra then Biratnagar for flight to Kathmandu. EXPEDITION ENDS. |
Meals: B,L,D from lunch on Day 1 until lunch on Day 8
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