Rafting on Seti River

After we had been to Pokhara, we went on a short 3 days rafting trip on Seti River (categori 3+). Seti River is, compared to Trisuli River where most people raft, a warm rivers as it had two sections upstreams where is runs underground. The first section starts in Pokhara, where it at Devi's falls dived in a large cave. During our days in Pokhara, we saw the fall and cave. The fall was very calm and peaceful now, but we could see how it is very large and powerfull during the spirng and the monsoon. Seti river is also more narrow that Trisuli, but as the nepali says: it is like a chilli - small and strong!

Our rafting started in Damauli, were we meet our rafting guides Indra and Dhana, our cool kayak "spotter" Ramosh and Lakpa. Dhana and Indra are some of the best rafting guides in Nepal with 15-20 years of experience and Dhana is friend of Palsangs and are coming from the same village. It was very good we went with them, as they allowed us to have some fun instead of being overprotective as some nepali people tend to be towards us. Lakpa came along as he was off school due to ASEA summit meeting in Kathmandu, which meant that all traffic was restricted inside the ring road and that all schools and government offices were closed during the meeting. It was great to have Lakpa with us and it was good luck/planning that he could come :0)

We rafted in a raft with back-ores, which meant that we could go faster in the calm sections of the river and that we had more control during the rapids. So on the raft we were Indra steering in the back, 3 persons on each side, sleepingtents, toilettent (the worst invention ever: you dig a hole and put a tent over - image the smell inside!) sleepingbags, pump for the raft (after lunch and each morning it needed a good pump :0)), cooking gear and food for us all. Next to the raft, we had Ramosh in his kayak. His function was to go in front and spot the best route through the rapids, and to help/rescue any who may fall overboard (none of us did!).

During the rapids, Indra gave commandoes to how we should paddle, and it was fun! Paddling like mad, having your body weight in the right place so you did not fall overboard, and to get the splashed from the river was just fun, fun, fun. We really have to go rating again, and next time for more than 3 days.

But it was also very nice to paddle to calm sections. There we saw birds (like large Kingfishers really close), talked with Dhana about how the nature along the river have changed during the 15 years he had rafted on it due to road and houses along the river, watched Ramosh play in the small whirlpools created by rock sticking up in the river, and looking forward to the next meal.

Because food turned out to be really really good. Never have we got so good food prepared during camping. The lunch was pasta, tuna salads, bread (yes bread, not something which is easy to get), fruit and maybe leftover from the dinner the day before. Dinner was very good and tasty daal bath with masu (meat). We did not bring meat in the raft, but instead Dhana, Indra and Ramosh went to the local village an bough a live chicken/hen. See that is real camping - killing your own dinner! But the most amazing thing we got was Dhanas apple pie prepared on a bond fire! :0)

On the day in the middle of our trip, we played with the kayak and in the water. We all tried to kayak with Ramosh as a very very good teacher. Valdemar nearly learned to roll in the kayak, he just needed a little push and he came around! And we all figured out that our next rafting trip must be in kayak :0)

We ended out trip just a few km after Seti had meet Trisuli, and here we could feel how cold Trisuli is, brhhhhh. So glad that we had gone on Seti River, otherwise we would have been very cold on our Kayak-playing day!

:0) Kirsten, Valdemar, Harald and Holger

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Rafting på Seti River

Efter at vi havde været i Pokahar, tog vi på en kort 3 dages rafting tur på Seti River (kategori 3+). Seti River er, sammenlignet med Trisuli River hvor de fleste mennester rafter, en varm flod da den har 2 steder hvor den løber under jorden. Det første sted starter i Pokhara, hvor den ved Devi's fall løber ned i en stor grotte. Da vi var i Pokhara, så vi vandfaldet og grotte. Floden var meget stille da vi så den, men vi kunne godt se hvordan den er meget voldsom om foråret og i monsoonen. Seti River er også smallere end Triusli, men som nepaleserne siger: den er som en chilli - lille og stærk!

Vores rafting tur startede i Damauli, hvor vi mødte vores rafting guides Indra og Dhane, vores seje kajak "spotter" Ramosh og Lakpa. Dhana og Indra er nogle af de bedste rafting guides i Nepal, med 15-20 års erfaring og Dhana er Palsangs ven og kommer fra samme landsby. Det var rigtig godt at vi tog på tur med dem, fordi de lod og have det sjovt og vildt, istedet for at overbeskytte os som nogle nepalesere har en tendens til at gøre. Lakpa kom med da han havde fri fra skole. Der var ASEA topmøde i Kathmandu, hvilket betød at alt trafik var begrænset indenfor ringvejen, og at alle skoler og offentlige kontorer var lukkede. Det var fedt at have Lakpa med os, og godt held/planlægning at han kunne komme med :0).

Vi raftede i en raft med årer bagerst, hvilket betød at vi kunne padle hurtigere på de stille steder og havde mere kontrol på stederne med hvidt vand. Så på raften var vi Indra bagerst der styrede, 3 personer på hver side, telte til at sove i, toilet-telt (den værste opfindelse nogensinde: du graver et hul og sætter et telt over - forestil dig lugten indeni!), soveposer, pumpe til raften (efter frokost og hver morgen skulle den lige bruge en god gang luft :0)), kogegrej og mad til os alle. Ved siden af raften havde vi Ramosh i hans kajak. Hans opgave var at sejle foran og spotte den bedste vej ned gennem hvidt vand, og at hjælpe hvis der var nogle der faldt overbord (ingen af og gjorde!).

Når vi sejlede igenne hvidt vand, gav Indra kommandoer til hvordan vi skulle pale og det var sjovt! Man paddler som helt vildt, skal holder balancen så man ikke smutter ud af raften, og får en masse vand ind over sig - rigtig rigtig sjost. Vi er alle enige om at vi må rafting igen I dag, og længere end bare 3 dage.

Men det var også rigtig rart at padle de stille steder. Her så vi fugle (så som rigtig store isfugle meget tæt på), talte med Dhana om hvordan naturen har ændret sig siden han startede med at rafte der for 15 år siden pga. Vej og huse langs med floden, så Ramosh lege i de små strømhvirvler der bliver skabt at stenen der stikker op ad vandet og så frem til det næste måltid.

Fordi maden viste sig at være rigtig rigtig god. Aldring har vi fået så god mad laver på en camping tur. Frokost var pasta, tunsalat, brød (ja brød, som ikke er nemt at få fat i), frugt og nogle gange rester fra aftensmaden. Aftensmad var rigtig god og smagsfuld dal baath med masu (kød). Vi havde ikke kød med på raften, men istedet gik Dhana, Indra og Ramosh til den lokale landsby og købte en levende kylling/høne. Se det er rigtig camping - man slår selv aftensmaden ihjel! Men det allerbedste var Dhanas æbletærte lavet på bålet! :0)

På midterdagen af vores tur, legede vi med kajakken og i vandet. Vi prøvede alle kajakken med Ramosh som en meget meget god underviser. Valdemar lærte næsten at rulle, han skulle bare bruge et lille puf til at komme rundt! Og vi fandt alle samme ud af at vores næste rafting tur bliver nød til at være i kajakker :0)

Vi sluttede turen et par km efter at Seti havde mødt Trisuli, og her kunne vi mærke hvor kold Trisuli er, brhhhhhhhh. Så vi er glade for at vi raftede på Seti, ellers ville være legedag i kajakker havde været meget koldt!

:0) Kirsten, Valdemar, Harald and Holger