The Modi Khola

After a quick trip down the Seti and Maudi Khola we packed up for a few days and planned on hitting the Modi Khola and Kali Gandakni back to back. First stop Modi Khola. We split Pokrha and took a cab out to to Lumle where we found some porters to carry our boats. It certainly is worth every penny not having to lug your kayak around.

Walking boats march their way across a small swing bridge on the way to New Bridge our put in on the Modi.

All along the way villagers have carved out small terraces to grow rice lintels and season vegetables such as potatoes and spinach. The Modi Khola is a Tea House Run. You can stay in a small guest house for a $1.15 a night an have someone cook you dinner and breakfast. It is certainly an easy way to do an overnighter. You dont even have to carry a sleeping bag.

Will Following the leader hiking towards New Bridge with Annapurna III (7555 meters) in the background.

We stayed at this young ladies house. You can see hygiene is important here she is making sure her toe nails are clean before cooking us a delious meal of Dal Bhat for Dinner. Dal Bhat is the national dish of Nepal. It consist of rice, lintel soup, potato curry, and sometimes spinach.

Sunset from our guest house on Annapurna III. One of the mountains just to the east is called Annapurna IV not to be confused with Annapurna I to the west. The weird thing is Annapurna II is further to the east then IV. Anyhow look a pretty picture of a big mountain and a tree. Ahh

Cooper lining it up in order to punch through a sticky hole (photo Will Stublefield).

I had run the Modi Khola over the years twice before. The first time was low and in Late Nov. The second time was late mid october and it was fairly high. Being mid Nov I assumed it would be an in between flow. As soon as wqe got on the water I realized Nepal was having similar flows to India. The rivers of Nepal were still high for this time of year after the huge monsoon rains.

Yup pretty much the same thing even the same person. (photo Will Stublefield)

Look mom there is me. This is before i got tooled in the hole. (photo Will Stublefield)

Cooper boofing the weird one just past Old Bridge.

The run out below Birethanti is still good fun we paddled down to the dam and jumped on a bus for Beni and The Powerful Kali Gandakni.

From India to Nepal (dawn of the sport bus riding)

One of the great things about traveling through Asia is the availability of various transportation methods one can enlist. We had been traveling with a driver, van and even one of Shalab's friends Laxman to help with logistics. Kev had run out of time and it was time for him to part ways from the crew while the rest of us headed across the border into Mahindragar Nepal to experience the life of public transport in Asia.

Setting off early we found a jeep to drop us close to the border. There is a one lane bridge packed with people walking, biking, bussing, or riding rickshaws across the border. We opted for the Rickshaw option. We spent a bit of time at the India Immigration office. Though hordes of people were crossing the border we were the only ones that stopped at immigration. It seemed an entirely optional process. Once we got an exit stamp on the ole Passport we were waved through customs and entered the 2 kilometers of no mans land between Inida and Nepal.

Walking with the India rickshaw drivers we were quickly stopped by the local Nepali Rickshaw Union. It seemed we nearly started a turf war. After some stiff negotiations we switched to the Nepali Rickshaws and headed for the bus station. (photo Will Stublefield)

Arriving early we had plenty of time to secure our gear to the roof and prepare ourselves for the 18 hour bus ride from hell. (photo Will Stublefield)

(local women collect fodder for the livestock)

We headed across the wild western front of Nepal. Once a Maoist strong hold during the long years of instability in Nepal few westerners traveled through these regions till recently. 10 years ago Unisef was doing large scale food drops to feed the hungry.

The charming and quaint small towns along the Indian Nepal Highway

A typical reaction when someone sees a kayak for the first time.

After the savage bus ride we reached the beautiful mountain town of Pokhra. We would base ourselves here for the next two weeks sampling the classics and waiting for the water to drop on the Humla Karnali our big mission for the trip. (photo Steve Bates)

The Pindar River

Upon some google earth scouting I found this gym boasting an average gradient roughly of 30 meters per kilometer. Perfect gradient awaiting our arrival. The problem with the Pindar unlike most Indian rivers is there is no road up the river. Luckily there is a well established trail the next drainage to the east. Just do a short 20 K hike over and a high mountain pass and you too can drop into the Pindar Valley for 2 solid days of class IV-V action.

Somewhere in this frame are some tired kayakers with fully loaded boats trying to find the steam to keep one foot in front of the next.

After a 3 hour hike we ran out of day light and had to make camp for the night still a long way from the Dharkuri Khal pass at 2932 meters.

Halfway to the pass and you can see our camp site at the saddle in the middle of the frame but luckily at this stage we had scored some Nepali Porters making progress way quicker.

Kev reaching the pass.

Getting to the put in at the footbridge near Khati we made camp and started cooking stoked to be putting on what looked like a healthy flow on the Pindar.

Once on the water the Pindar is a non stop action packed run with some freezing water straight from the Pindari Glacier. Isaac Thomson Charging through the continuos white water of the Pindar. (photo Will Stubblefield)

Toby working his way through the classic read and run boulder gardens. (photo Will Stubblefield)

We were blow away by the clean fun rapids that kept coming our way the entire first day. Kev dropping into the Bridge rapid. (photo Will Stubblefield)

As the sun crawled behind the horizon we reached the steepest section of the river. Isaac had fallen ill and we were all feeling beat down. We scoured the banks of the river searching for a place to set up camp. We scored this little beach with a few large cat prints in the sand. Luckily Kev had some fireworks to scare off any man eater in the Pindar Valley

mmm homemade cooking over the open fire.

Isaac still filling ill boofing the good morning drop.

Will charging through some big curles all of which were feeding into horrible sieves.

The boys posing for a team photo before Kev had to part ways (photo Will Stubblefield)

The Bhagarati and upper Mandakni

The next drainage we headed up was the Bhagarati River. This is the largest tributary of the Ganga (Ganges) river, the holiest river in the Hindu Faith. Pilgrims travel from all over world to pray, drink and bath in its holy waters. When ones life comes to an end bodies are cremated along the banks of the holy Ganga and the ashes are spread in the holy waters.

On the road up the Bhagarathi we met some Sadus who were returning from a pilgrimage up to the Gomukh Glacier the principle source of the Ganga. The sadu many barefoot will walk for months accepting donations to help them on their long and arduous walks from one holy spot to the next.

A sadu smoking on his chillum along the banks of the Bhagarati river.

We opted for a put in near the town of Raitha paddling a 20 K section of river down to Maneri. From the Road, the river appeared to be a mellow class IV big bouncy section of whitewater.

The boys negotiating the first rapid stretching a kilometer long.

Cooper dropping into the first rapid.

Once on the water we quickly realized the true power of Bhagarathi. Huge exploding holes and powerful waves were constantly knocking us off line and threatening to drop us into the numerous man eating holes lurking at every horizon line. Will digging hard to punch through the corner of a large hole.

Often you would enter a rapid and fight your way across the river to avoid the powerful forces of the main current in the center of the river. Cooper leads the charge fighting to keep the kayak straight as the boys follow suit.
Cooper dropping into one of the larger rapids on the Bhagarati.

Will Stublefield scouts the large pour overs trying to find a line admist the watery chaos.

Kev showing the boys how its done.

Cooper follows suit.

Talking on your phone while driving large transport trucks on narrow one lane crumbling roads through the mountains are all just part of the excitement of everyday life in india.

After the Bhagarathi we continued our eastern movement heading towards the Mandakni river. On my previous trip I had paddled a lower section of the river. It proved to be an awesome stretch of whitewater and after having to climb out of several gorges we opted not to explore the upper remote stretches of the river with out a bit of research. This year we had done our homework. From Sopraya the river seemed to maintain an average gradient of of 37 meters per K for some 20 kilometers or so. Getting a late start at the put in we opted to take overnight gear and spend the night in the gorge.

Paddling a few hundred meters we arrived at the sight of a new damn being constructed. Luckily the heavy monsoon had washed away much of their progress and we were able to paddle what was probably the last descent of this classic run.

Taking advantage of the construction sight we lowered our boats down where they were building the barrage opting not to paddle through the dynamite blasted diversion cave.

After a long day and it starting to get dark we began looking for a flat spot in the gorge. We searched several spots finding mostly thick boggy jungle vegetation. After several attempts Kev reported good news he found a spot for us to camp. Being the only flat spot for 20 k's some locals had made their very own cricket pitch.

Our kayaking gear rapidly became way more fun to play with then cricket. Can you blame them i'd rather play with my helmet then have to play the worlds most boring sport its even worse than baseball.
Day 2 of the Mandakni and Toby plugging into a strong lateral.

Kev boofing the super fun and soon to be dead water of the Mandakni. RIP Mandakni I'm glad we got to meet. Enjoy your plasma screen TV's India I hope its worth it.