Welcome to Adrenaline Rush Nepal : A True Paddlers Paradise
Welcome to the Adrenaline Rush Nepal's company blog! It's been a long time coming and something I, have wanted to do for some time. First off let me just tell you who I am. I'm an American married to a Nepali river guide. And while our story will always be personal and special to me, there are quite a few of us western rafting wives. And we ourselves make a pretty unique community I like to think. But it seems that white water rafting and kayaking has always been an international community.
Great rivers draw great paddlers wherever they are in the world. And in Nepal it couldn't be more true!
My Rafting Life
I'm not a paddler. I met my husband on my first ever rafting trip, and there have been lots of trips since. I'm the one in the picture below looking just plain silly in my rafting gear with our pup River draped across my lap! (While Nabin on the other hand stands with direction and purpose - this picture always makes me giggle.) I relish in this new river life and river community. I have met some of the best people in the world on the river. I have had some of the best laughs with new and old friends by the campfire. And best of all, as a perpetual worrier, I've learn much in the ways of "chilling out." And while I will never be able to match their enthusiasm for white water, I am grateful everyday that I don't have to be a paddler to be part of the community. Association by marriage proves to be enough.
A Brief History Of Nepal Rafting
Decades ago, the heroes and pioneers of rafting in Nepal came from afar to conquer these amazing himalayan waters and in the process taught young Nepali guides all about white water. The names Jerry Moffat, Peter Knowles, and David Allardice are known to almost every Nepali river guide. Between them they conquered many of the first descents of our Nepali rivers, provided amazing knowledge of how to run rivers to the locals, and wrote the book on white water in Nepal… literally. They shared their love and knowledge of white water with locals like Mahendra Thapa and Mega Ali and helped them start Nepal's premier rafting companies. I've met most of them and feel their amazing presence in much of Nepal now. And I also know they had a big impact on my husband as a young kid working on the river. These were men that knew how to run the river as safely as possible, took care of their guests, and completely and utterly loved what they do and so graciously shared it with the Nepali people. Instantly these young Nepalis were hooked on not just a profession but a way of life.
Nepal Rafting Life
Rafting life seems to agree with all the best things about the Nepali mentality. They love nature. They love life's simple pleasures. They love a bit of adventure. And most of all, they love the great easy going living that comes with river life. Whatever hectic things that happen as you prepare for a expedition or the struggles on the journey, all are forgotten once you are actually ON the river. We love these type of paddlers. They do this because they love it. White water is their meditation zone, that much needed reset button. That is rafting in Nepal, a constant reset button.
White water enthusiasts are truly fantastical creatures. They are rugged and wild, with a touch of finesse rarely seen. They always seem to be rushing toward a new adventure but then, never ever in hurry. And yet they are people so different and contrary to each other. Such a random mix of all sorts of personalities connected only by the wild rivers they run. Rivers connect people all over the world, but paddlers more than any other I like to think. Because their life, love, and work is in fact the river. Water is their home.
Our Nepal Rafting Life
This past November 2015 I was at the 14th Himalayan Whitewater Challenge. The national kayak competition in Nepal. And it is one of my favorite events in the year. Our community gathers on the banks of the Trisuli for 3 days to compete in the sun. 2015 was a rough year for everyone in Nepal but all our heroes and mentors came. A true international community showed it's love for Nepal and its amazing white water. Most of us are shrewd business competitors but at this festival, once we are out on the river, we are just fellow paddlers. We laugh, cheer, and play together in the sun. Us wives find the time to catch up and enjoy our special friendships. Young and older guides show off their new tricks. Locals come to watch the spectacle, hopefully inspiring a few young Nepalis along the way. Music plays to the crowd. Together we truly enjoy the present moment and all rejoice in what we love, river people enjoying river life.
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