A Walk in the Himalayas

After one day of attempting to fly up to Lukla, I decided that I would just walk into the Solukhumbu (Everest Region) instead...the traditional route that was used by expeditions for decades before commercial flights to the region. These are my journal entries from the trip...
Kinja, Solukhumbu 11/17/10
Just arrived in a cool little village called Kinja and found a great guest house called Sonam. Feeling pretty good but tired from walking. Lemon tea hits the spot! Thank God I decided to walk in. I have passed and spoken to quite a few folks that were stuck in Lukla for lots of days before they decided to walk out. Apparently, there were more than a thousand people stuck up there. I left Kathmandu yesterday morning with a guy named Phil. He was staying at the Holy Lodge and has spent many seasons in the Everest region. We took a 7a.m. bus out to Jiri, which is about as close as you can go on a bus to the Khumbu. The bus ride took about 8 hours and was brutally rough...my head hit the roof one time from hitting a bump and being in the back seat. The road has been extended to a couple more villages but we started walking from Jiri. On the way up the first big climb, we stopped and had tea at a man's house who claimed to have raced in the Everest Marathon twice...and even won it once. On the other side of the pass the first day, I stopped to take a picture of a waterfall, slipped and broke the screen on my new Olympus...luckily I have a backup and didn't break my arm. Arrived in Shivalaya, drank tea, went over maps, ate dhal bhat and early to bed.
We got an early start this morning. Big climb to start the day. Tea, chocolate, and Chipati at the top before descending an hour to the village of Bandar. Phil was great company and we had a good time cutting up and laughing at "the angry German"(this guy on the bus that was being ridiculous). We got to Bandar and Phil wanted to rest for the day. He had a much heavier load and is more than twice my age. It was only 1:00 so I pushed on to a village called Kinja. I hope I am half as fit as Phil when I'm 65...running around the Himalayas. I said goodbye and hit the trail. It was hot and felt good to be hiking solo again. Although there were clouds, the views were amazing and I can only imagine what's in store. There is a nice couple from Montana staying in this guest house who were stuck in Lukla. I enjoyed their company this evening. We exchanged useful info about the trail and they offered to let me borrow their MSR "pocket rocket" and mail it to them in December...very nice of them. It will be a treat to boil water for my coffee and noodles. Early wake up and a 2,000 meter climb first thing tomorrow. Feeling content and grateful to be on this trek to the Khumbu...
Junbesi, Nepal 11/18/10
I just arrived at the Sherpa Guide Guest House after a long day on the trail. It started with a 2,000 meter climb right out of Kinja. It was pretty sunny this morning and warmed up quickly to shorts and short sleeves temp. About 1/3 of the way up I met a nice Sherpa dude and we walked for a while...the hill was brutal! Following a Sherpa is a good way to get where you are going fast. He was on the way to his village and I joined him and his family at their guest house in a high village for tea and dhal bhat. They were very sweet people...it was nice to be with a family. After lunch, I took off up the trail toward the pass at 3,500 meters. It was cold and I stopped for some tea at the top by a nice warm fire and had good conversation with a couple girls on their way out of the Khumbu. The top was socked in with clouds but I could only imagine the view from up there on a clear day. The trail on the other side of the pass descended through a moss covered pine forest for a few km before entering a valley and eventually turned left and descended to Junbesi...a lovely Sherpa village surrounded by high ridges. Its pretty chilly here and the lemon tea is spot on. It is quiet here...perfect place to hunker down and read...
Paiya, Khumbu 11/20/10
Eating lunch at the Beehive Lodge in a small village over 2,700 meters. The sun feels amazing up here and there is a cool breeze coming from the valley below. Yesterday was full on with a couple of significant passes. Unfortunately, I didn't bring any trail shoes and my heavy Sportiva boots have caused some blisters and hot spots...more damn foot problems...nothing a little duct tape and neosporin won't fix. There are lots of Lukla evacuees walking out and I worry from time to time that I will get stuck but try not to give it too much energy. I've gotten a couple glimpses of what I'm pretty sure is the top of Everest but it was quickly covered by clouds.
This morning I said goodbye to friends in Kharikhola, including a sweet girl from Huntsville, AL who is having some knee issues. As usual, the morning started with a big ass climb. Its been a little slow going today with my blistered feet, but I'm really in no rush...just can't wait to be close to some huge mountains. The clouds just covered the sun...looks like its going to be a chilly dark afternoon in the Khumbu.
Namche Bazaar, Elev. 11,360 ft.
I arrived in the thriving metropolis of Namche Bazar this afternoon. Fortunately, the skies were clear all the way from Chaurikharka where I stayed last night. It was the best weather I have seen since Tuesday when I began the hike in Jiri. The final leg to Namche was fairly gradual until a nasty set of switchbacks just to make sure my ass was thoroughly whooped before a couple days of rest and acclimatization. Namche is a bustling little town that will forever change my idea of what a "mountain town" is. It is neatly situated on a bowl-shaped hillside surrounded by massive peaks...Thamserku (21,839 ft.)...Tartikha (20,413 ft.)to be specific. After check-in and lunch at the Tibet Lodge Hotel, I found a bakery with some good coffee and a chocolate croissant. As I sat on the porch of the bakery with some friends from the trail, the clouds replaced the clear blue skies and the temp plummeted. The rest of the day was chilly and cloudy with a occasional break as a reminder of the surroundings. I'm going to try to stay put for a couple days so I can properly acclimatize before heading west for Renjo La(Pass). Not many people do this pass from the west but hopefully I will meet someone out there... Feeling very full, very tired, and very grateful to be up here....
Hotel Tibet, Namche
Busy day today. Crazy altitude dreams last night and I woke up with the sun. It is easy to tell the altitude is having a significant effect on my body but feeling great at the same time. After a quick cup and a beautiful sunrise, I decided to take a short hike over the ridge above town. On the way up, I met a guy who was headed out on a long day hike to acclimatize. Although I wasn't dressed for a long hike, I decided to join him for a while. We stopped at the Everest View Hotel for some coffee on the back patio. The hotel is ultra luxurious for this area and rooms go for about $200/night. I'm paying about $3 for my room at the Tibet. Walking up from the South, we went through the hotel and out to the patio with the most amazing view. AmaDablam, Lhotse, glimpses of Everest, and many more. I think it is safe to say this is the nicest place I've ever had coffee....although the coffee sucked. AmaDablam is amazing...it looks like a Dr. Seuss mountain. I started back down the hill and got to see a small plane take off from one of the sketchiest landing strips I have ever seen. Its a steep dirt strip above Namche called Syamboche ( I later found out this is where Edmund Hillary's wife and daughter perished in the 70's).
Today was a much needed laundry day. I washed my clothes in a bucket and had just enough sunshine to dry them before the clouds rolled in. I ran into my old friend Phil at lunch as he was arriving in Namche. We caught up and he gave me more advice for my journey over the passes. One of the bars was showing the Everest Imax film at 3:00...not Imax screen of course but a great way to spend part of the afternoon. Hoping I have room for food and fuel in the North Fake pack. A little intimidated by taking western route to Renjo because nobody else seems to be doing it for acclimatization problems. I know that if I listen to my body, the weather and the mountains it will all be good. I love these mountains...
Thame, Solukhumbu (12,540 ft.) 11/23/10
The hike from Namche was relatively short, 3 hrs at a slow pace. I took my time getting out of there. It was a cold cloudy morning and something frozen was falling from the sky...sleet-ish stuff. There was an amazing gorge on the way up here with rock formations I couldn't begin to describe, the clouds broke long enough for me to snap a picture of one of the falls. I made the mistake of going to a guest house that has a large trekking group. After lunch and writing my itenerary, I went for a nice day hike. I just followed this moraine out of Thame toward a glacier. The valley turned after while revealing a whole strand of big peaks. There was no trail so I ran up the valley wall until it leveled out a few hundred feet above the glacial stream. I made some soup with my little stove in my 5x6 room this afternoon...read for a while and passed out. Crossing Renjo La from the West is tricky but I will take two more nights to acclimatize before going over the pass to Gokyo. It is 7:30 now, dinner is done, time to go hunker down for a long night and some crazy altitude dreams...
Thame 5:57a.m 11/24/10
It was great to wake up at 4:30 and realize I'd gotten a pretty solid 7 hours of sleep with some bizarre dreams. The sky just started to get light and the silhouettes of giants are framed by the windows of my box at the Sunshine Lodge. I can see my breath in here this morning...thankful to have a down jacket and warm sleeping bag. Best of all, I will have hot coffee in just a few minutes w/out even getting out of the bag. Life is good...
Lungdhen (14,450ft) 11/24/10
Today's weather was incredible! Blue skies all day for the first time on this journey. The hike from Thame to Marlung was a gradual 400m ascent. I took my time and stopped along the way to brew up some coffee and eat my last Toblerone chocolate. I arrived in Marulung around 10:30 this morning. My plan was to stay at a small guest house there but after lunch, lots of reading, a hike above the valley, and doctoring up the old feet...it was only 2:30. So, I packed up and came up to Lungdhen, another 600ft climb in elevation. At this point, I'm breaking the general rule of sleeping no more than 300 meters higher than the night before. I've been listening to my body and feeling good...so far. Tomorrow is going to be a big day...Renjo La(17,688ft. pass). This pass is significantly higher than I have been before. I met up with a guy from Spain and his guide at this guest house and will take off with them at 6 in the morning. If my body says "no" then I will come back down. Praying for another clear day tomorrow...the view from Renjo La is supposed to be epic! Not only was it a totally clear day today, but the stars are insane tonight! This village is situated at the base of a mountain called Kyajo Ri(20,413ft.) I ate way too much Dal Bhat this evening...ouch!
Gokyo (15,807ft.) 11/25/10
Whoo!! What a day! 5:00am wake up for the big day going over the pass. Having never been much higher than 14 grand, Renjo La was quite and experience for me. Other than not being able to breathe, it wasn't that difficult. At these higher altitudes, I would take 4 or 5 steps too fast and be totally winded. My heart would start racing telling me it was time to slow 'er down or stop and chill for a minute. We climbed very slowly but still made the pass before 11:00am. The last leg of the climb was brutally steep. Deep breathing just wasn't satisfying my need for
oxygen. We could see the prayer flags at the pass from a long way down. I had no idea just how rewarding it would actually be when we got to the top...
The view from Renjo on a clear day has to be among the best int he world. Never seen anything like it! Right when we came over the top....boom! Everest with a perfect little halo cloud above her summit. To the far left was Cho Oyu and many other peaks much higher than 23,000 feet, Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and a Makalu...Amazing!! I have seen some big mountains recently but not like this. Here I am on Renjo at 17,688 feet looking at Sagarmatha (Everest) with a summit nearly 12,000 feet above me. I can't imagine what breathing is like for the climbers that go up there without oxygen...nuts! Gokyo, my destination and where I am now sitting, was also part of the amazing view. It is a great little village situated next to a gorgeous turquoise lake. On the other side of Gokyo is the Ngozumba Glacier running south from Cho Oyu. From where I am now stretched out at the guest house, I can look across the lake up to Renjo La and also to the North with perfect view of Cho Oyu (27,063 ft.)...not a shabby place to spend a couple days. I have broken the acclimatization rules and don't want to push it anymore. I just heard about a man who died here a couple days ago from AMS after crossing Renjo...scary. He tried to rest it out instead of descending which is the first thing you do with advanced AMS. On that note, I'm going to hydrate...
Namche Bazar 11/27/10
Crazy fu*&ing day! I woke up and did a short hike up the hill next to the glacier to watch the sunrise...cold and beautiful morning. During breakfast, I finished Krakauer's Into Thin Air...everyone else is reading it and they had a copy at the guest house so I knocked it out on my rest day. Can't remember the last time I spent an entire day reading...maybe never but it was a nice change. I packed up after breakfast and planned to cross the Ngozumba Glacier to a village called Dragnag in order to set up for Cho La Pass tomorrow. Having never crossed a glacier (and this is no small glacier), I was very confident that I could negotiate my way to the other side...ha.
Although my map showed the trail crossing the glacier south of Gokyo, the constant movement of the glacier changed the accuracy of the map. After walking south of Gokyo for a little while, I walked onto the glacier. There were trails and cairns(rock piles marking the way) which led me to believe it was a commonly used route and this was as good as any way to cross...wrong! I followed the cairns and paths out to the middle of the glacier and was led right down to a lake of ice water. It was clear to me that two lakes had joined at the point where the trail ended and water was flowing quite strongly in that spot. I threw a heavy boulder in to see if I could make a foot bridge but heard it tumbling along the bottom and would not stay in place. I could see the trail on the other side and even considered wading across. Fortunately, I was able to play that tape forward and realized it could have a really bad ending...alone on the middle of a glacier. My next thought was, "I'll just go around...". Not quite. The only way around was really far and I checked tons of places for a crossing with hope of avoiding turning around completely. I always thought of glaciers as being ice. True, but this one is also completely covered with giant piles of unstable rocks of all sizes. I began to get frustrated and started scrambling up and down the hills of rock before I was quickly reminded I can't do that at 16,000 feet. It was exhausting. I did my best to chill and accept the situation for what it was. Eventually, after realizing the glacier could not be crossed in this section, I sucked it up and went back to "glacier-right" where I'd begun. It was now about 11:30 and I had some decisions to make. I narrowed my afternoon down to three options...1)Go back up to Gokyo and cross on the yak trail like everyone else 2) Walk south of the glacier, cross the river, and head back north to Dragnag 3) Start heading home. After a few minutes of going back and forth (literally walking back and forth on the trail), I decided it was time to go home. It reminded me of the scene from Forrest Gump when he walked across the country and then said, "I think I'm gunna go home now..." I realized it was a long way to get home and that there was a good chance I would run into flight delays in Lukla. I walked for about 6 hours at a pretty fast clip and made it to Namche about an hour after dark. Just before dark, there was a break in the clouds revealing the top half of Ama Dablam, the majestic Dr. Seuss mountain I'd seen a few days ago. Upon arrival in Namche, I went straight to the Everest Bakery and inhaled a hot veggie pizza...
Lukla 11/29/10
Yesterday, I walked from Namche to Lukla. This is the first time I have actually seen the famous Lukla airport. The runway is not only very steep, but it runs right off the side of the mountain and leaves a very small, if any, margin for error. It was another long day and my body is not very happy with me right now. Trying to fight off a cold and afraid I may have gotten the infamous "Khumbu cough", a respiratory infection that many people seem to get when visiting up here. Fortunately, the sky is clear in Lukla. Unfortunately, the fog hasn't burned off yet in Kathmandu. I'm hoping to get back to KTM this afternoon and get international flights sorted...
p.m.
Made it home to the Holy Lodge safe and sound. Flight from Lukla was wild! It was a similar feeling as running a big rapid or going bungee jumping when I was boarding the plane...total adrenaline rush! I think the fact that one of the tires of the plane was about halfway deflated intensified the rush. Although the pollution can make it difficult to breathe in the city, the warmer temp and higher oxygen level made me feel better almost immediately. This is a different Nepal than the one I've been living in...
Kathmandu...December 1, 2010
Today is my last full day in Kathmandu. I fly to Atlanta tomorrow via Delhi and JFK. The last 3 months have flown by and have been the adventure of a lifetime. I have met scores of great people from all over the world and have been inspired by many. It has been a dream of mine to visit the Himalayas for a long time and I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to spend 3 months in this giant playground. I hope that any readers of this blog who enjoy outdoor adventures have the opportunity to come here one day. Then again, a friend of mine often says, "my best vacation could very well be your worst nightmare..."
It has been a pleasure sharing the experience with you...thank you for following my journey...
Best,
Preston

View photos from Khumbu at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?fbid=1702604414975&id=1533910566&aid=221765&notif_t=photo_album_comment

Kayaking in Nepal

Since my arrival in Nepal on September 12, I have had the opportunity to paddle a number of great rivers. In fact, I think I may have spent more time in my kayak in the past 2 months than I have in the past 2 years combined. Prior to the end of the guide course in October, my itinerary was pretty much handed to me. It has been one adventure after another and the time has absolutely flown by. Although it was nice being told which trips I would be going on and when, it has also been fun being on my own to meet people to go boating with.
The Holy Lodge is full of kayakers this time of year and it didn't take long for me to find a crew to go paddling with when I returned to Kathmandu. On the morning of November 4, I left with 7 other boaters to catch the "local bus" out to the Bhote Kosi river. It is only about 80 km from the city but takes about 3 hours. Although I had paddled the lower section of the river quite a few times, the Upper was a new river for me. Until a couple weeks ago, it has been too high to run and rafting trips still aren't going on it. The upper section of the Bhote Kosi is 20 km of continuous class IV whitewater. There are few, if any, flat sections and it demanded every bit of my attention as a swim here would be long a brutal. After a long and uncomfortable ride on the local bus, we arrived at the put-in at the Borderlands resort on the road to Tibet. It was solid whitewater from the minute we put on and I knew that I needed to stay as focused as I could. Fortunately, I was able to follow others with much more kayaking experience who had paddled the river during previous trips to Nepal.
We scouted a 2 or 3 of the rapids but were able to stay in our boats for most of the trip. The horizon lines around pretty much every corner of the river could be pretty intimidating, but fortunately it was a solid run for everyone in the crew. This was certainly the most challenging stretch of river that I paddled during my time in the Himalayas. The Upper Bhote Kosi is tons of fun and I would highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys paddling solid class IV whitewater. That evening on the local bus back to Kathmandu, we were treated to some live tunes by some fellow passengers...
The Belephi River runs into the Bhote Kosi a few miles down from the takeout of the Upper section. A couple days after running the upper section, a group of us headed back out to paddle the Belephi, one of the most beautiful rivers I've paddled to date. Instead of taking the local bus, this time we treated ourselves to a private bus and all payed about $15 for the entire day. The Belephi is about 15km of crystal clear class III-IV read and run whitewater. Not only is the water amazing, but there are also incredible views of some of the high peaks of the Langtang region. It is such a cool experience to be paddling in relatively warm water on a sunny day and then turn around to see giant snow-covered peaks. The Upper Bhote Kosi and the Belephi are great rivers and we were treated to some amazing weather for both trips.
Although I went paddling a couple days during this time, I was still dealing with an infected ingrown toenail that was not only painful, but was going to prevent me from hiking in the Khumbu as planned. After more than a week of soaking my foot and taking antibiotics, I spoke to a friend that had taken care of a similar condition in his toe on a Canadian expedition. He told me how he did it and I decided to get after it. I gave it one last soak in steaming hot water and went for it. The pain was excruciating but there was instant relief when the nail popped out and I was finally able to clip the piece that was growing into the side of my toe. Having never had one of these, I'm pretty sure it was caused from my big hike it September that caused the other nail to die completely. Fortunately, I'm all healed up and good to go...
On the morning of November 9, I took a bus out to Pokhara to meet a couple of friends who were kayaking in that area. We met up with some other kayakers, including a girl who lives in Utah and happens to work for Second Nature, the same wilderness program I was working with for the last year...small world! A crew of five of us went out to the Upper Seti, only 20 minutes from Lakeside Pokhara, and did a couple laps. The Upper Seti makes for a great day trip. It only takes about an hour and a half. It is continuous and has lots of fun rapids and tons of great boof lines. I knew part the culture here is to burn the dead on the side of the river, this was the first time I actually saw this dramatic event taking place. We were right at the top of a rapid when I looked over and saw the cremation taking place on the river bank with a ceremony taking place next to the enormous fire. Pretty shocking at first and then I quickly realized it is just part of the cycle of life and that is how it is done in this part of the world.
The next day, nobody was paddling so I just went for a spin around Fewa lake in Pokhara which is beautiful. It was a pretty clear day and was relaxing to go for a cruise. It was fun to watch the dozens of paragliders soaring above the lake and surrounding hills. Paragliding looks amazing but not sure if I have room for another activity at this point in my life. However, the idea of flying off the side of mountains is quite appealing... maybe one day.
The Modi Kola is the river I hiked along for a few days when I went out to Annapurna Base Camp in September. Although the water was too high during my trek, I remember really liking what I saw and hoped to paddle it while I was here. It is possible to paddle the upper sections of the Modi but requires some planning, porters, and lots of skill. My friend Mo and I left with a couple folks from the Yukon, Theresa and J.F., to do one of the lower sections of the Modi Kola on Friday the 12th. We somehow managed to pile 4 creek boats and 5 people in and on a tiny little taxi and drove 2 hours to the put-in. We couldn't put in at Nayapul, where I had originally planned to, since they have damned up this section of river leaving a few kilometers of dry riverbed in the middle. Although short, the section we did get to paddle was great. It was cold water and felt like it had recently left a glacier...it had. This was more of a pool-drop river with some calm sections between the rapids. It was quite a technical class III-IV stretch of river. We did very little, if any, scouting. Toward the end of the run, we found and great wave to surf and had a nice session there before piling back into our taxi for the 2 hour ride back to Pokhara.
I tagged along with a rafting trip the next day for another trip on the Upper Seti since it would most likely be my last day of kayaking in Nepal...this year. One of the Nepali guides expressed strong interest in buying my boat. We met up that evening and I said goodbye to my Liquidlogic Jefe and gave thanks for lots of great river trips. I got a fair price and decided to throw in a helmet a spray deck since gear is hard to come by in this part of the world.
So, the kayaking portion of this trip has ended and it is time to get into some big mountains. I got back to Kathmandu yesterday by bus. Since the only backpack I brought with me is only 35 liters, I had to get out on the streets of Thamel and do some bargaining for a new pack. After some ridiculous interactions with merchants of ripoff gear, I finally went home with a 60 liter North Face (better known as "North Fake") pack for $30. My hope is that this pack will hold up long enough for me to spend a few weeks exploring the Everest region...maybe even bring it home full of more ripoff gear. I woke up early this morning and went to the airport in hope of flying to Lukla, one of the sketchiest airports in the world. However, the airport in Lukla has been closed for 4 days now and my flight was canceled too. New plan. Another way of getting up to the Solukhumbu (Everest region), is to take a bus to a town called Jiri and walk for 5-7 days to Lukla. After reading about this trek and talking to some people who have done it, I decided to refund my outbound plane ticket to Lukla and walk in. The other option is to wake up each morning and go wait at the airport with tons of others in hopes of getting on a plane...the forecast is not encouraging and one day was painful enough.
I don't have a set plan for the Khumbu, but psyched to finally be going to this place that I have been reading about and seeing on television for so many years. Walking there will just make the journey that much more exciting. Having never been much higher than 14,000 feet, I am planning to be very careful not to get AMS(Acute Mountain Sickness), a condition quite common with trekkers and climbers in this area. Unlike my speed hike to Annapurna Base Camp in September, it is important that I go slowly and acclimatize properly on this trek.
It has been a pleasure documenting these adventures over the past couple months and I hope you have enjoyed reading.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all ('mericans) and Namaste....
Preston

Check out more pics from the Bhote Kosi and Belephi @: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=219409&id=1533910566&l=6260e15f41

River Guide Course

I left Kathmandu on the morning of October 11 after a day of rest and rode out to Sukute Beach. This mission was to work as an assistant staff on the International River Guide Course that is put on each year by Equator Expeditions. The trainees on the course consisted of 8 guys from the UK, 2 Bhutanese, and 2 Nepalis who have been working with Equator for some time. The course instructors were Gerry Moffatt, Willie Kern, and Ant Davis. Working with these guys was not only an honor and a privilege, it was a total blast! The first week of the course took place at Sukute Beach on the Bhote Kosi river, followed by 9 days on the Sun Kosi, a couple days in Chitwan National Park, and then the final evaluation took place on the Trisuli River.

My main job during the first part of the course was filming with a GoPro HD camera that was mounted on my helmet most of the time. Gerry and Willie were filming the course as part of a documentary on Nepal/Bhutan whitewater. The little camera I was using is great for catching short action clips in the water like rafts flipping or hitting waves. After a few days of rafting on the section of river above and below the camp, it was decided that we would go up near the Tibetan border to a place called Last Resort for some cheap thrills...bungee!!! At one point, the bridge at the Last Resort was the second highest bungee jump in the world. It is 170 meters above the upper Bhote Kosi and absolutely gorgeous. I tend to enjoy jumping off of high things into water and loved skydiving the one time I did it. This is totally different. I think part of the reason for this is that when I jumped out of the airplane I didn't really have to make the decision. It was tandem and I was basically pushed. Diving from a small foot bridge hundreds of feet above a raging river is a different ballgame. Everything about it is completely unnatural but what a thrill it is! I figured one time was a must, especially since it is right up the road from camp. I was able to catch all the excitement by pointing my Olympus camera at my face before and during the jump. It literally felt like my eyes were about to pop out of my head with all the blood rushing down while hanging there above the class V water rushing below...

After a couple more days at camp, we packed up for the big trip down the Sun Kosi. In addition to the course staff, we also had rafting and kayaking guests on the trip for a total of 36 people. The food showed up the day before our departure and I was one of the people in charge of getting it sorted and packed into barrels for the trip. It was a full day project, but we got er done and were finally off on October 18. You can probably imagine what happens to bread and vegetables when they sit in these hot and humid barrels all day on the river. In addition to safety kayaking, my main responsibility on the trip was to unpack all the fruit and vegetables each evening to dry out so they would last until the end of the trip. I also had another very important job...brewing a big pot of coffee each morning. Gerry took care of the bread and we had great food for the duration of the trip.

We paddled a 270 km section of the Sun Kosi from Sukute Beach to Chatara near the Indian border in Southeastern Nepal. The river flows south from Sukute and makes a sharp left toward the East of Nepal. The first couple days were pretty mellow but we were into some great whitewater by the third day. As the whitewater was getting bigger and better, we were getting deeper and deeper into the wilderness of Eastern Nepal. On the fourth night we camped on a beach at this huge bend in the river that had an amazing panoramic view of the river valley...there was also a full moon to top it off. This is the beach where we decided to take a rest day. The rest day was spent doing laundry, bathing, and comparing boats with the locals. A group of us went on an adventure that afternoon and were guided by a local man whom Gerry has apparently known for years. When we arrived, he came out yelling, "Geddy boss! Geddy Boss! Big Boss!" They were both quite happy to see one another and he took us on an excellent hike. We hiked from the beach to his homestead and on up about 3,000 vertical feet above the river. The view from the top was amazing and we were treated to some hospitality by some of our guide's relatives. We re-hydrated and had a snack of homegrown lemon with salt and fresh chilies...simple and delicious! It is wild to think that these people spend their entire lives so high in the mountains and are able to sustain themselves with the produce and animals on their steep mountainside farm. Anything else they have is hiked in from far away and isn't much. We hiked down just before sunset on one of the most treacherous trails I can recall traveling on. It was more like a controlled slide for me thanks to my worn out Chaco's...

The last few days of the Sun Kosi were filled with great rapids, one of which we decided to portage since the water level was still high from the late monsoon. The Harkipur portage was no easy task and took all the manpower we had...the lady power was used to prepare lunch while we lugged boats and gear over boulders to a safe put in. Although this portage was a pain in the ass and took most of 2 hours, I was happy to walk around the rapid that has caused a number of fatalities, including one last season when a guide fell out of his raft. The last full day of paddling included a section of river called the Jungle Corridor, a long stretch of continuous big water rapids that were tons of fun. Gerry took off with a group on the last morning shortly after sunrise in order to catch a flight back to Kathmandu and eventually to Bhutan. The rest of us started later and arrived at the take out mid-morning to find out that our bus was not there due to a transportation strike. So, we spent the entire day in Chatara eating dal bhat and hoping that the strike would end and our bus would arrive. It finally arrived that evening and a group of us went down to the river to load the gear on the bus in the dark. This turned out to be a long night! It was only supposed to be 4-5 hours to Chitwan National Park, where we were planning to spend two nights and take a break from the water. The bus left Chatara around 10:00pm and we didn't get to Chitwan until the following morning. It was a loud and bumpy evening on the bus and everyone was relieved to arrive in Chitwan, which had a nice little town just outside the park. After breakfast at the Hotel Jungle Resort, we had a few hours to relax and catch up on rest. It was nice to get to a computer and make contact with family after being out of touch for a few weeks. We went on a guided safari that afternoon that was planned by the hotel. It started with a 4km dugout canoe ride down a river. As I mentioned in a previous post, these canoes are extremely wobbly...instability coupled with the sight of crocodiles on the banks made for some exciting river travel. A couple people from our team decided to cut the canoe ride short and we let them off on the side of the river. The next part of our safari was a walk in the jungle. We were all hoping to see some rhinos but had to settle for spotted deer and birds, which were still pretty cool to see. We walked out of the jungle and to the elephant breeding center. It was kind of hard to see these giants chained up by the ankles but they all looked healthy and well taken care of. There was an amazing sunset view of the Manaslu range on the way home. I still can't get used to seeing these giant snow covered peaks from so far away in a hot jungle...they call from afar and I can't wait to get back to the high Himalaya!

The following morning, we went for an elephant ride through the jungle. Four of us were piled on the square platform harnessed to the giant. After an hour and a half of bouncing around on the the back of the elephant, we were dropped off on a little dock with stairs leading back down to solid ground. It was time for another bus ride. We loaded up mid morning and started heading toward the Trisuli River where the trainees would have their final evaluation from the 20 day guide course. I know this will come as a surprise, but our bus lost a ball joint on the way to the river and couldn't go on. Fortunately, another bus stopped and rescued us. Willie and I scouted the section of river the following morning. Although this was the first river I paddled when I arrived in Nepal in September, it was totally different as the water has dropped about 9 feet since then. The rapids were awesome! The water had been so high the first time I paddled it that many of the river features were washed out. It is so much fun to come over the top of these giant waves and actually get airborne in a kayak! That afternoon was the evaluation for the trainees and they all did great, especially since they had never seen this river and have only been guiding for a couple weeks. At this point, I was basically tagging along in my boat in case anything went wrong and fortunately nothing did. After packing up and some more bus trouble on the morning of the 30th, we finally departed for Kathmandu.

Every time I come back to the city, there are more and more travelers here. Thamel is packed and for the first time I couldn't get into the Holy Lodge. The whole guide course team, except for Gerry and the Bhutanese boys, went out to a big dinner at a place called Rum Doodles to close the course. It is a favorite spot for post-expedition dinners. The walls and ceiling are covered with customized wooden boards shaped like feet and describe various expeditions from decades past. There was one that was behind glass from Sir Edmund Hillary(first ascent of Everest in 1953) near our table. The history in places like this and in some of the old hotels here is so fascinating. People from all over the world have been seeking adventure up here at the top of the world for a long time now...and there is plenty to be found!

Well, the guide course is finished now and I'm back in crazy Kathmandu. Although it is fun coming back here after a trip, I usually try not to spend more than a couple days in the city before taking off again. However, I have developed a pretty angry ingrown toenail that needs some TLC. Pretty sure I didn't make it better by getting in there with a safety pin and my Leatherman...oops. I took a rickshaw to the CIWEC(travel clinic) yesterday to have it checked out and get some antibiotics. Hopefully, some drugs and warm soaks will do the trick and I can get back out there. My hope is to go up to the Solukhumbu (Everest region) in a couple weeks for some trekking and possibly a climb on one of the surrounding peaks. However, I want to make sure the feet are in good shape before I plan the trip. The next couple weeks will be devoted to healing and most likely some kayaking. Although it would be nice to have a set plan in place, it is easy to have faith with so much evidence from the past that things will work out exactly the way they are supposed to.
I hope this post finds all readers happy and healthy...thanks for reading!
Namaste ya'll!
Preston

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Karnali River

The Karnali River is located in Western Nepal and is one of the more difficult rivers to reach in the country. In the past, getting to the put in involved two days of trekking with porters and tons of gear. Fortunately, there is now a road that will take you there...well if you can get through some obstacles it will get you there. This was the first Karnali expedition of the season for any company so water levels were somewhat in question...it was high!
I left Pokhara on September 30 with a nice couple from England to meet up with the rest of the group coming from Kathmandu. We had lunch and got on the road for what we thought would only be a day and a half. 3 of the girls on the trip, whom I had met in KTM a week before, showed up and were not feeling too hot. They had eaten some bad curry and were having trouble keeping anything down. After 5 or 6 hours on a hot bus with their heads out the window decorating the side of the vehicle, we decided it was time to seek some medical attention before going too far into more remote areas of Western Nepal. The doctor recommended that we stay in the town overnight so the girls could take medicine and rest. We were wondering if it was a good idea for them to stay on the trip at all. Being the tough Aussies that they are, the girls decided to stay on the trip and off we went for another full day of busing across Southern Nepal near India. We covered a lot of ground that day but had to stay another night in a village because the last stretch of road has not yet been paved and is challenging enough with daylight. Unfortunately, they are paving the road in order to build a damn on the beautiful Karnali. It is sad to think this amazing stretch of river will not exist in ten years. As is the case in all villages, we were greeted by a mob of kids who wanted to know what was up with these funny looking people with big colorful pieces of plastic(kayaks) on the roof. After a hearty dinner of Dal Bhat, we hit the sack in hopes of an early start to the river.
The next morning, day 3 of expedition, we started driving early and met the end of the pavement on one of the most incredible roads I've ever seen. At this point, it was a team effort to get off the bus and fill in the mud trenches with rocks when needed, and even do some pushing. I did some praying that the bus didn't go over the side and down through the clouds into the abyss. At one point, one of the Nepali guides called "high side!" when the bus did a big lean...luckily it didn't go over. "High side" is a command used in whitewater rafting to prevent the raft from flipping. It was a beautiful morning above the clouds and they eventually lifted revealing the Karnali River to us as we made the descent to the put-in.
After unloading a paddle raft, a gear raft, 6 kayaks, and tons of food and gear, we ate lunch and were off sometime mid afternoon. The first day on the water was great! Tons of huge wave trains but nothing very technical and we didn't have to scout any of the rapids. I was blown away at how big some of the waves were and was gaining confidence in my big water paddling skills...not for long! We camped on a gorgeous beach the first night and everyone on the trip was in agreement that this river was absolutely worth the 2.5 days of travel. When I say we camped on a beach, I mean we camped on a beautiful white sand beach with tons of room for everyone to spread out. There were no human footprints since we were the first to set foot on the beach after monsoon waters went down. We had fires every night and the sky was crystal clear...I personally saw dozens of shooting stars throughout the week. This was the Nepal wilderness that I had been hearing about and it made sense that people go through so much trouble to get there.
The second day on the river was more challenging than the first. It was a blast, but there were a few rapids that needed to be scouted. One of the rapids we scouted was the first one to flip my boat end over end instead of to the side like it usually happens. It was actually pretty fun but a good eye opener to how powerful this water can be. Day 2 was an action packed, challenging day of paddling and we made camp early. I had the pleasure of making a bowdrill set from driftwood at camp that evening and sharing the joy of creating friction fire with my new friends from down under. In addition to the 3 girls, there were 3 others from Australia on the trip. 2 of them were a couple who were great boaters and had been paddling all over Nepal for the past month. I heard so much about Australia and everything there is to do and see there that I might just have to go check it out for myself sometime soon...
Day 3 was a big day for our group on the Karnali. We scouted a couple rapids early in the day and they were getting bigger and more challenging as we continued downstream. We eventually entered into a gorge and one of the Nepali guys paddled over next to me and said, "this section very challenging!" I was already feeling a little tired from a couple days of paddling and the adrenaline from rapids that morning. We got out at the entrance of the gorge to scout and I couldn't see anything bigger than we had paddled so far. It looked pretty straightforward...I couldn't see around the bend! The first section of this gorge wore me out, my arms were super lactic and my form was getting sloppy. The river turned 90 degrees to the left. Without scouting, we took off. I was after a couple kayaks and saw the paddle go up indicating a safe line to run and we were in it. When I could finally see over the horizon, I knew I was screwed. It was bigger than most of the stuff we had been scouting and I knew that if I flipped it would be ugly. I dropped into a massive curling wave trying to get into a safe eddy and had no strength left to get there. The wave swallowed me and my 8 ft creek boat and I was under. The water was moving fast. With each roll attempt I could hear Ali (one of the Aussie boaters) yelling for me to get my roll. Each roll attempt was getting worse and worse and I was out of air. Eventually I pulled a knee out and the next thing I knew I was out of my boat...not good!!! I knew swimming in the big water would be a ride but had no idea it would be like it was. Not going to go into too much detail, but it was by far the longest, most terrifying swim I've taken on any river...brutal! After surfacing from being sucked into one of the whirlpools, I saw that our 16 ft paddle raft had also flipped and we had full on carnage! I was totally out of steam at this point but managed to get to the raft with a little help from Hannah sticking her paddle out for me to grab hold of. I hung with the swimmers on the raft for some time. This was a long and continuous rapid that showed now mercy to any of us. The currents were incredibly strong and would hold me down for uncomfortable amounts of time. Eventually, we got to a hydraulic and I was ripped from the raft and on my own again. My kayak surfaced about ten feet from me and I managed to get on top of it. One of the other safety kayakers helped me get it to shore. When I finally got to the river bank I was completely wiped out and concerned about where all the people and gear had ended up. I had no idea that swim would be as long and exhausting as it was or I would have hung in for some more time before exiting my boat. Don't recommend swimming in big whitewater...it sucks! Fortunately, nobody was hurt and no gear was lost. The rest of the afternoon was challenging for me personally. I got pretty rattled from the swim and think most of the folks in the raft did too. We were all feeling really grateful for the rest of the day. This happened to be the last major rapid on the river and the last 4 days were a relaxing Class I-II stretch of river. That night around the fire, I asked one of the Nepali guides what the name of that rapid was. He replied, "no name." I said, "That f$%king rapid needs a name!" And it was done...I named my first rapid...That Fu$%ing Rapid.
As the Karnali headed south toward India, the mountains got smaller and we saw more villages throughout the day. It was great to be out there and camping on the beaches was quite enjoyable. Lots of eating, sleeping, beach soccer, and hanging out with the locals. One of the highlights of the last few days was getting a ride in a dugout canoe. I went to take a picture of this canoe ferrying across the river and the man guiding it signaled for me to jump in. Talk about skills! This was the most unstable watercraft imaginable, but so cool to be in one of these things that has been used and remained unchanged for hundreds or thousands of years.
We got off the river on the morning of October 8 and started making our "16 hour" journey home. Some of the guests on the trip had differrent destinations and the group got smaller and smaller as we headed East. The plan was to drive all night and get to Kathmandu the next morning. However, the bus blew a fan belt in the middle of the night and we spent the whole night in the bus right in the middle of a road in Southern Nepal. It was a long night and the rain was coming down so the bus was hot and miserable. The drivers went and found a mechanic the next morning. Not surprisingly, they had a great deal of trouble finding the right belt. Arun and I left with the remaining guests mid day in the back of a truck so they could get on with their travels. We assumed the bus would be fixed and they could just get us on the way to KTM. After 7 hours of hanging around a junction town called Mugling, we decided the bus probably wasn't coming so we jumped in a car and got to Kathmandu around midnight last night.
So, back in the city for two nights and leaving in the morning to start working on the 20 day guide course. It begins at Sukute Beach and finishes with 10 days on the Sun Kosi River. Its always nice to be able to use the internet, sleep in a bed, and eat at good restaurants in the city. However, I'm ready to get back out there!
Thank you for reading my blog...please check out http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?aid=215545&id=1533910566 for more pictures from the trip.
Namaste!

Annapurna Base Camp

I flew from Kathmandu to Pokhara on the morning of Sept. 25 with a plan to hike to Annapurna Base Camp in just 4 days. This is normally an 8-10 day trek but Gerry told me it could be done if I put in full days(10-12 hours). Full days are no problem for me since I have done so much hiking over the past year working at Second Nature. Ha...Second Nature Blue Ridge not Second Nature Himalaya! This trek turned out to challenge me more physically than anything I have ever done. I have never pushed my body so hard and for so long as the 3.5 days I spent hiking to and from ABC...
Day 1: I woke up before 5am and took taxi to Kathmandu Airport to catch Buddha Air flight to Pokhara. Upon arrival I obtained trekking permits and made a friend from Chicago and had lunch. After lunch, jumped in a taxi with a man named Tek who is the most loyal cab driver I have ever known. He took me to the trailhead, gave me his card and said, "Call when you want pick up...". I threw my boots on and confidently marched through a village and then the stairs started, and they continued, and continued. These stairs are steep and it was hot. I quickly realized that I would need to pace myself if I didn't want to pass out from heat exhaustion...and drink tons of water. I was in the clouds after an hour or so and it cooled off...and then it rained like hell. Every village I got to was strongly encouraging me to stay but I pushed on until dark and made it to the village of Tolka where I was greeted by some very sweet people who wanted me to stay, and I did. That evening I looked at my maps trying to figure out what it would take to get it done in such a short period of time. After my regular dinner of Dal Bhat (Rice and Lentils), the power went out and I hit the sack.
Day 2: I woke up at 6:00 and had porridge and black coffee, took a picture with my new friend, and took off down the trail. It was cool and the sun wasn't hitting the side of the valley I was on...I was cruisin. This was also when I got my first glimpse of the Annapurnas...what a sight to see! The first part of the day was mostly downhill and in the shade of the mountains, not the case for long. I was setting different villages as goals at different times and was ahead of schedule most of the day. My goal for lunch was a village called Chomrung at the top of a steep, hot climb and I was there before noon. I shared a cold drink with a nice couple I met from Holland, loaded up on carbs, cranked up the ipod, and took off with the goal of a village called Himalaya to end the day. I met lots of nice people this day but had to keep moving if I was going to get to base camp and back. It started raining late in the afternoon and it was cooling off as I was gaining significant altitude. When I stopped to put my rain gear on, a guy named Al from the UK came by and he was also trying to get to Himalaya. We were both running on fumes but we helped each other with the final leg to the destination. Getting to Himalaya to enjoy a nice cup of hot lemon tea was a great feeling! I had hiked from a hot and humid jungle with monkeys to a cooler climate and was nearly above the tree line. The weather cleared and the night sky was amazing in the high Himalaya. I couldn't convince anyone to wake up with me at 5 to haul ass to base camp before the daily cloud cover rolled in...
Day 3: 5am wake up and started hiking with headlamp. I stopped in the next village about 1.5 hours up the trail for porridge and coffee. There was a Korean climbing group about to attempt a new route on one of the nearby peaks. In case I haven't mentioned it, my legs are already wrecked at this point, but fortunately my energy level was awesome! I found reserves of energy I didn't know were there with the help of Snickers and Coconut Crunchies(best cookies in Nepal). Sometime around 8am I arrived at the base camp for Machupuchre which is about 1.5 hours from Annapurna Base Camp. I had a second cup of coffee, talked to some of the guys working at the guest house, and took off for the last climb to ABC while listening to LCD Soundsystem Nike 45 min endurance music...it seriously helps! Arrived at ABC around 10am. The sanctuary is amazing! I was surrounded by huge peaks on all sides and an incredible view of Annapurna(10th highest peak in the world). Being at the base of the Annapurna Glacier on a sunny day surrounded by giants and prayer flags was one of the most peaceful feelings I've ever experienced. The clouds were rolling in and it was time for my descent after a good lunch...Dal Bhat of course. I left base camp after 2 short hours and trudged my way down to a village called Bamboo, which is a couple hours past Himalaya where I had started in the dark that morning. Arrived in Bamboo just before dark, showered, ate Dal Bhat, read for a short time in the book Annapurna(Story of first ascent), and went to sleep for a solid 10 hours.
Day 4: Slept in until around 6:30 and got the day started with coffee and porrage as usual. Said goodbye to my friends at the Bamboo Guest House and headed south. It was a cool morning but warmed up quickly and I was shedding layers within an hour. My leg muscles were in rough shape and going down the stairs was brutal. I did my best to tread lightly and it probably looked like I was dancing my way down the stairs to avoid pain as much as possible. I would stop along the way for water and Coconut Crunchies. My goal today was to get to the hot springs at Jinhu and I was there by lunchtime. I made the decision that I would spend time in the hot springs even if it would cost me an extra night on the trail. The hot springs was amazing, a nicely crafted pool right next to ice cold class V whitewater...a bit out of the way but so worth it. After hot springs and Dal Bhat, back to the trail that I was told could not be finished that day...wrong! It can be finished, its just a matter of how much pain you are willing to deal with...HTFU! The rest of the day was just setting goals, getting there and setting a new goal. I arrived in Nayapul just before dark with a couple Koreans I met in the homestretch who had gotten lost that day. Tek, my loyal cab driver was waiting for me since I called him a couple hours up the trail. He drove 2 hours to pick me up for 1500 rupees (about $20), and brought me back to Pokhara to his best friend's hotel...the Buddha. I showered and limped down the street to a nice pasta dinner...what an adventure!
So, I have a day of rest here in Lakeside Pokhara and leave in the morning for the Karnali River with Equator Expeditions. The Karnali is in Western Nepal and takes a day and a half of driving to get to the put in. It is one of Nepal's classic big water rivers and we will be on it for more than a week. Thank God kayaking doesn't involve using the legs too much. A good friend of mine told me a little while ago on the phone, "You can plan an expedition, but you can't plan the outcome!"...should be a good time!
Thank you for reading...Namaste!

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Sukute Beach

After two nights back in Kathmandu, I headed out to the Equator Expedtions camp on the Sun Kosi River called Sukute Beach. I left KTM on Friday and planned to stay for the weekend, do some paddling, relax, and get familiar with the camp and surrounding area. It turned into a little more than just the weekend.
There weren't any company vehicles going out to the camp the day I wanted to leave so I got a ride with my boat and gear to the bus station in Kathmandu. Fortunately, my friend Manese was with me to help get the boat on the roof of the bus and explain to the driver where I needed to go. The bus was empty when we left the "station", but that would soon change as it filled up and people piled on the roof...and I'm guessing on my kayak too! Riding on the roof of the bus here is just what you do when the bus gets full. Unfortunately, I opted not to relieve my bladder before taking off and it turned into a long and painful bus ride. It takes a long time to get out of the city but as we headed East from Kathmandu the air was cleaner and the views were incredible from the windy mountain road to Sukute. It was difficult to really appreciate the beauty since I had to pee really badly and the bus didn't usually come to a full stop, not even to let people on and off. No more drinking coffee before bus rides for me.
The bus finally arrived at Sukute and I was greeted by one of the Nepali guys, Ramus, who was on the Trisuli trip a few days before. The camp was quiet and it was drizzling. Besides the guides and training guides who were staying at the camp, there were 4 others who had been there for a few days and we had a quiet evening with no electricity and enjoyed a candlelight dinner and went to bed. The tents at the camp are about 15 feet from the river and the sound of the whitewater outside makes for some great sleeping. It was a low key weekend of paddling, reading, writing, eating, playing pool, and of course riding on the roof of the bus when we got off the river to get back to camp.
My plan was to leave with the group of 4 on Sunday but 4 Israelis showed up for a kayak clinic until Wednesday. So, I stayed to help teach the clinic with my new friend Raju since I didn't have anything else planned. I didn't have any clean clothes either but I'm used to it from living in the woods. I got to run the section above camp as a kayak safety for some rafters on Sunday before the clinic started which was a blast. It was also a good opportunity to work on some rescue skills! Teaching kayaking is new to me but the clinic went well and I really enjoyed working with Raju. One afternoon when we got off the river, I was invited to go up to his village to drop something off for the family. We jumped on the bus up to Belephi located upstream from camp, hung out for a while, and caught a ride back to Sukute on a local school bus...in the bus not on the roof. At one point on the school bus I turned to Raju and said, "Do I look different or something?" The kids on the bus were looking at me like I was from a different planet. All it took was a little "Namaste" to break the ice and it was all smiles from there!
The clinic ended on Wednesday and I was planning to head back to Kathmandu in the jeep with them but I was then told that Gerry (my friend who I am here to work for) would be coming straight from the airport to the camp that afternoon. Once again, change of plans and all for the better. Although I was becoming more and more comfortable in this country and with the people here, it was great to see a familiar face...especially my good friend Gerry who made this whole thing possible for me in the first place. We spent lots of time talking about what's been happening and what is going to happen in the coming weeks. Although he had some pretty bad jet lag, we went paddling Thursday morning higher up on the Sun Kosi than I had been and it was huge! By far the biggest water I've paddled in my short kayaking career...what a blast! Unfortunately, there weren't any photo opportunities but hope to get some of this amazing gorge that drains water from the Solu Khumbu(Everest Region) sometime soon.
I rode back to Kathmandu last night with Gerry and a few others and it was like coming home. It kind of felt like going back to Atlanta after a week in the woods. Thamel, the big tourist hub here in KTM, is packed right now with travelers from all over the world. The restaurants, cafes, and internet lounges are packed with people doing exactly what I'm doing...sharing with family and friends about adventures that have happened or are about to take place. Its fun to come back to the chaos of the city and be part of the energy in Thamel. I'm so grateful to the folks at the Holy Lodge for being so welcoming when I come back and allowing me to leave my extra luggage and gear in their storage room when I'm gone....good prices too!
Hanging with Gerry today in the city and then off for the next adventure in the morning on my own. The plan is to fly west from Kathmandu to Pokhara, bomb the trek to Annapurna Base Camp in 4 days, meet a group back in Pokhara on the 30th, and then spend 10 days on the Karnali River as a kayak safety before returning to Kathmandu on the 9th for 2 nights before starting the International River Guide Course(Oct. 11-31). That's the planned itinerary but we'll see what happens. I hope this blog post finds all readers happy and well!

Hit the Ground Running

I arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal on the morning of Sunday, Sept 12 after 18 hours of airplanes and 14 memorable hours in the Delhi airport. Needless to say, I wasn't feeling 100% when I got here. Fortunately, a ride from the airport to Thamel had been arranged for me, thanks to Equator Expeditions. My plan was to spend 3 or 4 days in the city getting "acclimated", caught up on rest, and used to the 9 1/2 hour time difference from Atlanta. Well, that was the plan before an offer was made I couldn't refuse.

I stopped by the Equator office Sunday evening and was told that a 3 day trip on the Trisuli River would be leaving in the morning and that I could tag along as a kayak safety. I met up with the other guides Monday morning around 6:00 and we headed west out of the city on one of Nepal's "major highways". The road was kind of like the Blue Ridge Parkway without as many guardrails and much longer drops from the side. We got to the put in after a couple hours of driving, met the group of rafters(19 Brits), and were on the water after lunch. The scenery was incredible and the water...that's a whole different story.

So, the monsoon usually ends in Nepal at the end of August. Well, its still going on and the Trisuli was a good reminder of this. We had to wait for the water level to come down the 2nd day from the rain that fell Monday night. The water looked like coffee and didn't smell quite as pleasant. Despite the look and smell, it was big. Having done all of my kayaking in the Southeastern US, big water boating is a totally new thing for me. I didn't think it would be much different...I was wrong. It's a blast, but it can be pretty challenging trying to negotiate the enormous eddy lines and whirlpools that form with these high volumes of water moving down a riverbed. The Trisuli is followed by that highway for the entire length we paddled and the trip was supported by a company bus, which made things a little easier. Fortunately, most of the rivers here are not roadside and almost none that I know of are damn released.

My justification for going on the trip in my condition was that if I was going to have jet lag, I might as well do it on the river. After all, that is why I came all the way to the other side of the world. Not only was the Trisuli a great introduction to Nepal's whitewater, but hanging with the Equator boys was an awesome way to experience the culture. One of the highlights of the trip was climbing a hillside to meet the bus and scout a big rapid from the roof as the driver drove us up and down the highway. Can't wait to get on some different rivers and see more of this incredible part of the world...