We meet and then set off out of the Kathmandu Valley through rice fields and the ancient town of Dhulikhel with, on a clear day, the entire Himalayan range clearly visible. A drop of 1100m to Dolalghat on the banks of the Indrawati River follows as we head to our put in point just below the dam on the Upper Sunkosi , 40km south of the Tibetan border.

After lunch your detailed instruction and training begins. After years of running the rivers of the Himalaya we recognise the need for safety and take it seriously. After a thorough briefing a training session is given lead by our internationally qualified instructors; so comprehensive is this that after this you will be able to raft any class of river up to Class V anywhere in the world.

Following this you transfer to Borderlands where thatched safari-style tents and a large dining hall with well-stocked bar welcome you; the perfect place to relax, take in the fresh air and views whilst looking forward to tomorrow.

An early call and breakfast, then a ride to the Bhote Koshi for a brush up paddling session dispels and fog from any over indulgence last night. It’s all action today and we will have 4 to 5 hours on the river, depending upon water levels – pure white-water all the way downstream.

After a series of Class 3 rapids we drop into the first Class 4, affectionately known as ‘Gerbil in the Plumbing’! From here there’s a stretch of Class 3 white-water to the highlight of the day, a long, technical rapidcalled the ‘Frog in a blender’…! The guides scout this as with changing water levels the ride can become… interesting. Don’t worry though – the safety kayaker is waiting for you at the bottom.

After the Frog things settle down a little then its back in the soup with a long series of Class 3+ and 4 drops which lead into the spectacularly named ‘Carnal Knowledge of a Deviant Nature’, named after the position rafters find themselves at the other end! This gem of a rapid starts out of a long series of boulder slaloming and hole-riding and ends with the entire river rebounding off two rock pools before spilling over a two-metre ledge into a big soft pool.

The remaining 10km of river is a non-stop series of Class 3 and 4 drops. The river flows through a beautiful narrow canyon with lush green vegetation and waterfalls. After ‘Ex-Lax’ (because people go all over the place here) we hit the village of Barhabise and just before, pause for lunch.

Afterwards we are faced with such rapids as ‘The Great Wall’ and ‘Liquid Bliss’ before we end our trip after ‘Dazed and Confused’. Here we are at the take out point where the rafts are carried up and dried in a garden that surrounds the Dam Keeper’s house at Lamosangu. From here it’s around 3h hours ride back to Kathmandu, usually arriving around 19:00hrs. This evening we often find our clients get together to relive some of the day’s events and trip highlights.