Weather Report (Average till October 10)
Kathmandu: Pokhara:Jomsom:
Lukla - Khumjung: Tibet, Lhasa:
Three river dolphins rescued in Nepal
Soldiers rescued three rare dolphins that were stranded in a pond in southeastern Nepal, officials said Wednesday.
Soldiers and Kosi Tappu Conservation officials caught the dolphins and transported them back home to the Kosi River, where they were released, government administrator Fanindra Pokhrel said. The area was being searched to make sure no other dolphins were stranded.
The dolphins were swept several miles (kilometers) to the pond by floodwaters when the banks of the Kosi broke during last year's monsoon. They were spotted only after the water level dropped.
Nepali women are paddling!
Here is a little update on the project "Himalayan River Girls"
The results of this project blows my own mind away. Less than a year after we came up with the idea of starting Himalayan River Girls we have fourteen Nepali ladies active in the club. Four of the girls that started learning kayaking in the spring are now employed with a rafting company and are supporting themselves as trainee river guides. One of them has reached her dream to be the first woman to win the Himalayan Whitewater Challenge.
Altogether ten girls took part in the five week long Nepali women´s river guide training that we organised this fall season and 21 female kayakers from all over our planet came to do a river trip with us. And the best news: Five of Nepal´s most prominent rafting companies have come forward to let us know they would like to employ these ladies.
The training program
The river guide training organized by the Himalayan River Guide Association was a five week long program specifically designed for Nepali women to provide them with a good base of basic river guide skills to confidently take employment with a rafting company. 10 women took part in the program that contained kayaking and raft guide training as well as W.R.T. first aid, leadership, communications skills, cooking and setting camp for big groups on the riverside.
On our website you can download a full report on the program.
Go to the website... http://www.nepalriver.com
The Sun Kosi river trip
Part of the training program was a 10 day river trip together with 21 female western kayakers who not only brought a lot of equipment over for the club. They inspired, encouraged and taught the Nepali girls kayaking along the way. At the end of the long journey we all went together to show "girl power" at the 3-day long Himalayan Whitewater Challenge.
Whitewater Challenge 2008
The competition on the Trisuli river this year was different than any year before with more than 30 female compeditors!
3 Nepali girls entered in the kayak competition and Susmitas dream finally came true, to become the first Nepali woman to win the Challenge and got a brand new Jackson kayak! Sita (in the picture) also did very well and came second. All new Himalayan River Girls entered in the raft race as the first ever full Nepali female raft team seen anywhere!
The Club
Thanks to our sponsors we now have sixteen!!! kayaks and a lot of other gear for kayak training. With this gear the girls will now be able to practise kayaking any time, do river trips and get more girls into the scene.
The spring season is about to start, and it will be very exciting to be back in Nepal in February with new energy, ideas and visions for the club. Together with the Himalayan River Guide Association I will plan for future trainings, and start dreaming / planning for international kayak trips / competitions.
Thanks!
On behalf of the Himalayan River Girls and the Himalayan River Guide Assocation I would like to thank all our sponsors and supporters and especially all the girls from all over the world who came to Nepal to paddle with us and brought out all the equipment for the club.
Except for film we have hundreds of wonderful pictures to use for articles and for our sponsors to use in advertising. any information, please contact me on: adrift@nepalriver.com
And last! Don´t forget to support the Himalayan River Girls & Adrift Adventrues Nepal in the future. We still have lots to do to make Nepal as fair as it is beautiful!
Mountain Dew Himalayan Whitewater Challenge
28- 30 November - 2008
Trishuli River Nepal
'Himalayan White water Challenge 2008', took place in Trishuli has been
successfully accomplished. The event was organized by NARA, coorganised
by U.K. Peak Kayaking Company, sponsored by Mountain Dew and managed by
Nepal Tourism Board. While 150 foreigners and 120 Nepalese participated
in the competition, scores of journalists and spectators gathered numbered
over 500. The challenge had Kayak and Raft events. Competition was held
on Slalom, Down River Race, Free Style under Kayak Event and Down River
Event under Raft title.
Nepal Observes World Tourism Day
Nepal on Wednesday observed the 27th World Tourism Day by organizing
a variety of programs on the theme "Tourism Enriches".
In the context of Nepal heading towards lasting peace after putting an
end to the 10-year conflict and Nepal's improved tourism image, the government
of Nepal and tourism entrepreneurs are enthusiastic about observing the
day, the National News Agency RSS reported.
On the occasion, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation is
to accord a special welcome to tourists coming to Nepal and also those
leaving Nepal Wednesday.
Likewise, the ministry is to award the hotel, travel agency, trekking
agency, airlines company recording the highest foreign exchange earning
and the airlines company providing services to the maximum number of passengers
in the remote areas of the country.
On the occasion, the Nepal Tourism Board will expedite its publicity campaign
of promoting Nepal as a safe tourist destination.
Plights of entrepreneurs from Annapurna
Over 400 entrepreneurs of Annapuran trekking route alleged that
the government and organizations set up for "tourism development"
are doing nothing for the promotion of world-recognized trekking route.
Organizing a press conference in the district, they said they are now
organized against the "indifferent attitude" of the concerned
authorities.
Their plights were are about their reluctance to offer quality services
at low price and responsible authorities doing nothing for promotion of
the trekking in Annapurna Region, which is considered as one of the top
ten trekking in the world.
Mountaineers killed on K2
At least 9 mountaineers died near the summit of k2 when a huge chunk of
ice sheared off the mountain and hit them, Pakistani tour operators said
today. Several more climbers are missing.
Three South Korean, two Nepali, a Dutch, a Serb, a Norwegian and a Pakistani
climbers were among those killed when the disaster struck on the notoriously
treacherous Himalayan peak, the world's second highest mountain after
Mound Everest. The avalanche struck an area of the mountain known as the
"Bottleneck", where the S. Korean and Nepali Climbers died.
Yak Blood Drinking Festival
A festival of drinking fresh blood of Yak to cure diseases, like
gastritis, asthma etc is being celebrated in Nepal's north-west district
Mustang. The festival is celebrated twice a year during April-May and
July-August by local people.Some 5-10 glasses of Yak blood is taken out
by piercing its neck and drunk without killing the animal, said Shushil
Serchan, a former Parliament member from Mustang district. Yak hardly
notices when the blood is taken out as it does not harm the animal, he
said adding.It costs around Rs 60 to drink a glass of Yak blood and people
drink instantly before it freezes. They also put Yak dung or excreta on
their wounds believing it will heal them.
Tourists who come to this mountain region also sometimes enjoy drinking the animal blood, Shushil said.
Permit fees revised in controled area
Climbing Reports from the Himalayas
impose a maximum fine twice the amount of the permit for a peak if a mountaineer is found climbing without permit.