Upper Kali Gandaki

A deservedly popular medium length river trip combining exhilarating white water with fine scenery.

One of the famous names of Himalayan rivers, the Kali Gandaki rises in Mustang, an enclave of Nepal poking into Tibet on the other side of the Himalaya. Here, it is a flat and braided river, flowing in an arid open valley.

At Kalapani this river drops off the roof of the World and cuts one of the deepest gorges in the world between the Dhaulagiri (8167m) to the West and the Annapurna (8091m) to the East.

After the Confluence with the Modi Khola, the river swings south through an area where until recently, tourists were almost unknown. There are few villages actually on the river – most are located on the river terraces some hundreds of meters above – The Kali Gandaki is named after the goddess Kali and is considered a particularly holy river; an auspicious place to be cremated and every river confluence is dotted with cremation sites and burial mounds (don’t start digging on your own!?!?).

This is a rewarding place for the birdwatcher and we have also seen mongoose, monkeys and signs of leopards and otters.

Rafting:
The perfect river for a shorter river-experience, but a beautiful valley, green lush waterfalls, pretty villages and the perfect amount of white-water.

Kayaking:
A fantastic river for kayaking with almost non-stop play-action. There are some holes you don’t want to play in, but only a few, and by and large, the difficulties are obvious and the river is friendly.

The perfect play river for the expert kayaker and an enjoyable expedition for the confident intermediate, a great river for kayaking at any level.