The Trishuli River is Nepal’s most popular rafting river. Impressive gorges, exciting rapids, some easier sections, and easily accessible from Kathmandu and Pokhara. Recommended for intermediate kayakers and those wanting a cheap white water rafting trip.
The River Legend says that high in the Himalaya at Gosainkund the god Shiva drove his trident into the ground to create three springs- the source of the river and hence its name Trisuli River. Not far after this source, the Trisuli joins the Bhote Kosi that flows from Tibet; the two rivers joining in some pretty fearsome looking gorges that are visible on the way up to the Langtang Trek. By Betrawati the gradient has eased and after this, it becomes a more mature and powerful river which later adds many other major rivers to its flow.
The Budi Gandaki, the Marsyandi, and the Seti. When the Kali Gandaki joins it, shortly before the plains, it changes its name to the Narayani. Here, it is a truly mighty river- peak flows in the Monsoon have been measured at 25,700 cu.mecs (extreme, instantaneous discharge): about 900,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) or fifty times the typical flow of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon!
Normally the flow on the main rafting section of the Trisuli is about half that of the Grand Canyon, and in many ways, the rapids are smaller-scale versions of those on Colorado; they are formed mainly by boulder outwash from tributary and are characterized by the bottom. The river has carved some truly impressive gorges in its lower part as it cut its way through the 2000 meter high Mahabharat Range.
These gorges are also the route followed by the Prithvi Highway, the main highway from India to Kathmandu, and the roar of diesel trucks undoubtedly detract from a river trip- happily for much of the river the highway is some way from the river itself. The opposite side to the road is relatively wild and uninhabited and you should see plenty of a profusion of colorful birds, including eagles and vultures – especially true if you continue on down into Chitwan National Park where you may see crocodiles and rhino, sloth bear, Royal Bengal tiger, Deers by the riverside.
