After my one class on Friday morning I hopped on my bike for a mostly downhill 80 kilometer ride to the rafting camp. Upon arrival I met the only other guests, an amusing Australian couple. The wife was a total hippie on her third visit to Nepal. The husband was a wisecracking truck driver who collected motorcycles. We spent the night drinking raksi with my new friend Akaas and hit the sack dreaming of whitewater.
Morning came quickly as I slept we'll on my thermarest pad. I learned my lesson on my first visit, that the bedding was insufficient for my delicate sensibilities. As there was plenty of paddle power on the raft with the Australians, an Italian couple and two guides in training, I decided to tackle the unknown river in a kayak. It made me a bit nervous but I was confident in my skills. I picked a boat from their good selection, a "Bliss Stick: Mini Mystic", and we were on our way. The Aussie woman and I rode on top of the jeep the 20 Km upstream to the put in. It was a great scouting trip, because the road runs above and next to the river. We even stopped at one point so the guides could get a good look at "Upset," the biggest rapid of the day. Apart from that rapid, a large wave train leading straight to a rock wall that the full force of the river ponds against on river left followed by another wave train on river right, my confidence grew in my ability to safely navigate the flows.
After our rendezvous with the aforementioned Italians, boat pumping, and some light hearted teasing by the Aussie guy, the safety speech commenced. It was painful to watch. At various times I had the urge to jump in and clarify points that were confusing, and clearly lost on the Italians. I held my tongue but it was hard. The raft, two other kayakers, and myself with a monster outs grin on my face set out for our 20 Km trip. How nice it was to finally be on one of the rivers that I have been drooling over since the day of my arrival in country.
Something to remember about the trip is that it was sort of tryout for me, the Nepalis assessing my river prowess for potential usefulness on future trips.
The first few rapids were fairly tame and were easily navigated but the further we went the bigger the waves got. As is usually the case, the waves seemed much bigger when on than them than they looked from shore. Apart from an embarrassing tip crossing a boiling eddy line I was very pleased with my performance till lunch time. However, "Upset" was yet to come, and was only the second rapid after lunch.
With bellies full of PB&J, and hard boiled eggs, among other more nutritious fare we again followed the current down stream. Immediately I noticed I had stiffened with the inactivity of lunch time and that mead me a little nervous. But one rapid down and I felt more confident.
It is hard to admit but I was at this point getting very nervous, and worse tense. I forgot to remind myself that I was on my favorite kind of playground and to have the best time I needed to be loose and playful. The directions, and the obvious line was to stay on the far right, so as to avoid the death trap undercut cliffs on the left. I was on the correct line but had my eyes downstream on the big wave trains and danger. Between my stiffness and lack of attention on the current moment you can see what was bound to happen. A preliminary wave, not small by most standards, snuck up on me and instantly I found myself on the wrong side of the surface in the worst place to be that way on the whole river.
You idiot Thor!
Freaking out I tried to make my roll quick. Bad move, fail. And what's worse is somehow, likely a panic reaction that was controlled quickly enough, my knee ended up out of it's wedge. At this point the first rational and sensible thought I had had in minutes came to mind "YOU DON'T WANT TO SWIM HERE!" Popping my knee back was difficult. Fortunately my wits were back about me. I had to let go of my paddle with my right hand grab the bottom of my boat for leverage pop it back in and then, executive a proper role. The roll is no problem when I take the time to set it up. Sage wisdom came to my head Thank "knuckles on the rail, ear on the shoulder". Thank you Uncle Dave! There was a third part to that saying that I can't remember, but apparently my muscles do, because soon after I found myself upright facing the biggest wave train of the day. Big waves, no problem! Now to master those wide boiling eddy lines, not to mention my nerves. Embarrassed as I was for mental lapse, disaster was averted.
With the worst behind us the smile came back to my face. One of the rookies wanted to kayak so the lead kayaker got into he boat and took the guides spot, while Akaas got busy pulling pranks on the customers. I was nervous that even the rookie would be a better kayaker than me but my fears were proved wrong in the first rapid we came across. Two small waves in he tipped and swam. It was tense at first because his swimming skills were above average for a Nepali, he could barely swim. After the tension was gone, I was relieved not because the rookie was safe, but because someone swam and it was not me.
That night with more raksi we talked over the day on the river and I think I made the cut. "I think you are very good rafting guide. " and " good man, you try Eskimo roll twice." Were a couple of the comments I remember. With offers to help them with their english skills and safety speeches I was happily invited back, and cannot wait to go. That little riverside bamboo camp seems pretty close to paradise to me.
:)
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