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Sun Koshi River Rafting. 'River of Gold'

Sun Kosi means 'River of Gold' -perhaps named after the gold that is sometimes panned from the river gravels, or alternatively it refers to the ornate colour of the water in the monsoon when it is thick with alluvial silt. The river rises near Tibet and is joined by the Bhote Kosi just downstream from Barabise. Most raft trips start below here at Dolalghat -the section above here is normally ran as a one day trip and we describe it briefly in our section on other rivers.The Sun Kosi flows eastwards in Nepal through the great valley between the Mahabharat Lek Mountains and the Himalaya. It forms the watershed for most of eastern Nepal and gathering strength from tributaries draining the highest mountains in the world it emerges onto the northern plains of India where it joins the Ganges.The volume increases considerably with the flow from these tributaries. In November, the flow at Dolalghat is about 100 cubics: lower down the river, through the big rapids of the 'jungle Corridor', it would be about 400 currents which is approx. 11,000 cfs-a typical low flow on the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. At the take-out, at Chatra, the flow is a mighty 800 cubic- still only a fraction of monsoon levels!This is a large volume river where most of the major rapids are formed by season debris brought in by side streams, and loose rock fall so these rapids change from year to year depending on the severity of the monsoon, for example El wasto', a big class 4 never existed as a named rapid until 1993. Most of the rapids in this guide will be there, but expect new ones and some to disappear.

Fast Facts.

Difficulty in Nov : Class 4-(4+) From : Dovan (Alt. 635m) To : Chatra (Alt 105 m) Distance : 131 km (82 miles) Days : 4-6 From Kathmandu : 4 days or fly Av. Gradient : 4m/km (20 ft a mile) Most Attraction of the trek : Close Mountain View, Sherpa villages Volume in Nov. : 150 cms (3500 cfs.) Best Season : Oct-Nov, April

The Experience

Meatgrinder, High Anxiety, Jaws, Harkapur II, Roller Coaster, and the Big Dipper are only some of the rapids that have earned their names and reputations from previous expeditions. Nine days of constant whitewater, time spent exploring villages, jungle, and some of the small Hindu temples along the way make this a classic river expedition..

Major Attractions.

Majestic view of the Himalayas . Gorgeous rapids like God's House, and gorges like Jungle Corridor . Kayaking opportunity . Spectacular scenery . One of the finest stretches of white water in the world.

Sun Koshi River Rafting Itinerary.

Day 01 Drive from Kathmandu to Dolaghat and raft to Taramg Gaon, Timal Bensi Camp.
Day 02 Raft Timal Bensi to Roshi Khola near Dunja Village.
Day 03 Raft from Dunja Village to the village of Khurkot
Day 04 Raft from Khurkot to Oxbox Section beach.
Day 05 Raft from Oxbox Section to the confluence of Dudh Koshi.
Day 06 Raft from the junction of Dudh Koshi to Rasuwa Khola.
Day 07 Raft to broad beach bordered by a 400 ft high waterfall or Kampu Ghat.
Day 08 Raft to Tribenighat, where the Arun and Tamur join the Sun Kosi.
Day 09 Raft to Chatara, end of the rafting. Drive to Dharan in the afternoon.
Day 10 Drive back to Kathmandu.