Early morning after breakfast we drive for around 3-4 hrs to the put-in point near Beni. Throughout this drive we have stunning views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri peaks as well as the sacred Machapuchare. Upon arrival, we unload all the equipment and you will receive a full safety briefing. Have lunch and then the guide will take you to the river starting point ready to begin your exciting 3 days raft trip. First day we begin with some class III rapids this is a warm up for the team, after 10/15 minutes you will be encountering 2 big class 4 rapids i.e. ‘Small Brother’ and ‘Big Brother’. Your guide will be making you work hard at doing exercises to work as a team maneuvering the raft efficiently. After scouting the rapid, the safety kayaks will go first then the raft. Soon after encountering these two big rapids we will reach the Modi Khola confluence where we will choose the beach for the evening campsite. We unload the rafts and one raft team prepares dinner and rum punch whilst the others play or relax and take in the scenery.
Once the rafts are packed we start down the river for a day mixed with adrenaline calm and spectacular scenery including views of Annapurna 1 and Himachuli. We will tackle many class III sections and the challenging class IV named REFUND. This section of river is abundant with vines, wildlife and lush vegetation hanging from the cliff faces. Our campsite is below the village of Purti Ghat.
Soon after being back on the water we reach the holy village of Seti Beni. The river has deposited a house size boulder in the confluence with a smaller tributary. Since confluence is considered holy places in the Hindu religion, this boulder has become an important shrine to the local river people. There is usually a great audience to watch and listen to the spectacle as each team negotiates the rapid that has formed around this holy place. Not long after this it is time for the journey to end. Our bus will be waiting for us. We load up the gear and prepare for the bus journey back to Pokhara.
