The Marsyandi

Just got back from a trip to the Marsyandi- which means 'raging river' in the local dialect. There were three of us, we managed to hook up with a really cool guy from south Africa- Brad. None of us had done the river before so it was a really good experience. It's a five day trip, with three days on the water. We managed to get a jeep all the way to the put at Ngadi, and from here we were into solid grade four plus for a day. It took a lot of time bank scouting and picking out lines but it was class paddling. This river is rated as one of the best river trips in the world, unfortunately it is in the process of being damned. The upper section of the river is along the Annapurna trekking route which meant we could always find towns with tea houses and places to stay. The further down the river we went, however, the harder this became. We even spent one night sleeping on the bank of the river but we were well prepared so it was all good. The upper section was really fast and continuous but the river soon eased off a little with big rapids of a pool drop nature, which meant some really nice paddling and mainly boat scouting, but there were still plenty of rapids to keep us on our toes. The river slowly became easier and easier until the end when it was a nice two hour grade three float to the take-out. An absolutely classic river it's a pity the dam is being built, although some sections of the river should remain in tact. It was an amazing run and a great experience. Heading off to Pohkara, in the west, to do some paddling around there for two weeks, will post up soon..