The Modi Khola- an epic

We ran the Modi Khola with the same group of brits that we ran the Madi Khola with, and picked up an American guy called Brian. The trip turned out to be an epic from the moment we tried to get taxi’s to the moment we got back to Pohkara, but it was absolutely brilliant. We left Pohkara on Saturday the 8th. We had six porters with us for the four hour hike to the river. Two taxi’s turned up but refused to take more than two kayaks per car, this was a first. We evenutally got sorted with taxi’s and headed to the bus. We then got a bus to a town called Lumle and from here we would have to hike for (what should have been) four hours along a trekking route to landruk. As the porters started strapping up the boats we noticed one didn’t even know how to. He must have been between 15 and 18 and it was clear that it was his first time carrying a kayak, it didn’t help that the other porters decided to give him the biggest boat- the nomad 8.5. This would be a long slow trek. This boy was slow and we named him ‘weak boy’ (just light hearted joking to kill the bordom of walking). With weak boy being so slow carrying the boat we were running out of time before it would be dark, and we did not want to be walking along these narrow ridges with sheer drops to one side in the dark. Then to add to the whole situtation, we stopped for a short break in a small village, only to come across a girl who had seriously cut her hand while working in the rice fields. She had a very deep cut on her thumb that had clearly happened some time ago and it was dirty and would need some stiches. Sally cleaned out the cut and wrapped it up for the girl and we told them she would have to see a doctor. On we went with it getting even later. A few towns later and Sean got chased by a huge yak and knocked about ten feet off the track with a little kid landing head first on top of him. This was becoming more and more of an epic. Then it started getting dark and we still hadn’t made it to Landruk. We told the porters to leave the boats and collect them in the morning but they refused. On we went with three head torches between 12 of us in the pitch dark. Eventually we managed to take the kayaks off ‘weak boy’ and ‘old boy’ (again joking names for the porters) and hid the kayaks but the rest would not leave them behind. So we were walking along a really steep ridge with a sheer drop on one side and in the pitch dark when things got even worse! I was at the back of the group with Sean and Paul when all of a sudden we heard this horrific scream- it was the sound someone makes when they’re sure they’re about to die- at first we didn’t know whether we were being attacked or what, then we realised the scream was moving when all of a sudden we see boats and people sliding down the track. At first we were sure someone had slipped, knocked over more porters and someone had fallen over the edge. Miracously no-one had fallen over the side. A few of the porters were cut and brusied and one had hit his head quite badly, they were all in shock.This had happened in the space of only a few seconds, and everyone was shook up. We got out the first aid kits and sorted out the porters, we hide the boats and walked to Landruk. I don’t think anyone felt easy that night, I know the sound of that scream went through my head even as I slept. Luckily it wasn’t so bad, the next morning the porters were fine, had picked up the boats and were ready to keep going. It turned out one of our lads Richard was walking on a track a little higher a stumbled, this scared the porters who thought it was a tiger, the first one fell back in fright and that’s how it started. After such an eventful day we decided not to get on the river on the Sunday. Instead we walked up to new bridge where four of us would put in, left the boats at a guest house there and then walked even further up the valley to Jhinu, where there were natural hot springs. We spent the day and night up there and then headed back to new bridge in the morning. Four of us put in at new bridge- a 6km run mostly grade four plus and a lot of grade five. The run was steep, fast, powerful, and had lots of rocks. There was lots of scouting and in most cases only one line down. It took quite a long time due to all the scouting but was still class paddling. It reminded me slightly of Irish paddling- steep, fast, and shallow. I went over on one rapid, took the run in a little to relaxed and got pushed up onto a rock, spun and capsized. As I capsized I was pushed on my back deck and went down the rest of the rapid getting pused head first over rock, too shallow and steep to roll, I just had to hang on tight. Rolled up at the bottom with a bust lip, sore head, bashed elbow, and aching thumb. A foolish mistake that I wouldn’t be making again. All in all though a class section of committing whitewater. We got off at old bridge which would be our put in for the commonly run section of the Modi Khola the next day. The next day all six of us got in at old bridge where your straight into solid grade four from the moment you break out of the eddy. Similar to the upper section, steep, tight, technical, but classic paddling. This went on for about ten km only easing off slighly, and with one portage where a landslide had created a long steep nasty bouldery rapid with huge potential for pinnings and serious injury. The river again reminded us of home, and it was freezing cold!!!Got out at a town called Nayapul and caught a bus back to Pohkara. However, typical of this trip the bus wouldn't take us all the way back to into Pohkara because of a strike that was on. We tried to get a taxi but they were looking for ridiculous money due to the strike. Eventually we found a vehicle, a tractor!! We tied on all the boats jumped on whatever way we could and eventually made it back to the hotel! what an epic.This was our last river trip in Nepal, but what a river to finish on. Definitely one of the best rivers I’ve ever done.