RISING AGAINST THE CURRENT

 The pioneer women rafters of Nepal

By LB THAPA

The history of commercial rafting is not very old in Nepal. With the establishment of Himalayan River Runners in 1979, Nepal had taken its very first step in the field of whitewater rafting. A decade later, the Government of Nepal formally recognized the Nepal Association of Rafting Agents (NARA) in 1989.

 

After 1989, more rafting activities began happening in Nepal. Today many rafting and kayaking professionals turn to Nepal because Nepal has many world-famous rivers, which are highly suitable for both rafting and kayaking.

 

Nepal’s overall performance in rafting is satisfactory if not outstanding. Last time the Nepali rafting team did participate in the 18^th Himalayan White Water Challenge, which was held in Nepal in 2019. Nepal had to be satisfied with the 10^th spot in the competition.

All photos by Sita Thapa/Anu Shrestha

To date, rafting and kayaking are being dominated by men only. Nepal does not have even a single professional women’s rafting team. However, all efforts have been made to strengthen the men’s rafting and kayaking team alone. Rafting and kayaking do not only demand enormous muscular strength, but these adventure sports are full of risk of life. Due to the risky nature of the sports, possibly no efforts had been made to develop a women’s rafting and kayaking team in the country.

 

The other day, this scribe had an opportunity to meet with a team of pioneer Nepali women’s rafting & kayaking teams in Pokhara. Speaking with Sita Thapa, a Pokhara-based senior rafting and kayaking trainer, said, “Now things are changing for the good. I don’t say many, but yes, some girls who are fired with the passion for adventure and thrill are coming out to join our group. We are providing the necessary training to become an independent rafter and a kayaker”.

 

“But things are not as simple as they are seen from outside,” added Sita. “We are the group of five girls, and we are the pioneers in the field of women's rafting and kayaking. We five girls have already spent over one decade of intense rafting and kayaking practice and honed our skills. After having gone through rigorous training, now we are in a position to dream of a woman’s professional rafting and kayaking team in Nepal ”.

 

Anu Shrestha, from Kathmandu, is yet another senior rafting and kayaking trainer. Being one of the international-level assistant judges, Anu has already spent over 14 years in the field of rafting and kayaking. Recently she is in Pokhara to train in the art and skill of rafting and kayaking with a group of young girls who have come from different parts of the country.

 

“There are a lot of rafting and kayaking activities in Nepal where only men are involved and women are completely ignored. Now we five senior girls have taken the cudgels in our hands to prepare the first-ever rafting and kayaking teams in Nepal. It is a challenging task, but we are fully committed to doing our job despite several difficulties,” said Anu confidently.

The responsibility of making rafting and kayaking popular among females now rests on the shoulders of these five senior women. They are Anu Shrestha, Kathmandu; Sita Thapa, Pokhara; Akriti Khapangi, Udaypur; Sushma Kateth, Sunsari; and Sudha Rai, Khotang. These five women duly understand that the path ahead is fraught with several challenges, and they have no choice but to accept it.     

 

“Over the last many years, we five women have been working in tandem. We are fully committed, despite many difficulties, to taking rafting and kayaking to the next level. Well, finance is the biggest hurdle. Rafting and kayaking are costly activities. Its gears are extremely costly. One raft does cost five to thirteen lakh rupees. Similarly, one kayak does cost about one and a half to two lakh rupees. In addition, we need special clothing for rafting and kayaking. They are equally costly,” said Anu Shrestha.

 

In order to meet financial needs, Anu Shrestha has established an organization. It is Project Life Trek, and Anu is the president of this organization. “We are involved in various fundraising activities. We even ask for donations from different organizations and individuals. There are some good Samaritans who want to promote Nepali girls to shine in the international arena."

 

At present, five senior trainers and four new girls from different parts of the country have joined the close camp training session in Pokhara. They are going through rigorous rafting and kayaking practice.

“Irrespective of bone-chilling weather, we get up at 4 o’clock in the early morning and go for 10km running. At 8 o’clock, we prepare our breakfast and eat. We take our lunch before 10 o'clock, and once again we go to Fewa Lake for the practice," said Chhesang Ghising, a new trainee who came all the way from Sindhuli.

 

“It is a wonderful experience for us because all four girls and the five senior trainers live together. We practice together, we cook together, and we roam together on the street of Lakeside. We have been staying in Pokhara for the last one month and going through intense practice. During this time, we have developed a close attachment with each other. It is going to be difficult for us to separate once we complete the training," said Soni Rai, who hailed from Solukhumbu.

 

Other new trainees Radha Bhandari and Alina Rai have found rafting and kayaking full of life and excitement. “Living together and learning the art of rafting and kayaking taught us many valuable lessons of life. We practice more like newly recruited soldiers. Our senior trainers are extremely cooperative and friendly. However, they are extremely strict when teaching us rafting and kayaking skills.

 

“We are working very hard with four of our new trainee girls. Once the training is over, we want to make one strong women’s rafting team, and this will be the first Nepali women’s rafting team. In the meantime, men are practicing in the Trishuli River. The qualified men will participate in the forthcoming World Rafting Championship that will take place in Nepal,” informed Anu Shrestha, one of the senior female trainers.

While speaking with this scribe, Anu Shrestha said that all four new trainee girls are determined to take up rafting and kayaking as their professions. “Nepali women can take up rafting as a profession. It can be a lucrative profession for Nepali women, as Nepal is a famous destination for international rafters and kayakers. Nepal has world-famous rivers such as the Trishuli River, Seti River, Bhote Koshi River, Kali Gandaki River, Marsyandi River, Sun Koshi River, Arun River, Karnali River, and Tamur River. These rivers are considered the most ideal rivers for rafting and kayaking. September to early December and March to June is the most ideal time for rafting and kayaking in Nepal ”.

 

In the meantime, some companies have come forward with their helping hands. Paddle Nepal, a leading rafting and kayaking company in Nepal, has provided the necessary gear. “The Project Life Trek (PLT) has provided necessary rations. We are extremely thankful to Pabitra Thapa, who provided her empty shutter for us to stay in until our training is over. Without such assistance, it would be extremely difficult for us to continue the training. Moreover, we have not charged any fee for the month-long training. The training has been made completely free." 

The struggle of these five women rafters must be appreciated because they are working hard to build a woman’s rafting team entirely by their own efforts. Their only purpose is to give Nepalese women rafters international recognition. Their sheer determination and commitment have taken them so far. But the state should come out in support of these women rafters to build a first-ever professional rafters and kayakers team in Nepal. 

LB Thapa is a Pokhara-based freelance writer and author.

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