When you hear the word canyoning, what is the first thing that comes into your mind? Is it repelling down cascading waterfalls? Or is it hiking in the dense forests of national parks? When I was packing up in the early morning hours to embark on my first canyoning experience, I had no idea what to expect.
    I met the van around eight o’clock. It was already carrying three other people who also were about to experience their first day canyoning. I knew nothing about this sport or what to expect, not even the direction of where the car was going to go. We ended up heading towards Bouhda, toward the entrance of the Shivapuri national park .

     Making a small journey up the hill, the lack of water was extremely evident. The granite rocks were exposed and the once seemingly roaring river was now a mere trickle. I was wondering how intense today was going to be as there had been little to no rain for the past six months.     
    After a short snack we proceeded with the first of two safety talks. We suited up in wetsuits, helmets, and harnesses. It is a good idea to bring a change of clothes and even underwear, as the wetsuits don’t protect you that much from getting wet. We were all ready for the next 20-minute climb up the mountain.     
    With water bottles in hand we climb a steep hillside to a small clearing where our second safety talk and demonstrations would occur. With us was one lead instructor and two assistants. One of our fellow canyoners was an avid rock climber so was ahead of the game compared to the rest of us newbies. With a knot tying demonstration under our belt and a small repelling exercise, we were ready for the first of the four waterfalls.
    To be honest in retrospect, I was very glad that we were unable to see the waterfalls that we were expected to repelled down. Surprisingly there was quite a bit of water following through the creek beds. Lets just say that I would not be doing this during the post season of monsoon. The first waterfall was refreshing and small enough to give one confidence to keep going.
    The second waterfall was also a confidence inspiring repel. When starting out on a waterfall the lead guide insures you are secure in your harness and have your knot tied according to your preference between left and right hand leading.  You sit back into your harness and brace your feet along the wet and slippery rock inching your way down the waterfall. You wear a helmet for a good reason. The water is coming down hard and fast and in order to see your foot placements or breathe, the helmet really comes in handy.  
    The last two waterfalls of this adventure were by far the most memorable. The third waterfall had a large deep pool in the middle of the repel. While swimming with one hand you had to let your safety rope out with the other. With freezing cold water all about, the urge to get out of the pool was immediate. That repel seemed to take the most time and energy and was a great feeling to look back and up at the waterfall you just came from.
    But nothing could prepare you for the final decent. The waterfall must have been at least 40 meters. You started out by hanging by your safety rope suspended above the cascading water. At first I did not want to let go of the tree root I was hanging on to. But after realizing that there was no other way out of this situation, I let myself repel slowly down the running water. At times I lost my footing and was blinded by the water, but knew that I was safe in the hands of the staff of chhango. Upon reaching the bottom I let out a cry of joy. The waterfall was daunting to look at, but I had made it.
    On our way back into Kathmandu, everyone was feeling exhubrant. An adventure that most of us would not have imagined ourselves doing. If you are interested in experiencing canyoning or rock climbing adventure, Chhango is the place to go!
For additional information please contact Chhango  at www.canyoninginnepal.com or email chango@canyoninginnepal.com or calling 01-6914541 or 9841283385