Trisuli River

As per the Hindu legend the Trisuli River orginated by Lord Shiva driving his trident (in Nepali 'Trisul') in the hill just above the Gosainkunda to creat three springs when he needed a cool rast in the Lake Gosainkunda. Trisuli river starts from Betrawati (625m) and flows to Narayanghat (170m) covering distance of 141 kms. This river is most popular rafting river with impressive gorges, exciting rapids, some easier sections, and easily acceessible from Kathmandu and Pokhara. This river is also recomended for intermediate kayakers. Not far from Betrawati, Trisuli joins the Bhote Kosi that flows from Tibet; the two rivers joining in some pretty fearsome looking gorges that are visible on the way up to the Langtang Trek. By Betrawati the gradient has eased and after this it becomes a more mature and powerful river which later adds many other major rivers to its flow - the Buri Gandaki, the Marshyangdi, and the Seti. When the Kali Gandaki joins it, shortly before the plains, it changes its name to Narayani. Here, it is a mighty river - peak flows in the Monsoon have been measured at 25,700 cu.mecs (extream, instantaneous discharge); about 900,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 50 times the typical flow of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Normally the flow on the main rafting section of the Trisuli is about half that of the Grand Canyon, and in many ways the rapids are smaller scale versions of those on the Colorado; they are formed mainly by boulder outwash from tributary streams and are characterised by big green shoots, holes either side, and huge exploding waves down the bottom. The river has carved some very impressive gorges in its lower part as it cut its way through the 2000m high Mahabharat Range. These gorges are also the route followed the Prithivi Highway, the first national highway that linked Kathmandu to India. The opposite side to the road is relatively wild and uninhabitated and pleanty of wildlife is seen here, a profusion of colourful birds, including eagles and vultures - especially true if continue on down into Chitwan National Park where you may see crocodiles and rhino by the riverside.