The First Aid Couse Sandwich

Heading right off to Nepal after the summer in California was a welcome change. Good as it is cali, because you're British you aren't best suited for the intense 42 degree heat! So off we went with a kayak - first aid course - kayak sandwich of a mission planned.

Kathmandu

Arriving in Kathmandu is always a keep you on your toes experience coming over from the west. So having figured out the groove a few trips back, its easy to get roomed and meet up with whoever is about. A first few days are out on the trisuli, meeting up with a mate from the last Nepal trip who is out again. We decide to hit up the Balhephi and Upper Sun Kosi - its late september and the rivers are medium high and dropping now. Staying at the welcoming and beautiful rafting star camp for most of a week between day runs.

On the way to the trisuli put in - in an oil tanker!

On our second lap on the balephi the bus pulls into the lunch place for dahl bhat, and shuts in in a jeep with 3 kayakers about to head up high. Our luck is in, as the boys are happy to let us gate crash their lap on the river  so we strap from the bus too the jeep and go.
We're in for a treat, the upper balephi with the good medium flow we had was excellent, and hard in places. One class 5 rapid stands out, long with a lot of moves.  The rest is boat scout read and run fun! After halfway we get back to where we had originally set out to start from at the village of jalberi. We have 2 hours of daylight and about 2 hours of kayaking left, quickly eat some noodles and get our rally on.

Eggs and Chick Peas at the Sun Kosi Put-in

Hanging out to flag down the morning bus.

One of many great drops and rapids

Robin:

This years first aid courses

Have been held in association with Babu Adventure International School. We had hoped dearly to teach some more students than we did. Traveling all this way was not primarily for a kayaking trip.
Regardless, we had 20 excellent paragliders to see through the next level of their progressive and high standard training. Outdoor First Aid is required by the state of Nepal to hold the Himalayan tandem paraglider pilot permit.

As before when we taught here, the location is un-real. The views from that classroom are second to none, I honestly think mrc has peaked in that department!
New for this year the 2 day outdoor program we are teaching has been simplified and refined. So we teach people things they are likely to remember when confronted with a first aid situation.
So will we be back in 2019 for refreshing our current batch of students? I hope we will, and can make many more kayak/course sandwiches...

View From Babu Adventure School: