Chandra Khadka

I was born in 1986 in a village on the banks of the Sunkoshi River. By the age of 10, I was already swimming and crossing the Sunkoshi. My first connection with rafting came while travelling to and from school. I regularly saw rafting and kayaking expeditions passing along the river, and I became fascinated by them. I would interact with the people on the trips and gradually developed a strong interest in river running.

I entered the white-water rafting industry in 2003, beginning with two years of internship and youth training. In 2005, I became a rafting guide. Since then, I have guided and worked across many of Nepal’s major rivers, including the Upper Bhotekoshi, Sunkoshi, Karnali, Tamur, Kali Gandaki, Seti, Arun, Trishuli, Tamakoshi, Thuli Bheri, Upper Trishuli, Balephi and Bheri, as well as Seti–Karnali fishing-cum-rafting and other expedition trips.

My experience has also taken me abroad. In 2010, I worked as a guide on the Beas River in Kullu-Manali, India, and in 2011, I worked as a rafting guide at Al Ain Adventure in Dubai, an artificial white-water facility. Since 2014, I have also worked seasonally as a rafting and kayaking guide in Japan on the Hozugawa, Yoshinogawa, Tamagawa, Nagara, Tone, Shinano and Kumano Rivers.

One of my most memorable experiences happened during a cataraft expedition on the Upper Trishuli. A client’s cataraft capsized, and after rescuing the client, I had to chase the boat downstream. I followed it for about one kilometre before getting it safely to the riverside. It was a thrilling experience and one I still remember clearly.

I started by watching rafting groups pass along the Sunkoshi while I was going to school. More than two decades later, the river has become my profession and a major part of my life.