Kathmandu. A spectacular spectacle of courage, skill and cooperation was witnessed on the ripple waves of the Trishuli River on Tuesday. The 24th Himalayan Whitewater Challenge 2026 and the 50th International Himalayan Rafting and Kayaking Festival kicked off here on Tuesday.
The three-day event is jointly organized by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies (NARA). Rafting and kayakers from different countries including Nepal are participating in the competition. The players are showing their skills by crossing the high waves and challenging currents of the river.
A total of 51 paddlers are taking part in the competition. Kayak sprint (300m) and raft sprint (300m) will be held on the first day. A total of 51 people took part in the Kayak Sprint event. According to the organizers, a 32 players selected from the preliminary round are taking part in the Kayak Cross (300 meters) raft mandatory competition on Wednesday. A total of 813 teams will compete in a 10-km raft race on Thursday, the final day of the competition. Each team will have four players.
Two teams from India and two teams from Israel along with foreign players are competing on the waves of Trishuli. In order to make the competition more healthy and transparent, a time-chip system has been used to measure the time of the players. Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies (NARA) President Kamal Bahadur Thakuri viewed the festival as a historic opportunity. According to him, this year’s festival is being celebrated as ‘Silver Jubilee’. “It is not only a sports competition but also a celebration of Nepal’s river tourism, adventurous culture and pride associated with the identity of the participants,” he said. It will help put Nepal firmly on the map of global adventure tourism. ”
Nepal Tourism Board’s senior manager Udaya Bhattarai said, “The festival is a confluence of rivers, adventure and tourism. He added, “River-based adventure tourism in Nepal has gained momentum in the last few decades. Especially, the Trishuli, Bhotekoshi, Karnali and Seti rivers have become the attraction of adventure tourists from all over the world for rafting and kayaking. I am confident that this festival will be effective in promoting it further.
The winners of the competition will bag cash prizes ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 1 lakh, trophies and certificates. The three-day international festival will conclude on Thursday. In the closing ceremony, prize winners will be distributed and the Himalayan River Exploration, which started rafting culture in Nepal, will be honored.
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