Rafting and Kayaking the Paro Chhu

Zach Collier, an avid IR supporter and overall good guy, has sent in a little write-up of a recent trip that he led in Bhutan- looks nice!

Here’s what he had to say:

Last Fall, I lead a group of rafters and kayakers to the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan with my friend Phil DeRiemer. Phil owns DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking (http://www.adventurekayaking.com) and I am the new owner of Sundance Kayak School (http://www.sundanceriver.com). We both run kayaking trips in the US, but offer international trips each year for those paddlers looking to experience both different rivers and cultures throughout the world.

Bhutan has only seen a handful of river runners, because their government highly restricts the number of foreign tourists each year. We were VERY lucky to get access to Bhutan and found some wonderful people with adventurous souls to join us!

This was Phil’s third trip to Bhutan and my first, so we arrived a few days early to paddle the some of the rivers we hoped to be guiding. We ran the Paro Chhu, Thimpu Chhu, Mo Chhu, and Po Chhu. Chhu is the Bhutanese word for River. We stayed on the Class II to IV rivers and drooled over tons of steep Class V rivers and creeks that have only been run a handful of times. We even scouted out some first descents for our return!

Local Fascination

Put-in for the Thimphu Chhu

Zach enjoying a civilized cup of tea after the Paro Chhu (Photo copyright Phil DeRiemer)

Kayaking the Paro Chhu

Rafting and Kayaking the Paro Chhu

Lunch at the Confluence of Mo Chhu and Po Chhu

Throw in a little culture, and you have yourself a nice little trip!