After the Himalayan Whitewater Challenge the Nepali Girls spent 5 days on the Trisuli river learning heaps about rafting from Churmani and Kali (two Nepali raft guides). The girls practiced guiding the rafts and oar boat and worked hard for 5 days.
Emi Earle, competing in her first freestyle event at the Himalayan Whitewater Challange, and ripping it up
Bruno, Whitney, Malaika, Emi, Hester and Hayley ready to pull some big air .
Susmita with her brand new Jackson Kayak, won at the Himalayan Whitewater Challange
Following this they spent 3 days doing a WRT course (Whitewater Rescue Training) where they excelled. They had one day theory and then 2 days on the Bhote Koshi river, where they where based at Sukute beach. There were 40 other male students completing this course and the women were split up into groups with the men. The girls worked so hard and spent hours and hours swimming rapids, learning knots and learning about safety on the river. 7am till 5pm in cold water - lucky they had plenty of nice gear to keep them warm.
From the WRT course the girls were back to the Trisuli River for more raft guide training.
Hasilla and Sita flipping the raft 
Some of the girls climbing back in
We met back up with the girls on the 16th of November at the Seti River. This was the last trip for the girls before they completed their five week training programme.
Anna White, Hayley Segal, Malaika Davies, Hester Hilbink, Anna Bruno, Malin Strand and myself along with Josh Neilson who continued filming where part of the Lower Seti trip.
Malaika, Anu, Hasila, Rama, Sophie, Sam Bhavi, Anna and Hester.
Seeing the girls again after a couple of weeks was amazing. They were looking so strong and happy. We arrived in the morning and after a catching up, we began to get ready for the river.
It was great to see all the Nepali girls working hard and packing the rafts. They were loading up, tying fancy knots and just looking like they knew what they were on about.
The girls using their new skills to tie on all the gear, including their dry bags donated by Bivouac 
Kamala and Susmita pumping up the raft
So we left camp and began the final trip. Hasila, Kamala and Sam Bovhi were in kayaks and we worked hard on eddy turns all day with the girls taking turns in kayaks. They were looking great on the rafts and in the kayaks. Even when they swam, they swam with confidence and knew what they needed to do. Hasila went from not being able to keep herself afloat 5 weeks ago to swimming down big rapids with so much power.
3 days on the Lower Seti, working hard on their kayaking and rafting skills and we were all so proud. These girls have come so so far in 5 weeks it's unbelievable, we are all so proud of them and what they have achieved.
The last day on the river was so special, we pushed off from camp with Sita and Susmita guiding the paddle rafts and Radha guiding the oar raft. All looking so happy and confident. We made our way to the finish and after some lunch at a little rolling practice, we were on the bus for a 6 hour bus ride back to Kathmandu.
The following day the girls spent with an American women who taught them lots of First Aid skills. Then the 20th was the day the training programme came to an end. We all went to the press conference/closing ceremony which was really special for everyone.
After some really special speeches from Inka, Sita, Anita and Churmani, I was asked to say something, and I talked about how proud I was of all the Kiwi girls for there hard work, all the people who helped out with this and of course how amazed and proud we all were of the Nepali Girls for there huge efforts over the past 5 weeks.
Last year a group of Nepali Women summited Everest being the first Nepali women to ever do this. They came to the ceremony and presented the girls with their certificates, which was super cool. One of them spoke about how excited she was that more Nepali Women were developing a passion for adventure.
Just after the girls received their certificates.
Susmita, Sam Bhavi and Anita, so happy and proud.
The Himalayan River Girls with the Everst Summiting Girls, a very powerful group of young Nepali Women with a love for adventure
Talking to Inka we also found out that many companies wanted to employ the Women and that there were more jobs than them, so from this training programme they had job offers left, right and centre. It's great to see so much support from Nepali companies, and so good to know that when next season rolls around in February, (it's winter now) these girls will be working in the industry.
Later that evening we all had dinner together, more speeches and from the Kiwi Girls, a fish hook necklace from NZ to keep them safe on the river and representing the friendships we developed.
A Hongi and a hug for Mina after she received a necklace from team Kiwi
Mailaika giving Mina a Hongi and Hug
Saying goodbye to the girls was hard, we are so happy for them, and so proud of what they achieved, they are all very special young ladies who now have endless opportunities.
Slowly everyone has left to go home, now we are four. Today we leave Kathmandu for a night in Bhaktapur and then in Nargakot before heading out to Thailand on the 27th.
NEPALI GIRLS PROFILES
Sita Thapa
Age: 22
Info: Has one son but has split from her husband. Learned to kayak with Inka last season. Has been working for Equator Expeditions for 8 months. During the training programme her kayaking skills sky rocketed and she also practiced more raft guiding, now guiding a raft she looks great.
Sita surfing it up in the Himalayan White-water Challenge
Susmita
Age: 23
Info: Has one daughter has split from he husband. Learned to kayak with her husband a couple of years ago and then stopped. Spent time kayaking with Inka last season. Has also been working for Equator Expeditions. On the training programme she learned to guide a raft as well as working hard on her Kayaking skills with Malin Bergman (a swedish slalom kayaker) who taught her alot about technique.
Susmita, sun-blocked up and ready to rock it!
Anita Sapkota
Age: 18
Info: Will finish school in April, has very good English and when she finishes school, would like to work in the management area of a rafting company. Chandra will help her with this in April next year.
Beautiful girls Radha and Anita ready for the river.
Sambhavi Karki
Age: 27
Info: SamBhavi had been working in a casino before the training programme. Her sister was part of the team that summited Mt Everest. When the season begins again in February she will be working for a rafting company. She hopes to keep her job at the Casino in the off-season.
Sam Bhavi charging it down the Sun Koshi River
Hasila Shrestha
Age: 28
Info: Hasila also has been working in the Casino and next season will be working for a rafting company. She also hope to keep her job at the casino for the off season.
Hasila, smiling as usual, with some great edging practice in the 'Method Air'
Pasang Sherpa
Age: 24
Info: Pasang has been studying at university. She has very good English and and is very clued up. She will now be working for Ultimate decents, through this job she will be able to learn a range of skills and hopes to be not only a river guide but also canyoning, trekking, and use her management skills too.
Pasang showing Mila (a raft guide) how it's really done.
Rama Shrestha
Age:18
Info: Rama will complete school in April. From here she would like to get a job with a rafting company. Chandra will help her with this when she has finished school.
Rama showing off her new skills
Kamala Chepang
Age:18
Info: Kamala comes from a village by the Trisuli River. She is the first girl from her village to complete school up to the level she is at. She has returned to complete her schooling which is extremely important and during her spare time, she will be on the Trisuli River practicing her rafting and kayaking skills with a local Trisuli Raft Company. Kamala had very very little English before the training programme but 5 weeks later she made a huge improvement.
Malaika and Kamala with big smiles on the Sun Koshi.
Radha Tamang
Age: 22
Info: Radha has a natural talent for kayaking and rafting. In a kayak she looks as though she's been paddling quite a while. She went against her husbands wishes to do this training programme. When she was back in Kathmandu before the WRT course she went home and did not return. After a few days Inka managed to get hold of Radha and although she had missed the WRT course, she was able to join back in. Her husband left to go to America to study for 3 years. So now she has three years to concentrate on her rafting and kayaking. 
Radha re-adjusting the foot pegs in the 'Perception Phat' donated by Canoe and Kayak NZ
Mina
Age: 29
Info: The first female raft guide. Has been working in the industry a long time but has been in India. Now there are girls working in the Nepal Industry she would like to stay and work in Nepal to. So she will be working in India during the off season and Nepal in the season here.
A standard Mina photo, loud and full of energy.
Anu
Info: Joined us for the Lower Seti trip, works at Royal Beach by the Trisuli River for a rafting company. Not yet working on the river for them, but it wom't be long as her skills are really improving. On the lower Seti trip she worked on her kayaking technique and her raft guiding skills, she was looking very good in her kayak and will be some tough competition at the Himalayan White Water Challenge next year.
Anu on the Lower Seti
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