UPDATES FROM INKA

22 January - Planning for a trip to India

Making a plan to go to India next december to paddle the Subansari river in Arunanchal Pradesh, India. - Maybe the most scenic river in the Himalayas. Not many people have paddled it and not many people will as a dammed will be built soon. We will be paddling with Indias most professional rafting operator Aquaterra Expeditions-so it will be a great work experience for our river girls. JOIN US!!! The more of you who join, the more of our girls will get the chance to go!

14 December - Training camp and Himalayan Challenge 2009

Had a fantastic Himalayan Whitewater Challenge! 6 girls competing. Susmita, Sita, Anu, Kamala Magar from Bhote Koshi, Ritu from Upper Trisuli and Goma, Susmitas younger sister. Susmita won the overall competition again this time! Before the competition we had five days of training, with our lovely coach Ashley Courtney from Canada!

17 October - Susmita in the newspaper

Things going well, girls keeping busy and doing well on the high water rivers! Yesterday, big article about Susmita in Nepals newspaper Nepali Times: http://www.nepalitimes.com/issue/2009/10/17/Nation/16398

30 sep - New girls getting employed

Back in Nepal, and as usualy things are happening! 3 of our "spring girls" - meaning girls learning kayaking last season, have been employed. Ritu is now working for Equator Expeditions and brought a friend, Lakshmi there as well. Rupa and Goma started working for new company Rapid Runner based in Pokhara where they are now doing trips training to be safety kayakers and kayak instructors. Meena is also working for Rapid Runner as a raft guide. Today they are all on the river - it looks like we are going to have a busy season!

4 sep - Susmitas competition in the world championships

Susmita did really well in the competition. She looked super relaxed and surfed the wave nicely! She didnt make points to continue at the competition, but she has developed her freestyle skills and knowledge, she has lots of fun and a great experience! CHECK OUT THE PICTURES!!! Big thanks to ICF (International Canoe Federation) for sponsoring her to come to the competition!

3 sep -The big day!

Today is the big day! Susmita is happy and not too nervous as she did really well training late last night in the dark! She is competing at 13.24, keep your fingers crossed!

27 aug - Susmita arrives in Switzerland

Susmita has arrived to Switzerland for world championships. She is very nervous, especially as because of health and family issues she has not been able to kayak for a while. But no hopes from my side that she will get great results other that learning a lot and having fun!!!

24 aug - Sponsorship with SILVA/span>

Silva Sweden, developer of gps compasses binoculars heightmeters etc. are now sponsoring me and the girls with headlamps and Gerber Crucials - a handy multi-tool with pliers and knife good for the river: http://www.silva.se/en/

23 aug - Sweden season finished

Just finished the last kayak clinic at Kajaktiv for the season. Thanks all my students who bought my photos to help finance the club!

12 aug - Square Rock helping out wiht a kayak

Square Rock and Jackson Kayaks are sorting out a small freestyle boat for Susmita for the worlds!!! Thanks to Lluis Rabaneda who is making it all happen!

11 aug - HRG movie trailer on facebook

Check out the movie TRAILER on facebook group: Himalayan River Girls - the movie project!!!!!!!!!!!!

6 Aug - Susmita ready for worlds!

Susmita is going to the worlds! She is picking up her visa tomorrow, ready for her first trip to a foreign country. She will be competing in freestyle in Switzerland and slalom in Spain.

6 July 2009 - Thanks Jill Marie and Aquabound!

Paddles from Aquabound are finally out of customs!!! Thanks Jill Marie Stokes for all your help!

2 July 2009 - World chamionchips???

Working on getting at least one Nepali girl to come to Europe and attend to world championships slalom and freestyle in September. The Nepal Rafting & Canoeing Association are finally on to it!!! So keep your fingers crossed it will happen!

25 June 2009 - Come to see us!

For anyone coming to Nepal this fall season, our club is set up in Pokhara. Do come by and visit, and let us know if you would like to teach / learn kayaking. We are also hoping to get some more gear donated and if you need to rent a kayak let us know!

23 June 2009 - Rupa turns down MTB offer

I got an email from Rupa today, one of our young new stars in Pokhara. She has been offered to learn mountainbiking with Nepals MTB champion, and she asked me how to say no as she prefer only to do kayaking! :) :) :)

17 June 2009 - Susmita forced to give up her job as a kayaker

I have some sad news. Our star kayaker Susmita is no longer allowed to work as a kayaker as she got back with her husband who has decided that she should stay at home. Her employer Paddle Nepal are really sad about this as she was just starting a fantastic career doing a very good job as a safety kayaker. The club is now closed for the monsoon season, but some rafting trips still go on, and some of our girls are still out there paddling, and the rest are looking forward to getting going again in September starting a hopefully busy fall season, where we are hoping to get some more girls employments! Until then, I hope to get some fund raising going and some volunteers together to do more professional training!

26 May 2009 - Monsoon time

I am now back in Sweden for summer season work here. Club still goes on, new girls training for one more month until monsoon hits the rivers too hard. Thanks mum and thanks Jeff! for your kind donations to help with club rent!

17 May 2009 - Back from girls trip

Training trip on Seti was fantastic, with all 6 new girls kayaking! Unfortunately we could not afford to do any more training all together this season other than on the lake, but local companies are helping out, so they all get to go on the river frequently. Ritu and Guma paddling lower Seti again with Cross River and pro-instructor Kundan Lama!

12 May 2009 - Girls trip on the Seti

Tomorrow we are off on a 3-day training trip on the lower Seti with Paddle Nepal. All 6 new girls, plus Sambhavi, Hassila and Pasang!!! Wish us luck! Mona says hi to everyone! She is now in Manali in India to work in a rafting office in Nepals off season.

9 May 2009 - Anu starts working for Ultimate Descents Nepal

Anu finally got a job working on the river! She started training with Ultimate Descents and is today off KAYAKINGI!!! Sambhavi and Hassila is now here in Pokhara working at the Paddle Nepal office and helping to look after the club house and the new girls! They went rafting on Upper Seti yesterday. Rupa came back from lower Seti yesterday, rolling in the rapids, got stuck in a hole, no swimming! Loved it!

8 May 2009 - Goma in the newspaper

Article today in Kantipur, Nepals biggest newspaper about the new girls training on the lake. And picture of Guma! Thanks Ashok and Heidi who were teaching them that day!!!

6 May 2009 - Need help with funding!

I am desperately looking for fundings for the club. We need help for club house rent, so if anyone has any ideas, please let me know!!! Have just recruited two more girls. Ritu from upper Trisuli and Kaji from upper Seti! Started teaching them on the lake yesterday with Jenny from Holland who is doing a great job helping out this season! Susmitas sister Goma came back from kayaking the lower Seti yesterday, no swimming! She is just amazing! Rupa is off today on a kayak clinic on the Seti with Adrenaline Rush! Rest of the girls going on the lake

5 May 2009 - Susmita paddling Kali Gandaki

Back from 3 days paddling Kali Gandaki with Paddle Nepal. Big water after big rain. One very nervous Susmita did amazingly well!!!

27 April 2009 - Paddling Trisuli with Anu

Back to Pokhara after picking up a box of KAVU clothes. And tried to pick up paddles sent from Jill Marie Stokes. Paddles still in cargo - Nepali customs are not my best friends. On the way back stopped by Trisuli and had an awsome paddle with Anu (Himalayan River Girl), Andy Beegan and the Royal Beach boys. Anus last day at Royal Beach as she has decided to look for work training to be a river guide. She is doing awsome, flipped a few times, but her roll is solid! The new girls in Pokhara are doing well. Sometimes joining rafting trips with Lotus Waves who are being very supportive, and yesterday we did some hard training on the lake. All girls rolling, bracing, loving it!

25 April 2009 - Radha bungee jumping

News from adventurous Radha who did a bungee jump!!! And she is keeping busy, today off to kayak lower Bhote Koshi

17 April 2009 - What a day of good news

Got up at 5 this morning to send off new girls Goma and Shanti (Susmita and Minas sisters) on a two day rafting trip on the Seti with Lotus waves. Their very first day on the river. AND Simon Eriksson went on the lake with new girl Anita and got her to roll! AND! Susmita came along with her son in her kayak!!!! AND! Sita just called me from Fishling having kayaked the Trisuli today safety kayaking for Equator!:)

16 April 2009 - Susmita safety kayaking on Trisuli

Susmita came back today with a big smile after her first safety kayaking job on the Trisuli!!! :)

14 April 2009 - New girl on the river

This morning Rupa, one of our new girls, joined a kayak clinic with Adrenaline Rush on the Trisuli with Kamala Chepang .She has ben doing amazingy well on the lake and even teaches other girls how to roll after ten days.

12 april 2009 - Kamala training with Adrenaline Rush!

Kamala Chepang has just finished her first trainee rafting trip with Adrenaline Rush on the Trisuli!

6 april 2009 - Trisuli girls are on to it!

Visited Anu in Royal Beach who is lucky to have UK kayak coach Andy Beegan at the camp this season. Also visited 3 girls in Fishling, who after seeing the Nepali girls in the rodeo started paddling with their brothers. Had a meeting with Adrenaline Rush in Kuringath and looks like Kamala will be on the river with them soon!

5 april 2009 - UD-Radha introducing her sister

Met Radha in Kathmandu who introduced us to her sister who is 15 and wants to start kayaking! Radha is very busy kayaking this season with Ultimate Desents!

4 april 2009 - Paddling with Bhote Koshi girls

Paddling on the lower Bhote Koshi wirh Sita, Mona and Kamala. Stefan Erdman came along to get more material for his documentary.

3 april 2009 - Joshs film doing good in NZ

Good news from Josh in N.Z. He is travelling the country showing his documentary about the Himalayan River Girls. Sounds like succcess!!!

2 april 2009 - Club house is going on!

We have found a club house in Pokhara. Susmita and Mina are currently living there when not busy on the river and training 3 new girls on the lake! One of them in Susmitas younger sister, Guma!

Anita Sapkota who trained with us last year is now working in the sales office in Namaste Adventure / Paddle Nepal Office, but looking forward to going kayaking on her free time!

20 March 2009 - Girls are doing good and getting employed

Things are going very well here in Nepal. I have just been paddling on the lower Bhote Koshi with the girls around Equators Sukute Beach, Sita, Mona, Kamala and Sushila. They are all doing good, and their kayaking is improving. Sita now starts safety kayaking on the lower Bhote Koshi. Also, Radha came by the camp one day doing a trip with Ultimate Descents, her employer, and it was great to see her kayaking! She is really happy with her job and is off on a Karnali trip kayaking on the 22nd. Pasang is also working with U.D. and is training canyoning at the Borderlands. Sambhavi has asked to go trekking, and is currently on the way to Everest Base Camp with a Far Away Adventures group. Hassila has today been offered work for Adrenalin Rush and Kamala Chepang will also be doing training with them on the Trisuli when she is free from school.

10 March 2009 - Articles start coming out

The last few days articles about our project have started coming out. Kajaktivs magalog, Outside (Sweden), Utemagasinet and Utsidan.se Check out: utsidan.se andUtemagasinet

9 March 2009 - Back with the girls

Finally I am back in Nepal, and it has been great catching up with some of the girls so far. Radha is shining with happiness and loves her work as a trainee guide with Ultimate Descents. Tomorrow I am heading out to the Bhote Koshi to paddle with Sita who is kayak training with Equator Expeditions new boys. We will work on Sitas roll that is not working that great at the moment. And Mona (who is now managing the camp out there) and I will be doing more brainstorming for the future, we now have an idea to do a "Save the Karnali kayak expedition" next year and more...

19 Feb 2009 - Susmita and younger sister with Paddle Nepal

Susmita, who won Jackson kayak in the Peak UK White Water Challenge in november is getting best use out of it possible, getting more girls in Nepal into kayaking! She has now started teaching her own younger sister paddling on the lake in Pokhara. She has also quit Kathmandu based Equator Expeditions for Pokhara based rafting and kayaking company Paddle Nepal. Her sister also started working for them helping out in their lovely café at the office! Susmita just came back from working on a three day trip on the lower Seti, and the reports from new employer Paddle Nepal were excellent!