Guide Training & Internships

Our Himalayan River Guide Training Academy offers an intensive 2 month program with the most comprehensive training of its kind, hosted in Nepal on an epic variety of wilderness camps and multi-day river expeditions.  If you are a paddling enthusiast, then you know Nepal is “Mecca” to river running and offers the greatest variety of whitewater rivers in the world.

Our own IRF Instructor Nim B Magar (Coach of Nepal’s National Rafting Team & President of the Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies) is partnering with fellow IRF Instructor / Assessor & Rescue 3 Europe WRTA Instructor Mark Hirst of Lapin Koskikouli to offer this unique river guide training & internship opportunity.

The program is open to anybody wishing to travel & explore the rivers of Nepal, while gaining valuable skills & certifications to become a professional river guide.  Existing river guides & kayakers are invited to join the program to enhance their current skills, gain valuable multi-day river exposure and further develop their trip leading careers.

2021 cancelled due to pandemic.
We are planning for Spring 2022. Stay tuned…

COURSE OVERVIEW 

The intense program will aim to provide a structured training program for potential commercial or existing raft guides & safety kayakers. The program will consist of 4 key modules:

• 10 day core training.
• 10 day consolidation experience building
• 10 self-support expedition
• 4 day assessment period

Each student on the program will have the opportunity to gain internationally recognized certification from the following governing bodies.

• International rafting federation (IRF)
• Rescue 3 Europe
• Rescue Emergency care UK

The program will be run in conjunction with Paddle Nepal, the leading rafting outfitter in Nepal. The course instructors will be:

• Nim Bahadur Magar owner of Paddle Nepal & IRF instructor
• Mark Hirst IRF Assessor & Rescue 3 Instructor

The timetable for the program will be as follows:

MODULE 1 – Core Training Module 

Based at the Paddle Nepal Chimkesory riverside camp on the banks of the Trisuli River. During this period the students will study & practice the following elements:

• Introduction to commercial river guiding (IRF Guide training program)
• Whitewater river rescue for river professional’s (Rescue 3 WRT Pro)
• Outdoor First aid (REC)
• Multiday rafting camp management skills, river based catering & expedition logistics.

MODULE 2 – Consolidation & Experience Building 

The consolidation period will allow the students to shadow Paddle Nepal on commercial trips in order to gain valuable practical experience. Students can expect to have the opportunity to experience the following rivers:

• Upper Seti class III+
• Lower Seti class III
• Trisuli class III
• Marshyangdhi class IV
• Kali Gandhaki class III+

MODULE 3 – Multi-day River Expedition

The Sun Koshi, also known as the ‘River of Gold’ is the longest trip in river miles offered in Nepal and is rated as one of the top ten river expeditions in the world. Starting near the Tibetan border and draining off the Eastern Himalayas all the way to the sacred Ganges River in India, this river offers big volume whitewater.

During the expedition students will be responsible for navigating their own raft down the river as well as all aspects of planning the expedition. The expedition will be overseen & accompanied by the program instructors.

MODULE 5 – Final Assessments

The Final 4 days of the program will be spent on the river assessing the students rafting skills on an IRF guide assessment workshop. Upon successful completion of the workshop the students will be awarded with IRF commercial guiding awards.

• Raft Guide Class III
• Safety Kayaker Class III
• Trip Leader class III
• Raft Guide Class IV
• Safety Kayaker Class IV
• Trip Leader Class IV

This intensive 4 day section will include a series of practical scenarios & assessments required to pass in order to gain IRF award status.  We will be based on a remote riverside camp on the banks of the Marshyangdi River for the duration.

MODULE 6 – Optional Internship  (3 weeks)

After successful completion of the program, participants may be offered an extra 3 weeks of work experience with one of a variety of Nepal’s most reputable whitewater rafting operators.  This section is completely dependent on individual performance.

COST:  $4115 USD

What’s Included:

• All teaching & tuition by experienced qualified instructors
• All text books, registration, assessments & certification fees
• All river logistics & use of any rafting equipment (kayakers will need to bring there own kayak & paddle / kayak rental is available for $25 per day)
• Accommodation throughout the entire program
• Meals whilst on Modules 1,3,4 & whilst on any multiday trips during module 2

What’s NOT Included:

• International travel
• Visa
• Insurance (mandatory)
• Meals when not on the river during section 2 & 4)
• Items of a personal nature