Last updated: 5 October 2026, with details from our scouting report.

The Lower Seti River is open for the season.

On Saturday 3 October, our crew scouted the Lower Seti and completed our pre-season risk assessment. They covered the full commercial section, including the final stretch on the lower Trisuli, as well as the camps, access points and take-out. The river officially opened on Monday 5 October.

Who the Lower Seti suits right now

The river is at a standard high water level for early October. The recent heavy rain raised it by around 4 metres at its peak, and it has since dropped back.

• Rafters: suitable for anyone, including first-timers with no rafting experience, as long as you are comfortable in water. That means being able to swim and being happy with your head going under or being splashed in the face. Our goal is always to avoid flipping the raft, but at this water level it is a small possibility.
• Families: not currently suitable for small children. The minimum age is 12, and younger rafters need the same water confidence.
• Beginner kayakers: not currently suitable for Kayak Clinic participants with no experience of kayaking in whitewater.

We will update this post when the water drops to a level that suits families with younger children and beginner paddlers.

What our team found

The team ran the full route from Damauli to Gaighat, about 35 km, by raft with a safety kayaker. They stopped at key points to inspect every rapid, assess the overnight campsite and check the river after the heavy rain.

• Rapids: no changes at all at the current river level. All rapids are runnable, up to grade 3, and no new hazards were observed.
• Camp: our overnight camp at Saranghat has, if anything, improved, with a nice flat sandy beach. It sits above the river on ground that rises away from the water, close to the village.
• Road access: the same as before, with no changes and no concerns.

Who scouted the river

Our guide team for the scout:

• Raju Shrestha: 26 years of guiding in Nepal, Japan and India. One of our Rescue 3 International Instructors, and an International Rafting Federation (IRF) Raft Trip Leader and Safety Kayaker IV, with Nepal Government River Guide Training, Advanced Wilderness First Aid and Canyoning Level 3 (USA).
• Ram Prasad Pandey Chhetri: 20 years in Nepal, Japan and India. International Rafting Federation (IRF) Raft Trip Leader and Safety Kayaker IV, with Nepal Government River Guide Training, Whitewater Rescue Technician and Advanced Wilderness First Aid.
• Manoj Gurung: 10 years in Nepal, Japan and Iceland. Nepal Government River Guide Training, Whitewater Rescue Technician, Advanced Wilderness First Aid and Intermediate Canyoning.
• Yam Kumar Gurung: 8 years in Nepal. Nepal Government River Guide Training, Whitewater Rescue Technician and Red Cross First Aid Training.
• Ammar Gurung: 3 years in Nepal. Guide training and a Level 1 Canyoning Workshop.

Jagan Timilsina, founder of Freedom Adventures, joined us on the scout, as we run trips for their groups

How this fits with our other rivers

This follows our river operations update of 29 September. Half-day rafting from Pokhara and kayaking and paddleboarding on Phewa Lake continue as usual. Kali Gandaki and Trisuli departures remain on hold until our team has scouted them.

Join a Lower Seti trip

The trip starts at Damauli, about two hours drive from Pokhara, with an overnight riverside camp at Saranghat and a finish at Gaighat.

See our Lower Seti River rafting trip, or, if you already have whitewater kayaking experience, our Lower Seti kayaking trip. Not sure whether the river suits you at the moment? Message us on WhatsApp and we will help you decide.