Sometime in the early 2000s, not long after his first experience on the international stage, Nim found himself back among the global paddling community — this time on more familiar ground, but still at the very beginning of what lay ahead.

It was at the Nepal Rodeo in 2001 that he first met Peter Astles from the UK.

Pete remembers it clearly.

“First met Nim at the Nepal Rodeo in 2001. I think he won!!”

He did, indeed, win.

They met again the following year at the Slalom World Championships in Bourg St Maurice, France.

This time, they didn’t just meet — they paddled together.

“We paddled together down the river Isère. Awesome.”

It was a simple moment.

Two paddlers on a river.

But like many things in this story, it would turn out to be the beginning of something much bigger.

The Start of Something More

Later that same year, Pete travelled to Nepal with a group.

Nim was their trip leader.

And for Nim, guiding was never just about the river.

He shared more than rapids and river lines. He shared the places he came from — small villages, everyday traditions, and the rhythms of life that had shaped him long before kayaking ever did.

Meals prepared by hand.

Conversations without hurry.

Moments that connected people beyond language.

In one village, Nim showed the group how lentils were traditionally hand-ground — a simple act, but one that carried generations of knowledge. It was these moments, as much as the paddling, that left a lasting impression.

What began as a professional connection quickly became something deeper.

A friendship.

A shared respect.

A sense of belonging.

Pete was not just part of a company — he had built it from scratch.

As a young paddler, he began sewing his own river gear by hand, creating what he needed to be on the water. Over time, that small, hands-on effort grew into Peak UK — now outfitting paddlers and national teams around the world.

In many ways, his journey mirrored Nim’s.

Two paddlers.

Two very different parts of the world.

Both building something from nothing —

one stitch, one river, one stroke at a time.

Over the years, Peak UK would go on to support Nim and his paddling career. Today, Paddle Nepal outfits guests almost exclusively in Peak UK safety equipment — a quiet reflection of that long-standing relationship.

But more than gear, more than sponsorship, there was something else.

Connection.

Pete often refers to it as the “Monkey Family.”

A close-knit group built over years of shared rivers, trips, and friendships — centred around Nepal, and shaped by the paddlers Pete has spent time with here.

Some friendships are built over time.

Others begin instantly, somewhere between eddies and rapids.

This was one of those.

(To be continued…)

Over the next weeks, we’ll share more about how this special friendship shaped Nim’s path — from the beginnings of the Himalayan Whitewater Challenge in 2002, to Nim and Pete exploring rivers and competitions across Europe.

All of it helping lay the foundations for what would eventually become Paddle Nepal.

This reflection is part of Paddle Nepal’s 20-year journey on Nepal’s rivers.