Balephi
Also known as: Balephi / Balephi Khola
Tight boulder-strewn valley, crystal-clear water, paddy fields; Dorje Lakpa headwaters (6990 m)
Is there water?
Whether there is a river here on your dates, and what kind of water it is.
Snow/rain-fed mid-volume; crystal clear; drops through Autumn
High and challenging until Oct, lower by Dec; Spring Mar-May reverses; Kattike best at low flows. Confirm.
Autumn (Sep-Nov) and Spring (Mar-May)
Cool clear mountain water
Monsoon spate; high early-Autumn levels; dam construction altering flow
Grade & who can come
A river changes grade with its level. These grades describe a normal flow - in flood the same run is harder, and often a different run entirely. Check the gauge before you commit.
Dhade/Jalbire Class 3/4; Kattike Class 4+ (technical 4/5)
Kayaking (creek/river running); some rafting
Put on at Jalbire to skip steep top; separate Kattike upper for experts; lap-friendly from guesthouses
Intermediate-to-advanced kayakers; not for beginners; great warm-up / lapping river
The run
Continuous tight boulder-garden rapids; first 2 km below Dhade steepest; heavy scouting on Kattike
Continuous boulder gardens; steep top 2 km; hydropower intake works at Kattike put-in
Kattike (upper) and Dhade/Jalbire (classic) to Balephi town
Low crowds; occasional kayak groups; peaceful rural setting
Access & shuttle
No formal permit for day kayaking (verify locally). Confirm.
Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.
Put-in via local bus/private vehicle from Kathmandu to Balephi/Dhade (road good to Balephi, poor beyond); Kattike needs private 4WD; take-out Balephi town
~3 hr drive from Kathmandu; local bus to Dhade, private vehicle for Kattike; shuttle back up for laps. Confirm.
Guesthouses in Balephi and Dhade (leave bag, run light); no river camps needed
Day-run kayak gear; scout/safety kit for Kattike; patchy mobile coverage
Kathmandu; well linked to Upper/Lower Bhote Koshi
Hazards & exits
Dams under construction threaten the run (hydropower intake at Kattike); continuous water, scout carefully; go soon
Road follows river - relatively easy roadside exits; Kathmandu hospitals ~3 hr
Solid self-sufficient kayak team; local guiding via Nepal Kayak Club / Big Smile Nepal recommended for Kattike
This profile is desk research, compiled from public sources - not a first-hand river run report. Coordinates are approximate.