Bhote Koshi
Encyclopedia
The Bhote Kosi or Rongshar Tsangpo is a trans-boundary river
and is part of the Kosi or Sapta Kosi river system in Nepal
. It originates in Tibet Autonomous Region
of China
.
and Koshi means river.In Tibetan language the river is called Rongshar Tsangpo. The suffix Tsangpo
denotes a river flowing from or through Tsang
, i.e. Tibet west of Lhasa
.
of Tibet, the Rongshar Tsangpo enters Nepal downstream from Drubden, at an elevation of 2750 metres (9,022.3 ft).In Nepal, it flows through steep and deep gorges and joins the Sun Kosi
, downstream from Barabise.
or swinging over the Bhote Kosi has been described as the ‘ultimate experience’.The valley is narrow with steep hillsides towering over 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft) from the river. Nepal's first bungee jumping site is situated at Last Resort, 160 metres (524.9 ft) above a gorge with the river raging below. It is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the Nepal-Tibet border.Bungee jumping at the Last Resort is one of the longest in the world. It is higher than the highest bungee in the New Zealand.After leaping from the bridge platform, the bungee jumper has a free fall towards the river before the swing lines take up the tension and he enters a large, semicircular arc of about 240 metres (787.4 ft).When it opened in 1999, the Last Resort was amongst the highest suspension footbridges in the world.Swiss designed, especially for bungee jumping with a 4x safety factor, the bridge will hold 4.5 tonnes. Over 6000 metres (19,685 ft) of steel wire was used to build the longest suspension bridge in Nepal.
Actual costs need to be checked with the service provider, but just to give a basic idea about costs: the swing or bungee costs 80 US dollars, including lunch and return transport from Kathmandu. Extra jumps cost 25 dollars. A two-day bungee and rafting package with overnight accommodation, meals and transport costs 130 dollars.It is around 3 hours by road from Kathmandu. The Bhote Kosi flows along the Arniko Rajmarg
.
The bridge site also encompasses hiking, rafting and mountain biking as well as overnight stays in a tent.
See also – Pictures of bungee jumping at Last Resort
, which it feeds further downstream.The river carves a steep and direct drop at the top that gradually eases to more placid streams and the calmer pools with a 46-km run at the Lamosunga dam. The rapids here are class IV- V at high flow, and III at lower levels.The Bhote Kosi is used for both rafting
and kayaking
. The river is steep and continuous with one rapid leading into another.
See also - Pictures of kayaking in the Bhote Kosi
Trans-boundary river
A trans-boundary river is a river that crosses at least one political border, either a border within a nation or an international boundary. The country of Bangladesh has the greatest number of these rivers, almost all of which cross national boundaries....
and is part of the Kosi or Sapta Kosi river system in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. It originates in Tibet Autonomous Region
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Etymology
Bhote Koshi means "river from Tibet". In the local language Bhote means TibetTibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
and Koshi means river.In Tibetan language the river is called Rongshar Tsangpo. The suffix Tsangpo
Tsangpo
Tsangpo is the suffix attached to names of rivers originating or sometimes flowing through the Tsang province of Tibet. Some of the rivers are:* The Yarlung Tsangpo – in its lower reaches it is known as the Brahmaputra River...
denotes a river flowing from or through Tsang
Ü-Tsang
Ü-Tsang , or Tsang-Ü, is one of the three traditional provinces of Tibet, the other two being Amdo and Kham. Geographically Ü-Tsang covered the central and western portions of the Tibetan cultural area, including the Tsang-po watershed, the western districts surrounding and extending past Mount...
, i.e. Tibet west of Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
.
Course
The source of the Rongshar Tsangpo or Bhote Kosi lies in the mountains to the east of the Kathmandu-Lhasa Highway in Tibet.After flowing through Tingri CountyTingri County
Tingri County or Dhringgri County , is a county of the Xigazê Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region.The county comprises the upper valley of the Bum-chu or Arun River, with the valleys of its tributaries plus the valleys of the Rongshar Tsangpo and the Lapchi Gang Tsanpo which flow south into...
of Tibet, the Rongshar Tsangpo enters Nepal downstream from Drubden, at an elevation of 2750 metres (9,022.3 ft).In Nepal, it flows through steep and deep gorges and joins the Sun Kosi
Sun Kosi
The Sun Kosi or Matsang Tsangpo is a trans-boundary river and is part of the Kosi or Sapta Kosi river system in Nepal. It originates in Tibet Autonomous Region of China.-Etymology:...
, downstream from Barabise.
Bungee jumping
Bungee jumpingBungee jumping
Bungee jumping is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air-balloon or helicopter, that...
or swinging over the Bhote Kosi has been described as the ‘ultimate experience’.The valley is narrow with steep hillsides towering over 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft) from the river. Nepal's first bungee jumping site is situated at Last Resort, 160 metres (524.9 ft) above a gorge with the river raging below. It is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the Nepal-Tibet border.Bungee jumping at the Last Resort is one of the longest in the world. It is higher than the highest bungee in the New Zealand.After leaping from the bridge platform, the bungee jumper has a free fall towards the river before the swing lines take up the tension and he enters a large, semicircular arc of about 240 metres (787.4 ft).When it opened in 1999, the Last Resort was amongst the highest suspension footbridges in the world.Swiss designed, especially for bungee jumping with a 4x safety factor, the bridge will hold 4.5 tonnes. Over 6000 metres (19,685 ft) of steel wire was used to build the longest suspension bridge in Nepal.
Actual costs need to be checked with the service provider, but just to give a basic idea about costs: the swing or bungee costs 80 US dollars, including lunch and return transport from Kathmandu. Extra jumps cost 25 dollars. A two-day bungee and rafting package with overnight accommodation, meals and transport costs 130 dollars.It is around 3 hours by road from Kathmandu. The Bhote Kosi flows along the Arniko Rajmarg
Arniko Rajmarg
The Araniko Highway connects Kathmandu with Kodari, north-east of the Kathmandu Valley, on the Nepal-China border. It is among the most dangerous of highways in Nepal due to extremely steep slopes on each side of the highway from Barabise onwards, massive landslides and bus plunges are not...
.
The bridge site also encompasses hiking, rafting and mountain biking as well as overnight stays in a tent.
See also – Pictures of bungee jumping at Last Resort
Water sports
The Bhote Kosi is the steepest river rafted in Nepal. With a gradient of 15 m per km it is a full eight times as steep as the Sun KosiSun Kosi
The Sun Kosi or Matsang Tsangpo is a trans-boundary river and is part of the Kosi or Sapta Kosi river system in Nepal. It originates in Tibet Autonomous Region of China.-Etymology:...
, which it feeds further downstream.The river carves a steep and direct drop at the top that gradually eases to more placid streams and the calmer pools with a 46-km run at the Lamosunga dam. The rapids here are class IV- V at high flow, and III at lower levels.The Bhote Kosi is used for both rafting
Rafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
and kayaking
Kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...
. The river is steep and continuous with one rapid leading into another.
See also - Pictures of kayaking in the Bhote Kosi