Read more about the Rodeo...

Maila Gurung

Maila got a taste for whitewater at a very young age. Growing up alongside the Trisuli River in Nepal he watched his elder brothers working as raft guides and was placed in a kayak before he could even walk and it went from there!

He started working in India (mainly Rishekesh, Manali and Ladakh) at the young age of 15. First as a camp boy and safety kayaker, but he quickly progressed to being one of the most valued, skilled and most loved members of the team. He is qualified in SRT and BCU certified, and also has his first aid and CPR. Maila has been on many kayak and rafting expeditions, and has even guided several first descents including the Lower Indus to the Pakistan border and the 2000 first descent in Manali with the Indian Army.

After spending 6 years in India honing his skills as a raft guide and professional kayaker, he then went on to paddle the rivers in Switzerland for a year before returning to Nepal.

Now, at 27, he is Nepal’s Number One Kayaker for a third year after winning the Himalayan Whitewater Championships (or Rodeo as it is more commonly known). Maila has also won Gold the Asian Championship in India twice and Bronze once, and won at a rafting championships…we’re beginning to run out of space in the trophy cabinet!

The Himalayan Championships is a great event in Nepal giving Nepali kayakers the opportunity to compete at an international standard. Maila, a veteran at this competition, won last year in a Pyranha H3 creek boat and gave all the play boats a run for their money in the freestyle. There’s no stopping this guy!

Having worked for many years for other people as their most senior guide, Maila decided it was time he did things on his own. In 2008, with the help of a few friends GRG's was formed. Maila has all the skills required and has effectively been doing this for many years. All he lacked was an office, but not any more! If you came kayaking in Nepal, chances are you would have ended up rafting or kayaking with him, as he was the number one choice of guide for many of the major companies in Nepal. So we decided to cut out the middle man and do it ourselves, a deal that works out best for everybody!

For Maila, it’s not about the money, it’s about doing something that he loves and he is passionate about. If he’s not on trips, you can usually find him down by the river side teaching the younger boys or looking at maps of Nepal and India looking for a new challenge of untapped whitewater. He is famous for his kayaking, dancing and infectious personality.

Maila hopes to be in this industry for a long time yet and aims to raise the standards of rafting and kayaking in Nepal, especially when it comes to safety. Growing up in Nepal, Maila appreciates the hardship that many people face and as such wants to be able to offer opportunities to other Nepali’s and has many ideas of ways to help local villagers.

There’s no doubt about it, Maila is an incredible river guide, a superhuman kayaker and a great guy.  Maybe you'll see him in the Olympics 2012!

' The reason I come back to Nepal year after year is not just for the rivers and mountains, it's for the people. I have made so many great friends over there. People like Maila have become my family. He is one of my Nepali Brothers. He is fun, dynamic and a real character of the kayak / raft industry. He is always smiling and having a good day... this only makes for great and memorable times on the river.' - Pete Astles, Peak UK

Enjoying the journey.