The India Kayak Road Trip - The Umtrew

As the monsoon drew to an end in Meghalaya, the team headed for another first descent. Plummeting north off the Shillong plateau, the Umtrew promised big, clean rapids in a remote jungle, and it absolutely delivered!

A short drive from Shillong and we arrived at the entry point of the Nongkhyllem wildlife sanctuary. A short but sharp discussion with officials was quickly resolved with a phone call from Shillong as we managed to convince them that we were indeed supposed to be there and also had the correct permits, whatever they may have been.

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/111602530]

One of many beautiful rapids surrounded by dense jungle, with rumours of wild elephants to keep us on our toes.

The descent was not without excitement, high water levels produced many challenging rapids and the group faced multiple swims and a broken set of paddles.

A welcome stop in a small village on the second day gave us rest from the sun and a spot of lunch.

Overall the Umtrew was a fantastic river trip, a new classic to add to the growing list in Meghalaya. With the proximity to Shillong, there’s only question, why had we not been on this run before?