DUDH KOSI: FIRST DESCENT OF RIVER OF EVEREST. 13,000' descent of whitewater. 52 minutes. Dudh Kosi - Relentless River of Everest: First Kayak Descent of the Dudh Kosi River and world altitude record in kayaking.
Winner of 12 major international film awards in 1976, including 'Best Film of Festival' at Banff.
The Khumbu Glacier, perched on the Himalayan slopes of Everest, melts at a height of 17,500 feet creating the source of the Dudh Kosi river. Dudh Kosi is the highest river in the world. It is the river of Everest. The film chronicles the ultimate kayaking adventure, 'a near kamikaze mission', as six Olympic-class kayakers, an all British team headed by Mike Jones and Mick Hopkinson, battle with white water at almost uncontrollable speeds through rocks, waterfalls, treacherous whirlpools and capsizes.
It is a story of teamwork, bravery, and true sportsmanship.Despite embarking in September at the worst point of the monsoon season, the expedition finds the source waters of the Dudh Kosi shallow, rocky and steep. The shallow water is a problem, but it is nothing when compared to the problems ahead - the river soon swells to a raging torrent, falling 13,000 feet in its first 50 miles. The kayakers need their highest level of concentration, and must be constantly alert.
They must take advantage of each stretch of calmer water as a relief from the muscle-straining struggle of negotiating a 30 pound kayak over 30 miles per hour waterfalls and through the notorious 'stoppers' where the water rushes back on the natural flow with overwhelming force. At this level the freezing water is a constant hazard; if the kayak capsizes survival time is measured in minutes. And scenes of boats being swept away and battered to pieces by the water are a stark reminder of the kayakers' ultimate stake in the adventure.Few adventures can equal 'The Dudh Kosi'. This film gives a graphic account of the thrills, spills and skills involved. The spectacular filming left nothing to the imagination.
