They boys on the Kumey.
Central Arunachal Pradesh holds two rivers that feel like sisters in both folklore and force, the Kurung and the Kumey, cutting through remote jungle valleys and steep Himalayan foothills where access has long been as demanding as the whitewater itself. Shalabh Gahlaut, a pioneer in river expeditions in India, tells us about nearly two decades spent exploring these rivers, from early exploratory descents on the Kurung to a recent run down the Kumey.
I reached the Kurung River in Central Arunachal Pradesh, eastern India, way back in 2003 with the first all-Indian kayak team to explore the remote jungles and valleys of Arunachal Pradesh. It was a rough introduction to exploratory kayaking. We spent days hiking through steep jungle, surviving on potatoes with sugar and ginger, bartered for supplies, split into teams, and even fabricated a bamboo flip-flop paddle to replace the split paddle we didn’t have.
I went back to explore Arunachal many times after that 2003 trip, but usually with a team of international paddlers: Mikey and Allan, and sometimes Benji and Andi. That made sense to me. These guys were among the top expedition paddlers in the world, true heroes and the best paddling company I could ask for. My original team from 2003 had no desire to return to the unexplored jungle rivers of Arunachal Pradesh, for understandable reasons. Sometimes exploration takes a toll on team dynamics.
The Kumey and Kurung rivers are sisters in Nyishi folklore. Kumey was obedient and calm, and married the husband her parents chose. Kurung, however, was free-spirited and strong-hearted. She ran away, and her father threw ash at her, turning her color slightly gray and her current swifter than the clear, gentle waters of her sister, the Kumey.
The legends and stories of the Nyishi people intertwine the geography and ecology of these lands and rivers with ancient wisdom and a cultural legacy from far back in time.
The mountains leaned in and stood tall to witness Kumey going to her wedding, creating a deep gorge just before the confluence. Kurung was running away, and the mountains did not carve a deep gorge for her continuous whitewater. Legends offer useful pointers for exploratory kayaking and certainly make a trip feel more complete. There is always much more to look forward to than the rapids alone.
« The Kumey and Kurung rivers are sisters in Nyishi folklore. »
Back in 2003, after our descent of the Kurung, we had no desire to explore the Kumey, which had no road access to Tali and other strange places marked on the map. The road reached as far as Damen only during the coronavirus years, in 2020. A few rafting trips with fishermen and local teams ran sections of the river from Parsiparlo, and the Russians had an ill-fated trip in bubliks in 2023. No kayakers had ventured into the Kumey Valley until 2026.
Arjun, Shalabh, Manish and Daman.
By 2026, things had changed considerably in India. The boats were the latest designs, the gear complete and gleaming, but the biggest change was the new generation of whitewater kayakers coming through the ranks. Better still, roads had finally pushed high into the Kumey Valley. The river remained unkayaked, but access was no longer the obstacle it once was. It was time for an Indian team to return to exploration.
Arjun Sagoi, Daman Singh, and Manish Singh Rawat are all solid paddlers, dear friends, and almost 25 years younger than me. We went back to settle an account with the Kurung and explore the mysteries of the Kumey.
« The river remained unkayaked, but access was no longer the obstacle it once was. »
We started with a warm-up section on the Kurung from Sarli, gathered some beta on access into the Kumey Valley, and immediately headed east over a pass. The drive from the Kurung to the Kumey Valley was dreamy. What had once been just a place on the map was now right there in front of us. We had taken a shortcut straight into the head of the valley, and some proper exploratory kayaking awaited.
There is a steep, gorged section below the roadhead at Damin. I felt safest warming up on something less exposed than a Class V gorge, getting pictures and road support while the younger ones styled the section at record speed, with only one portage around a tree-jammed rapid. Friends we made in the village were all down at the takeout and campsite at Goa, beers, barbecue, smiles; and yes, this was the first time any kind of boaters had been up here on the stunning Kumey River.
The section from below the gorge at Goa to Parsiparlo is roadside and easygoing, according to both legends and locals. At Parsiparlo, the Kumey meets two creeks, the Parsi and the Parlo. The spot is known for its Mahseer fishing and marks the end of the road along the river.
The Kumey River runs with a fairly flat gradient over most of its course; it has to lose that altitude somewhere, and that happens on the second day below Parsi Parlo. We slept just where the steeper section began and were treated to ten kilometers of continuous, steep, powerful rapids stacked in a line. The last rapid opened into a stunning green gorge. Big fish were jumping clear of the water; we were awestruck and felt fortunate to have made it down without incident. The steep section of the river carried a distinct geology, with sulfur signaling a fault line, the bowels of the earth scoured by the Kumey.
After the Kumey, we planned a quick return to the Kurung, to the same section that had beaten us in 2003.
« We slept just where the steeper section began and were treated to ten kilometers of continuous, steep, powerful rapids stacked in a line. »
The put-in on the lower Kurung section had easy access, and we found ourselves sleeping in an abandoned school, ready to get on the river early the next morning. True to the legends, the Kurung was moving downstream in a hurry, and we were on a mission to make the descent in two days. The lower Kurung has no road access, just jungle and rapid after rapid for about fifty kilometers. The boulders feel made for this river, supersized and smooth, shaped by long water and pressure. There are no signs of dam projects on the Kurung, but a large dam is in the early stages on the Kumey just above the confluence with the Kurung at Pachum.
The Kurung has two steep days of paddling from Sarli to Koloriang, followed by a 40-kilometer easier section down to just above Palin. The last 60 kilometers are Class IV and V, with a vast amount of big boulders. Campsites are rare on the Kurung, while the Kumey was blessed with long, flat riverside camps.
It did take almost forever to know these two rivers completely, but luckily they are intact and promise to remain among the most special places for many years to come.
Words: Shalabh Gahlaut
If you want to get more information or book yourself a trip with that team,
Alaknanda Whitewater, visit their website.
