Kathmandu:

A dose of the thrill pill isn’t that bad after all. More than 250 Valley folk felt every iota of this truth as they rafted down the Trisuli river on May 19 in the ‘Downriver Blast’ organised by KTM Card in assoication with Lost Paddle Adventures.

The three-and-half-hour rafting from near Dhading pool to Royal Beach Camp, near Krishna Bhir, faced up to class three rapids. Plunging (of course with their life jackets) in the cold mountain waters to beat the sweltering noon heat and relishing the kicks of the rapids, the riders were all set to make the best of their time in the river.

A few moments of entertainment was also provided by a ‘courageous’ stripped-to-the-undergarments foreigner readying himself with the necessary poses to dive into the river from the middle of a jhulunge pool.

The riders also took the opportunity to be naughty by using their oars to splash muddy river waters on riders of other rafts. One such person seen to be really enjoying himself at it was well-known singer Kranti Ale.

“Yes, that was part of the fun,” he accepted laughingly.

Along with him, various other leading singers, film stars and sports personalities sprinkled stardust on the occasion.

“I was scared when the raft overturned, but I ended up enjoying the experience,” shared one Anju Shrestha whose boat had overturned at the ‘Tin Devi’ (Three Goddesses) rapids.

The programme came as part of KTM Card’s initiative to strengthen healthy relationship between the stars and fans. The event also saw the inception of a special fund pool set up to assist artistes in times of difficulty. Tee-shirts were put up on sale.

“Many good artistes in our country are not able to bring out their true potential due to various constraints. We intend to help them through this fund,” explained Deepak Bajracharya, founder of KTM Card.

The rafting was followed by a music party, which was enjoyed by all gathered.