Adrian's India trip began at the Megha Kayak Festival on the Umtrew River in Meghalaya — the perfect launchpad for a month of groundbreaking adventures. The journey then pushed deep into Arunachal Pradesh, one of India's most secluded regions for whitewater kayaking.
In Meghalaya, the mission was clear: kayak as much as possible and explore new rivers. The team tackled the Kopilli River and the renowned Kynshi River — where Adrian revisited a challenging six-meter waterfall that had previously bested him. This time he conquered it.
The highlight was the first descent of the Umiam River, made possible by coordinates from British kayakers Joe and Stan Rea-Dickens. Meticulous planning paid off — a perfect mix of rapids, waterfalls, and slides with minimal portaging.
In Arunachal Pradesh, monsoon season had swollen rivers to record levels, opening Brahmaputra tributaries that are usually dry. Several multi-day first descents followed through isolated valleys surrounded by alpine jungle. Paddle, eat, camp, sleep, repeat.
