A Road, and River, Less Taken

Sheri McDonald’s most memorable white-water rafting trip began with a propeller-plane ride from Katmandu to Surkhet, Nepal, “with a couple of guys and their chickens,” a ride “to the end of the road on a commandeered bus,” and a seven-day hike to the Bheri River.

McDonald will narrate a slide show about her amazing 1989 trip to Nepal Tuesday night at a meeting of an Orange County Sierra Club group.

An avid white-water rafter from Brea, McDonald was part of an eight-person group--four Americans and four Nepalese--making the first rafting run down the Bheri.

At the time, this part of western Nepal was not on typical trekking routes and McDonald’s group got special permission from the Nepalese government to test whether the Bheri would be a good river for commercial rafting expeditions.

McDonald said the scenery was amazing and the rapids were a manageable Class IV, but the trip--33 days total, 17 1/2 on the water--was too long to be commercially feasible. Since then shorter trips on the Bheri have been set up by outfitters.

But some of McDonald’s favorite moments came during the long trek to the river. There was no wheeled traffic on the trail, which is on an ancient trade route between India and Pakistan, worn down three feet by centuries of foot traffic.

“I had the feeling,” McDonald said, “that Marco Polo walked on that route.”

The free slide show will start at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian/Universalist Church of South County at 25801 Obrero Dr. in Mission Viejo. For more information: (949) 661-9505.

Beach Spikes

The Amateur Volleyball Assn. California Crown Series is holding a beach volleyball tournament for players of all abilities Saturday south of Huntington Beach Pier.

The fee is $50 per two-person team for men’s and women’s open divisions, $40 for lower-level adult divisions and $20 for youth divisions if you preregister by today by calling (310) 395-5097. There is a $10 late fee for adult teams that register Saturday morning.

Registration starts at 8 a.m.; play starts at 9.

The AVA is also holding a four-person grass volleyball tournament Sunday at Del Amo and Dolphin parks in Carson. Details: (562) 985-1124 or https://grasstourneys.iwarp.com

Lopez’s Big Break

Cory Lopez won his first Assn. of Surfing Professionals World Championship Tour event Tuesday, defeating C.J. Hobgood in the final of the Billabong Pro Teahupoo in Tahiti.

Lopez, a 24-year-old who splits time between San Clemente and his hometown of Indian Rocks Beach, Fla., trailed early in the final at Teahupoo’s powerful reef break, before rallying with three consecutive high-scoring waves. He earned $30,000 and moved into first place in the WCT ratings.

Noteworthy

Corky Carroll, Robert August and other surfing legends will appear from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Huntington Surf and Sport at the corner of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach. The surfers will sign autographs and hang out with fans, and a custom-shaped Robert August surfboard will be raffled off at 1.

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