Paragliding in Nepal

Ultimate Para Gliding in Pokhara is a relatively new adventure sport in Nepal. Paragliding in this Himalayan country can be a truly wonderful and fulfilling experience for the adventure-seekers. You can experience unparalleled scenic grandeur as you share airspace with Himalayan griffin vultures, eagles, kites, while floating over villages, monasteries, temples, lakes and jungles, with a fantastic view of the majestic Himalayas.







Gliding is a weather dependent sport and the flying season in Nepal commences from November through February, the best months being November and December. By virtue of its latitude and monsoonal climate, the tree line in Nepal is at an incredible 3,900 m above sea level. With conditions milder than summer alpine, these are excellent and constant atmospherics.







The main area for flying in Nepal is the Annapurna region, more specifically the Pokhara valley. This lakeside town is Nepal's second "city", nestled at the foot of the Annapurna Himal, the views commanded from here, of 3 of the worlds 8000m peaks, are unsurpassed. At an altitude of 800m ASL the subtropical climate means that, year round, it is short and T-shirt weather. The micro-climate of the valley makes it an ideal area for flying, with far more constant conditions than the Kathmandu valley 150 km east.




There are several sites around Phew Tal (the lake) but the most accessible is Sarangkot (1500m ASL). A view point 700m above Pokhara, it is unique in that it has a road running to the top. A short walk brings you to the only purpose built take off in the country. Cut out of the slope is a 45m by 45m clearing. With regular cycles providing easy reverse launches, you could not ask for a more picturesque site. With the lake 2000 ft below, the mountains behind, and the unlimited potential for XC and out and returns, this has quickly become the main site for the area, and many pilots have based themselves in Pokhara for the season, flying from this mountain alone.



Paragliding Conditions: 


It is the monsoonal climate that makes Nepal such a great place to fly. The high rainfall in the summer and the latitude of the country means that the tree line is at an incredible 3900m. With a subtropical climate there are no prevailing or valley winds, it is pure thermic flying, milder than late summer alpine conditions. Once the monsoon has left the conditions are seriously constant. Looking down on centuries of engineering Launching from Annapurna Base Camp.



SEASON
The season runs from early October until the beginning of May. The most popular months are November, December and January, because of the super consistent weather during this time. On average over the past 4 seasons these months have only had 3 out of 90 days non flyable. For the entire 2001-2002 season, we did not fly on 9 days out of 7.5 months!! This means you get to do a lot of flying.