LB Thapa
The valley of Pokhara is endowed with a rich stock of natural beauty. High hills, craggy mountains, cascaded fields and the Seti River meandering through the heart of Pokhara make the valley one of the beautiful places in the world. It is one of the suitable places to enjoy holidays for tourists. There is hardly any place in the world that can stand parallel to Mt. Fishtail and Annapurna ranges at the backdrop of Fewa Lake. Great scholars like Japanese Buddhist monk, Ekai Kawaguchi and Dr. Toni Hagen, a Swiss geographer, have highlighted Pokhara in their famous books.
Famous writers and poets have also been inspired from the mesmerizing natural beauty of the valley. Internationally acclaimed Indian born Nepali poet Yuyutsu RD Sharma has recently come out with his masterpiece Annapurna Poems. He has dedicated his poems to Lake Fewa.
The valley is replete with the stock of exotic beauty often regarded pristine and unique. Whether it is arduous trekking or just watching morning sunrise or boating in the aquamarine waters in Fewa Lake, all funs and pleasures are here. There is still one more thing that pulls scores of visitors to Pokhara from all over the world. And it is paragliding.
Paragliding
Over the last one decade, adventure tourism has become extremely popular among the daring tourists in Pokhara. Paragliding can offer unlimited thrills and excitement in the sky for the daring people who expect more excitement and fun. The Pokhara hills are considered to be one of the best places in the world for paragliding. The experience of paragliding over Fewa Lake and nearby mountains is truly wonderful for the adventure seekers.
An ideal peak is the first requirement for paragliding. There are some good hills like Sarangkot, Torepani and Armala but Sarangkot hill (1500m) is preferred more by the adventure seekers. While flying from the Sarangkot hill, one can have a wonderful scenic beauty scattered around. High hills, forest, temples, monasteries, majestic Mt. Fishtail and above all the impressive Fewa Lake are few to name which leave a profound impact on all paragliders. Of course, paragliding flight is a journey through nature where thrill and excitement are assured.
Surendra Gurung, marketing in-charge at Frontiers Paragliding, said, "We conduct two kinds of paragliding, one is of 30 minutes and another is of 60 minutes. These flights are conducted under the supervision of trained pilots. When the sky is clear and bit of cirrus amble idly through mountains, we reach onto the top of Sarangkot and get prepared for the flight. A 30-minute flight is conducted around the Sarangkot hill, Hyangja monastery, Fedi and around the Fewa Lake. Short flight is more popular among the adventure seekers as it comes at an affordable price while long flight is a bit expensive. A 60-minute flight takes paragliders high up in the sky and farther as well. Paragliders fly over Tibetan refugee camp, Fedi, Pumdi Bhumdi, Kaskikot, around Mt. Fishtail, world Peace Pagoda and Fewa Lake".
Paragliding has come under the scrutiny of Civil Aviation Authority Pokhara (CAA). The CAA strictly monitors the flying activities of Sunrise Paragliding, Blue Sky Paragliding and Frontiers Paragliding. The CAA has also maintained some code of conducts that all paragliding companies must honor sincerely.
History
Frontiers Paragliding came into being only in 2007 but its popularity has soared up dramatically. To a large extent its credit goes to internationally acclaimed paragliders Jamie Messenger and Adam Hill, both Britons.
Adam Hill is a more popular name in Pokhara. He is one of the pioneers to introduce paragliding to Pokhara. His unflinching service and dedication to popularize paragliding in Pokhara is praiseworthy indeed.
Rajesh Bomjan is another name in Pokhara whose name is synonym with paragliding. His unassuming effort to popularize paragliding in Pokhara is outstanding. Without doubt he is Nepal’s first professional paraglider. Biru Bomjan along with Nabhiyo Elier set up Sunrise Paragliding in 1992. Rajesh succeeded his father Biru Bomjan and now he rules the roost.
Rajesh’s persistent hard work has made paragliding a popular adventure sport in Pokhara. He is no doubt immensely satisfied with the development of paragliding in Pokhara. Yet he has some grudges to share with. "Over the years, paragliding has been successful to carve a niche as the most thrilling airborne sports. As a result, many tourists across the world rush to Nepal for paragliding. But unfortunately even after having spent over one decade, the government has not paid adequate attention for the promotion and development of paragliding in the country. There is no separate rule or policy to govern paragliding activities. Speaking frankly the government has completely neglected paragliding sector. This is absolutely heartrending for people like us who are associated with this business by leaving every thing behind".
Though there are some problems in running paragliding business, yet we can hope the business will have rosy days ahead.
Championship
Jamie Messenger, a British national, lifted this year’s Nepal 10th Open Paragliding Championship-2009 beating his friend and also a strong contender Adam Hill. The competition was fierce as there were 75 participants from 25 countries. Among them 41 participants were from Nepal. Nine lady paragliders did also participate in the competition this time. Most of the foreign paragliders were French and British. The competition was held in two categories acrobatic and cross-country. In cross-country the paragliders had to cover 40-50km distance. In acrobatic category the Para gliders had to show difficult stunts in the sky. At the end of the competition, all competitors had to land on a particular spot. Successful spot landing does fetch good score.
Sharing his experience Jamie Messenger said, "The competition was extremely tough as there were many accomplished paragliders from all over the world. However, I was confident about my success. I was bit scared of my fellow contender Adam Hill, he is a very talented paraglider. Beating him in any competition is by no means an easy task at all"
Messenger spoke at length about the weather condition necessary for the paragliding. "High hills are not enough for a successful paragliding flight. The movement of wind and its speed are equally very important. However, paragliding in competition is fast, crazy and forceful".
Messenger is surely a tough paraglider. He has so far covered amazingly long distances with the help of his paraglide. Flying with his paraglider he has covered 80km in Pokhara, 110km in the UK, 160km in the USA and 502km in South Africa. These figures speak the volume of his exceptional ability in paragliding.
Parahawking
Parahawking has added a new dimension in Pokhara’s paragliding. More tourists prefer to have a rare experience of parahawking. In parahawking, some birds of prey are trained to fly with paragliders. The parahawking concept was first conceived and developed in Pokhara and was brought into practice in 2001.
These birds are trained to fly side by side with the paragliders. And intermittently these birds entertain the paragliders with their natural acrobatics. The birds fly high up in the sky and guide the way through fluttering clouds. These ferocious looking mighty birds also perch smoothly on hand whenever called by the pilot. The passengers, sitting front, can caress them and the next moment they disappear into the patches of thick clouds and pop up from nowhere, leaving you keep on guessing all the time.
Normally a paragliding flight is conducted in tandem. The only passenger sits in front of the pilot. The pilot handles paraglider sitting behind the passenger. Only professional pilots with internationally recognized license can fly the paraglider. The license is duly verified by the authority at the Pokhara Airport and a certificate is awarded.
Nepal Air Sports Association (NASA) has been formed with a purpose to regulate airborne adventurous sports in Pokhara. The NASA makes rules and policies that help in maintaining healthy competition and avoid confrontation among the paragliding companies.
Life span of a paraglider is short, say three years. But it can be repaired so that its life can be lengthened. Senior paragliders can do necessary repairing work. Serge Benote, a senior French paraglider is popular for repairing the damaged paraglider. Most of the paragliders are imported from Brazil and Europe. They are normally available in three sizes i.e. small, medium and large. It is the weight of the pilot and passenger that determines the size of paragliders to be used for the flight.
Ms. Sotedad Onqeira, an adventure loving young girl looked extremely delighted after her memorable flight with Jamie messenger. "It was truly a memorable adventure that I can never forget the rest of my life. I flew up in the sky and bellow was all nature’s wonder. I have no words to explain how things look amazing from a height. Well, Jamie tried to scare me with his acrobatics, but I was a tough girl. I rather enjoyed the acrobatics instead…Because I knew I was in the safest hands," said Argentinean lass with a flicker of smile across her face.
Paul Patterson was another happy man indeed. When asked about his paragliding experience, he said upright, "I had great time flying with Scott and his bird Kevin. After having reached to Pokhara I fell sick for two days. After the recovery, I felt to lift up my sinking soul. And of course nothing else could be better than paragliding. Flying with a birds of prey was truly an enthralling experience that I had never had in my life. Taking benefit of thermal we soared up in the sky and below were the treasure-trove. I have preserved the experience to share with my family and friends back in Canada.
(This article was published in The Rising Nepal)
The valley of Pokhara is endowed with a rich stock of natural beauty. High hills, craggy mountains, cascaded fields and the Seti River meandering through the heart of Pokhara make the valley one of the beautiful places in the world. It is one of the suitable places to enjoy holidays for tourists. There is hardly any place in the world that can stand parallel to Mt. Fishtail and Annapurna ranges at the backdrop of Fewa Lake. Great scholars like Japanese Buddhist monk, Ekai Kawaguchi and Dr. Toni Hagen, a Swiss geographer, have highlighted Pokhara in their famous books.
Famous writers and poets have also been inspired from the mesmerizing natural beauty of the valley. Internationally acclaimed Indian born Nepali poet Yuyutsu RD Sharma has recently come out with his masterpiece Annapurna Poems. He has dedicated his poems to Lake Fewa.
The valley is replete with the stock of exotic beauty often regarded pristine and unique. Whether it is arduous trekking or just watching morning sunrise or boating in the aquamarine waters in Fewa Lake, all funs and pleasures are here. There is still one more thing that pulls scores of visitors to Pokhara from all over the world. And it is paragliding.
Paragliding
Over the last one decade, adventure tourism has become extremely popular among the daring tourists in Pokhara. Paragliding can offer unlimited thrills and excitement in the sky for the daring people who expect more excitement and fun. The Pokhara hills are considered to be one of the best places in the world for paragliding. The experience of paragliding over Fewa Lake and nearby mountains is truly wonderful for the adventure seekers.
An ideal peak is the first requirement for paragliding. There are some good hills like Sarangkot, Torepani and Armala but Sarangkot hill (1500m) is preferred more by the adventure seekers. While flying from the Sarangkot hill, one can have a wonderful scenic beauty scattered around. High hills, forest, temples, monasteries, majestic Mt. Fishtail and above all the impressive Fewa Lake are few to name which leave a profound impact on all paragliders. Of course, paragliding flight is a journey through nature where thrill and excitement are assured.
Surendra Gurung, marketing in-charge at Frontiers Paragliding, said, "We conduct two kinds of paragliding, one is of 30 minutes and another is of 60 minutes. These flights are conducted under the supervision of trained pilots. When the sky is clear and bit of cirrus amble idly through mountains, we reach onto the top of Sarangkot and get prepared for the flight. A 30-minute flight is conducted around the Sarangkot hill, Hyangja monastery, Fedi and around the Fewa Lake. Short flight is more popular among the adventure seekers as it comes at an affordable price while long flight is a bit expensive. A 60-minute flight takes paragliders high up in the sky and farther as well. Paragliders fly over Tibetan refugee camp, Fedi, Pumdi Bhumdi, Kaskikot, around Mt. Fishtail, world Peace Pagoda and Fewa Lake".
Paragliding has come under the scrutiny of Civil Aviation Authority Pokhara (CAA). The CAA strictly monitors the flying activities of Sunrise Paragliding, Blue Sky Paragliding and Frontiers Paragliding. The CAA has also maintained some code of conducts that all paragliding companies must honor sincerely.
History
Frontiers Paragliding came into being only in 2007 but its popularity has soared up dramatically. To a large extent its credit goes to internationally acclaimed paragliders Jamie Messenger and Adam Hill, both Britons.
Adam Hill is a more popular name in Pokhara. He is one of the pioneers to introduce paragliding to Pokhara. His unflinching service and dedication to popularize paragliding in Pokhara is praiseworthy indeed.
Rajesh Bomjan is another name in Pokhara whose name is synonym with paragliding. His unassuming effort to popularize paragliding in Pokhara is outstanding. Without doubt he is Nepal’s first professional paraglider. Biru Bomjan along with Nabhiyo Elier set up Sunrise Paragliding in 1992. Rajesh succeeded his father Biru Bomjan and now he rules the roost.
Rajesh’s persistent hard work has made paragliding a popular adventure sport in Pokhara. He is no doubt immensely satisfied with the development of paragliding in Pokhara. Yet he has some grudges to share with. "Over the years, paragliding has been successful to carve a niche as the most thrilling airborne sports. As a result, many tourists across the world rush to Nepal for paragliding. But unfortunately even after having spent over one decade, the government has not paid adequate attention for the promotion and development of paragliding in the country. There is no separate rule or policy to govern paragliding activities. Speaking frankly the government has completely neglected paragliding sector. This is absolutely heartrending for people like us who are associated with this business by leaving every thing behind".
Though there are some problems in running paragliding business, yet we can hope the business will have rosy days ahead.
Championship
Jamie Messenger, a British national, lifted this year’s Nepal 10th Open Paragliding Championship-2009 beating his friend and also a strong contender Adam Hill. The competition was fierce as there were 75 participants from 25 countries. Among them 41 participants were from Nepal. Nine lady paragliders did also participate in the competition this time. Most of the foreign paragliders were French and British. The competition was held in two categories acrobatic and cross-country. In cross-country the paragliders had to cover 40-50km distance. In acrobatic category the Para gliders had to show difficult stunts in the sky. At the end of the competition, all competitors had to land on a particular spot. Successful spot landing does fetch good score.
Sharing his experience Jamie Messenger said, "The competition was extremely tough as there were many accomplished paragliders from all over the world. However, I was confident about my success. I was bit scared of my fellow contender Adam Hill, he is a very talented paraglider. Beating him in any competition is by no means an easy task at all"
Messenger spoke at length about the weather condition necessary for the paragliding. "High hills are not enough for a successful paragliding flight. The movement of wind and its speed are equally very important. However, paragliding in competition is fast, crazy and forceful".
Messenger is surely a tough paraglider. He has so far covered amazingly long distances with the help of his paraglide. Flying with his paraglider he has covered 80km in Pokhara, 110km in the UK, 160km in the USA and 502km in South Africa. These figures speak the volume of his exceptional ability in paragliding.
Parahawking
Parahawking has added a new dimension in Pokhara’s paragliding. More tourists prefer to have a rare experience of parahawking. In parahawking, some birds of prey are trained to fly with paragliders. The parahawking concept was first conceived and developed in Pokhara and was brought into practice in 2001.
These birds are trained to fly side by side with the paragliders. And intermittently these birds entertain the paragliders with their natural acrobatics. The birds fly high up in the sky and guide the way through fluttering clouds. These ferocious looking mighty birds also perch smoothly on hand whenever called by the pilot. The passengers, sitting front, can caress them and the next moment they disappear into the patches of thick clouds and pop up from nowhere, leaving you keep on guessing all the time.
Normally a paragliding flight is conducted in tandem. The only passenger sits in front of the pilot. The pilot handles paraglider sitting behind the passenger. Only professional pilots with internationally recognized license can fly the paraglider. The license is duly verified by the authority at the Pokhara Airport and a certificate is awarded.
Nepal Air Sports Association (NASA) has been formed with a purpose to regulate airborne adventurous sports in Pokhara. The NASA makes rules and policies that help in maintaining healthy competition and avoid confrontation among the paragliding companies.
Life span of a paraglider is short, say three years. But it can be repaired so that its life can be lengthened. Senior paragliders can do necessary repairing work. Serge Benote, a senior French paraglider is popular for repairing the damaged paraglider. Most of the paragliders are imported from Brazil and Europe. They are normally available in three sizes i.e. small, medium and large. It is the weight of the pilot and passenger that determines the size of paragliders to be used for the flight.
Ms. Sotedad Onqeira, an adventure loving young girl looked extremely delighted after her memorable flight with Jamie messenger. "It was truly a memorable adventure that I can never forget the rest of my life. I flew up in the sky and bellow was all nature’s wonder. I have no words to explain how things look amazing from a height. Well, Jamie tried to scare me with his acrobatics, but I was a tough girl. I rather enjoyed the acrobatics instead…Because I knew I was in the safest hands," said Argentinean lass with a flicker of smile across her face.
Paul Patterson was another happy man indeed. When asked about his paragliding experience, he said upright, "I had great time flying with Scott and his bird Kevin. After having reached to Pokhara I fell sick for two days. After the recovery, I felt to lift up my sinking soul. And of course nothing else could be better than paragliding. Flying with a birds of prey was truly an enthralling experience that I had never had in my life. Taking benefit of thermal we soared up in the sky and below were the treasure-trove. I have preserved the experience to share with my family and friends back in Canada.
(This article was published in The Rising Nepal)
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