Adventure Sports

Rock Climbing :

If you want a cliff hanger experience in Nepal, the Kathmandu valley perimeter offers some hair-raising spots. There are some terrific, dizzying places for those who get their kicks from crawling up vertical cliffs. If you are not making it to some of the kingdom's high peaks, here's another opportunity to get a high. Of late, rock climbing has found increasing popularity among the tourists coming into Nepal as well as for local enthusiasts, Trekking agencies too have jumped into the bandwagon and some of them now offer the rock climbing experience.


Most of the spots are situated to the north and northwest of the valley, in the vicinity of the Nagarjuna forest and the Shiva puri watershed and wildlife reserve. Your rock climbing trip can therefore be combined with bird watching, game watching and experiencing some of the last of the valley's wilds. Nagarjuna is a verdant hill located to the northwest of the Swayambhu Stupa and believed to be the place where the famous Buddhist philosopher.


Nagarjuna meditated.
The cliff here is located inside the Nagarjuna forest reserve suitable for both beginners and wall rats. The limestone rock face is about 12-15 m high and bears the remnants of earlier climbs. what purists would describe as "piton scarred " or a defaced face. You could always do a free climb if experienced enough or use the friendlier chocks.

Paragliding :

Paragliding is a relatively new adventure sport in Nepal, and little information is available in tourist guidebooks. 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.


The last three years have seen the activity flourish in Pokhara, and it now is an internationally recognized destination for free-flight enthusiasts.


BEST TIME TO FLY
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 topography and climate of Nepal also make it an ideal destination for all levels of pilots- subtropical conditions provide plenty of thermals and combined with the long valleys common in Nepal, they produce perfect 'cloud streets' ideal for Para gliders, inviting them to fly along this "sky highway". The local microclimate, controlled by the numerous lakes in the valley, is unique, which makes it even better for the glider.


The 98/99 season saw 88 out of 90 days flyable, while the 99/00 season went one better, when we were in the air 89 days out of 90. It would be hard to find anywhere else with such friendly and constant conditions.


The best months for flying are November, December and January. Cloud base varies between 2000m and 2700m. Come February the extremely short and hardly noticeable winter is over and the ground is very dry, the air hazy. Gone are the mild conditions of the previous 3 months. By March and April there is a mountain wind, coming off the big peaks and some days causes strong valley winds. Indeed you can windsurf in April on Phewa Taal, the biggest lake in the Pokhara valley. The heavy air is just waiting for the monsoon and the intermittent storms in April and May are only a forerunner for the spectacular break in the weather come early June.


WHERE DO WE FLY
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 Taal (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.


There are an abundance of other sites around the valley but all need to be walked up. With names such as Dikie Danda, Devi Falls, Poomdi and Matepani, all can be connected by air from Sarangkot.


Different types of flying deals-There are various deals for the paragliding enthusiast as well as those checking this sport out for the first time. There is a three-day introductory course for beginners, as well as tandem flights (where you fly with an instructor) for the inexperienced or less brave. At 6000 ft, you sit back in your seat as your qualified pilot takes you on an unforgettable journey. The take-off point for these flights is Sarankot (1592 m), which offers prime views of Phewa Taal and the mountains at sunrise and sunset (provided the skies are clear); the landing is by the lake.

Elephant Polo :

Nepal has number of adventure sports to enjoy. Elephant polo is one of the rare, adventures and only of it's kind in Nepal. The World Elephant Polo Association (WEPA) organizes an annual Elephant polo tournament in the airfield of Meghauli Chitwan, south west of Kathmandu and north of the Indian border.


The World Elephant Polo Association (WEPA) was established in 1982 having it's headquarter at the Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge in Chitwan, Nepal. WEPA has also established the governing rules for the Elephant Polo Tournament.


Somehow, Elephant polo is similar to the Horse polo but you can easily a bit difference. A fast (at times), exciting game, like polo but with elephants and longer sticks, this is quite possibly the biggest sport in the world.


The game is played by four players of each team on a marked pitch 140 x 70 meters, using a standard size polo ball and consists of two 10-minute chukkers of playing time, with an interval of 15 minutes. The whistle blown by the referee stops and starts play. The pitch is marked with a centre line, a circle with a radius of 15 meters in the centre of the field, and a semi-circle with a radius of 30 meters measured from the centre of the goal line at either end of the pitch. Elephants and ends are changed at half time.


Teams participate from all over the world including Scotland, Thailand, England and Hong Kong. The local favorites, the Tiger Tops Tuskers, also take a part. After the day's play all the players and guests have dinner in the Golghar, a traditional round house with a great bar.
Elephant Polo in Nepal runs between last week of November – 1st week of December.

Bungee Jumping  :

Bungee jumping is an activity in which a person jumps off from a high place (generally of several hundred feet/meters) with one end of an elastic cord attached to his/her body or ankles and the other end tied to the jumping-off point. When the person jumps, the cord will stretch to take up the energy of the fall, then the jumper will fly upwards as the cord snaps back. The jumper oscillates up and down until the initial energy of the jump is dissipated.

 

Ultimate Bungee offers a 500-foot jump over a tropical gorge in the Himalayas of Nepal along the Tibetan border. The Bhote Koshi, one of Nepal's wildest rivers, rages below the steel suspension bridge that was specially designed for bungee jumping. The Swiss design can hold up to 4.5 tons of weight and is 545 feet wide, so there's no need to worry about your safety (at least not before jumping...) On top of it all, the dense jungle and pristine forest surrounding the cliff top gorge offer a spectacular view, which many consider to be one of the most beautiful in the world.
 

BUNGY JUMPING if you thought bungy jumping was restricted to some places in Europe, New Zealand and America , it's time you got and update. The sport has finally found a natural home in the highest mountain range in the world. The ultimate thrill of a bungy jump can now be experienced in Nepal at perhaps the best site in the world.


Your jump can be arranged on arrival in Kathmandu. As of now, there is only one agency offering this sport. The jump, at 160m, was designed by one of New Zealand's leading bungy consultants, and is operated by some of the most experienced jump masters in the business. It's mishap-proof. The agency takes safety "very, very seriously".


Location :
Less than 3 hours outside Kathmandu by Ultimate Bungy Shuttle. You will travel the Arniko (Kathmandu/Lhasa) Highway to within 12km of the Tibet Border and the famous Friendship Bridge.


The Gorge :
Ultimate Bungy Nepal takes place on a 166m wide steel suspension bridge over the Bhoti Kosi River.


The Bridge :
Swiss designed, specially for bungy jumping with a 4x safety factor. The bridge has a loading factor of 250kg per running meter. This means that the bridge will hold 250 x 166 = 41,500kg or 4.5 tones. And those are Swiss measurements! * Over 6000 meters of steel wire was used to build the bridge * Longest suspension bridge in Nepal * the bridge joins two sides of a great valley. Before its construction, locals walked five hours to cross this river gorge.

Anyone who wants to take a taste of bungee jumping should not have any of the health problems mentioned below:

* Heart disease

* Epilepsy

* High blood pressure

* Pregnancy

* Addiction to alcohol or drugs

* Orthopedic problems

* Psychological problems

* Neurological problems

Mountain Biking :

Nepal offers some of the finest bike trails on Earth! There are virtually millions of tracks out there. Some people have even started calling Nepal a "Mecca for Mountain biking." Until few years back, visitors came to Nepal mostly to trek, climb, and raft or to see the Tigers in the wild. Mountain biking in Nepal has been gaining much popularity among the adventure enthusiasts from around the world over the past few years. Fascinating mountain villages, nomadic lands, high passes, rugged and tough mountain terrain, winding rivers, rice fields, temples and monasteries as a backdrop of majestic snowy Himalayan peaks makes mountain biking trail in Nepal an exceptionally inspiring play ground for riders with any level of experience and fitness.

The best way to explore the Kathmandu Valley is on a mountain bike. Mountain biking offers an environmentally sound way of exploring the magnificent country, its landscape and the living heritage. Mountain biking is specially recommended if u wish to explore urban centers of Nepal such as Pokhara and Kathmandu as well as the countryside. This game is in advance for popularity because of the beauties of Himalayan ranges, terraces and the small settlements. One can bike in the ups and downs with the mountain range in the background.

We offer bike tours to Nepal, Tibet, Ladakh, Sikkim and Bhutan. Our tours are specially designed to take you deep into the culture and lifestyle of the local people and show you the best trails in the Himalayas, where most mountain bikers rarely get a chance to ride!

Mountain Biking routes in and around Kathmandu

1)  Some of the regular routes that cover the valley are those which weave in and out of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan.

Day 01: Kathmandu (24 km/ 3-4 hours): Start from the nerve center of old Kathmandu, the Durbar Square, and wind your way up to holy Swambhu, also known as the monkey temple. Then ride up and over ring road, to say, kakani, and re-enter Kathmandu from the Northwest corner through terraced farmland and hamlets abandoned by time.
 

Day 2: Bhaktapur (30 km/ 4-5 hours): Begin at Thimi, the restored capital of Bhaktapur, and head up the tortuous road to Changu Narayan Temple and return via farming villages. Then head down to Pashupati along the bank of the Bagmati River, and finish up at a Buddhist shrine, the Bodh-nath stupa.

Day 3: Patan (51 km/8-9 hours): Start in Patan, winding your way through the maze of alleys with ornately-carved windows, taking in historical sites such as the Golden Temple, Krishna Temple, and Patan Durbar Square. Then head southeast past Ring Road to Panauti along a difficult off-road trail. Then return to Kathmandu via a paved road or the same trail. Alternatively, you could head off to Dakshinkali or Godavari.
 

Other outlying places popular with the enthusiasts are Nagarjuna, Nage Gompa, Tokha, Ichangu Narayan, Gomcha, Bungmati, Kakani, Dhulikhel and Nagarkot.

2) Hyangla Namsari Tour: 5 day


Day 01: Kathmandu to Nagarkot (38 km) Ride starts early after breakfast from Kathmandu, you pass medieval town of Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur is an ancient city present full of Newari culture, many temples and squares. After exploring Bhaktapur you head northeast to Nagarkot on pitch road. We slowly climb 20km to Nagarkot passing steeply terraced rice fields and houses. When we reach on the top, if weather permit, we will be able to see the Himalayan range of Langtang and Khumbu region. You stay overnight in hotel.

Day 02: Nagarkot - Namo Buddha- Dhulikhel (35 km) You eat breakfast with sunrise views over the Himalayas. After you ride downhill leaving Nagarkot top to Nala other Newari Village. On the way you pass some interesting villages of Chetri and Bharamans people and their daily lives on the fields. Then you leave for Dhulikhel on a dirt trail climbing and descending small hill before reaching the holy Buddhist site of Namo Buddha. According to legend it was here that Buddha, in a previous incarnation, fed his flesh to a hungry tigress as an offering. A stone statue marks the site; there is an active monastery on top of the hill. You follow the picturesque view along tarmac and dirt roads back to Dhulikhel. You spend a night at Dhulikhel. Enjoy sunrise in the morning.

Day 03: Namo Buddha to Pauwa - Timal Danda (36 km) After breakfast trip begin to famous Timal Danda, where lives majority of Tamang people. First part of the riding up to Bhakunde Besi is fine pitched road. From there you start up hill with full of dust road up to Timalcot. From top of the Timal Danda you will see fantastic views of Himalyan range and Sun koshi river valley to north and south to Mahabharat range. Once you are on top the trip follows will small up and downs and passes many Tamang village up to Pawa.


Day 04: Pauwa to Dhulikhel (37 km) Ride starts after breakfast with Himalayan views on the north side. Return same trial up to Timalkot. From Timalcot will take a fantastic downhill dust road to Panchal valley. You cross a small river called Ghue Khola and follow the small track of Valley up to Tinpiple of Tamaghat. You continue upto Dhulikhel. You stay overnight at hotel in Dhulikhel.

Day 05: Dhulukhel to Kathmandu via Lubhu Sisneri (33 km) Final day of ride passing ancient city of Panauti. This is less known town rarely visited by tourists. Indreswor Mahadev Temple in Panauti is the oldest surviving temple in Nepal, believed to be constructed in 1294A.D. Climbing west; you follow small track along the Roshi River. Beyond the town of Madhuban, you enter into a narrow pristine valley ascending 300m on superb trail to reach the summit of Lakhuri Bhanjyang. This is probably the oldest route east out of Kathmandu Valley, connecting the ancient cities of the valley with Panauti. The ethnicity of the people change as you descend from Tamangs, Thakuries and Chhetris to lowland Newari farmers. You then cycle the last part of our journey from Sisneri to Kathmandu city with short visit to Patan Durbar Square.