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Paragliding in Nepal:
Nepal forms a rectangle on the southern slopes of
the Himalaya and is without exception, the most stunning
country imaginable. The main area for paragliding
is the Pokhara valley, commanding views of 3 of the
worlds 8000m peaks with friendly and constant conditions
for your paragliding holiday.
Paragliding Sites:
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 150km east.
Sarangkot Ridge:
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 2000ft 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.
Sarangkot Takeoff:
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.
The Green Wall and Dickie Danda:
This is a spectacular site, with everything that makes
flying in Nepal so awesome. A sheer jungle covered
mountain over 2700m. Home to an abundance of wildlife
and waterfalls. You can cruise along, scaring troops
of monkeys screaming at you from their tree only inches
from your wing tip, or ride the face and fly through
the spray of a 300ft waterfall. It is also the start
for the best XC flights in the area.
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. 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.
Perfect XC day:
The best XC months are February and March, when cloudbase
is highest and the mild conditions of the previous
3 months pick up.
This data had been compiled over 10 years of living
and flying in the Annapurna region of Nepal. The flying
figures are based on daily records for Sarangkot,
Pokhara. |
