By Pinaki Roy

There has been a surge of extreme sports in the Himalayan Kingdom in recent years. Along with the developments in the tourism sector, the recreation industry has also benefitted by luring an increasing number of foreign tourists, urban youth and others for a number of exciting adventure sports. 

Nepal is largely seen as a popular trekking destination. “Above 40 per cent of all tourists coming into Nepal go for trekking which is an integral part of tourism in Nepal,” says Mani Raj Lamichhane, Manager for Tourism Product & Resource Development at Nepal Tourism Board. He further adds that around 60-70 per cent of all foreign tourists opt for various extreme sports activities altogether. 

“Domestic tourism is doing well currently and Nepalis are participating in rafting activities in an enthusiastic manner,” analyses Nani Kaji Thapa, President of Nepal Association of Rafting Agents (NARA). As for foreigners, 20 per cent of all tourists coming to tour Nepal go for rafting to various destinations in the country, he adds. 

Manish Byanjankar, Sales Executive of The Last Resort says, “Besides the foreign tourists, Nepalis too have started taking part actively in adventure sports, particularly during the off season.” Most Nepalis indulge in adventure sports during their holidays and free time.

Ideal Season

“Summer is an ideal time for adventure sports activities in Nepal,” informs Lamichhane. He adds, “Besides the usual foreign tourists who come to Nepal for adventure activities, the Nepali people are also participating in high numbers.” 

The time period from Falgun (February – March) to Jestha (May – June), just before monsoon, is the ideal time for people to go rafting, says Thapa. “Nepalis contribute 5-10 per cent of all tourists who take part in rafting activities,” he adds. Another ideal time for rafting starts right after the monsoon period, from September to November.  

Target Group

Adventure Sports has mostly been associated with young people in the age group of 20-25 years. However, there is a surge in people in the age group of 30-40 years taking to extreme sports in an enthusiastic manner. “The entire thinking of the mature populace has changed. They want to enjoy these activities and make up for the experiences they missed during their youth,” observes Byanjankar.

Marketing Adventure Products

Lamichhane says that Nepal Tourism Board markets adventure activities abroad while holding exhibitions and seminars in different countries. “Extreme sports are popular with tourists around the world and we look to cash in on this while marketing Nepal as a tourist destination in foreign countries,” he explains. 

One of the most prominent providers of some of these activities is The Last Resort, located on top of a gorge in the mountainous region of Panglang close to the Tibetan border. “Besides individual tourists, we see a lot of corporate houses sending their employees these days, notably for team building exercises,” informs Byanjankar. 

He adds, “The group activities that the corporate houses mostly seek are hiking, high ropes, canyoning and rafting.” These activities are popular for team building exercises because they require participation from all group members to accomplish tasks and thus inculcate team value in them. 

“There has been a gradual rise in the participation of these sports as people now are starting to go out of the house more often and have fun,” an employee with Initiatives Outdoor states. She adds, “There is an increasing awareness regarding health which has led a lot of young people as well as working professionals to start challenging themselves for different adventure activities.”

“We send our top performing agents to adventure destinations once in a while. We do so to motivate them to do better in the future,” says an Insurance Executive. A lot of Nepali companies send employees for extreme sports packages to break the monotony that people feel at work.

Thapa says that most people prefer Trishuli River for rafting while Bhote Koshi River is the second most preferred destination for rafting. He also informs, “There is a total investment of Rs 2 billion in rafting activities and around 1,500 are employed with this sector.” 

The Nepali youth and the working professionals are getting more adventurous than ever before. This aspect is holding the extreme sports sector in good stead, say adventure sports entrepreneurs.

Adventure Sports Activities in Nepal

White-water Rafting 

With many rivers in the country, there are suitable choices for all levels, from fun rapids to hardcore rides. Nepal is famous for its long trips, such as a 12-day journey into the wilderness along the remote Karnali River. There are day trips along the Trishuli River as well as a wild ride along the monster rapids of Sun Koshi that begins near the Tibetan border. 

Paragliding 

Paragliding has carved a niche for itself in Nepal. There are a number of companies in Pokhara offering great views via a tandem paraglide flight. Silence is a sublime experience once up there over the Pokhara valley and in the midst of the mighty Annapurna range. 

Zip Flying

The world’s longest adventurous zip-flyer, located in Nepal, runs at a speed of 140 km per hour and two people can make a ride at once in two trolleys sitting side-by-side suspended by the cable in the middle. The journey in the zip-flyer starts from a height of 5032 ft in Sarangkot and ends at 3,000 ft in Hemja plain covering a distance of 1,860 meters in length.

Mountain Biking

The rural tracks in Nepal seem to be tailor-made for mountain biking. Mountain-bikers can tailor their routes combining cultural sites with mountain views on a mix of single tracks and jeep trails. One needs to be a fairly experienced rider with good fitness levels as mountain-biking across Nepal will have a lot of uphill sections.

Ultra-light Flying

Ultra-light Flying is a new era of recreational aviation in Nepal. Since its launch, scores of people have discovered the magic of this simple, elemental, pure flight. One can feel the wind in the face, observe clear, unobstructed views and explore the stunning landscapes, surrounded by a backdrop of lofty mountain peaks.

Bungy Jumping

This leap of faith has already become a growing and immensely popular adventure sport in Nepal’s tourism scenario. The Last Resort facilitates the bungy jump from high above the Bhote Koshi River from a 500 ft suspension bridge nestled between the mountains. Bungy Jumping has become extremely popular among the foreign tourists as well as the Nepali nationals. 

Canyoning

This adventure sport involves abseiling, sliding, jumping and climbing down canyon walls alongside waterfalls to deep pools below. One gets to swim into narrow passages through powerful blasts of water and past wild rock formations. This unique combination of skills gives a person the freedom to explore some of the most ruggedly beautiful places.