March 29: Panauti, an ancient town, in Kavrepalanchowk district, is gaining popularity for adventure sports lately.    
Inauguration of rock climbing facility recently at Kushadevi in Panauti Municipality-2 has added a new destination in tourism, according to the tourism entrepreneurs.    
The new rock climbing facility lies nine kilometres westward from Panauti Buspark. Municipality mayor Ram Sharan Bhandari, inaugurating the rock climbing facility, said that Panauti was already an attraction culturally and religious.    
The development and expansion of adventure sports has given the place another identity as an adventure sports hub, he shared.    
Altogether eight climbers can climb in the rock at Ratopahara, said Pemba Onchu Sherpa, trainer at the Nepal Mountaineering Association.    
A total of 100 bolts brought from Germany were installed in the cliff where the climbers could ascend as high as 50 metres in support of the rope.    
Hiking trail and other infrastructures to reach the rock climbing place have been built by the local municipality, informed Purusottam Adhikari, a local representative.    
The local municipality has prioritized adventure sports tourism in the current fiscal year 2022/23. Development and expansion of hiking trail is part of its annual policy and programme.    
The Municipality has already launched downhill cycling at Phulchowki and Nagidada while test flight for paragliding was recently conducted. -- RSS