Paragliding in Nepal with Frontiers Paragliding Instructors in Pohkara
When In Nepal, PARAGLIDING is the thing that you need to try!
There I was, standing at the edge of the mountain. I was looking down at a seemingly bottomless cliff that made people at the bottom look smaller than ants. I rethink my life and it pretty much flashes before my eyes…. right as I’m about to change my mind, I hear the person behind me scream: “RUN!”
We make a dash for the cliff and jump like there’s no tomorrow!
This has got to be one of the most thrilling things I’ve done in my life! And it all happened in the quiet lakeside town of Pohkara, Nepal.
Let me walk you through my flying adventure:
First thing you need to do is book your flight a few days in advance. time slots do fill up and there are only a limited number of pilots who can fly with you. Again, we do recommend HIMALAYAN ENCOUNTERS to book your itineraries and adventures.
For paragliding, you’ll be paired up with a pilot whom you’ll be strapped in with for your flight. Don’t worry as you don’t need to pick one yourself and they’re all certified and fully qualified to get you off the ground.
For Frontiers Paragliding, they had roughly four scheduled times to fly per day. It really depends on the weather and the winds on which time might be best for the clear skies to maximize your view. Either way, just being able to fly was the main adventure anyway, so don’t worry too much about that.
Upon arrival at their office for your flight, you’ll then get in a van that will take you about 25 minutes uphill to the SARANGKOT mountain top. There, you’re roughly around 1,400 meters above sea level.
After driving to the top of Sarangkot Mountain in Pohkara Nepal, You’ll have to do another few minutes trek uphill to get you to the peak where the vans can’t go. Once there, things happen FAST!
You get paired up with a pilot who then straps you in and gives you a few instructions. Pretty much, your pilot will as you to run, and you just need to run with him, over the cliff! Yes, it sounds a bit crazier just reading it, but when you’re there, the pilot actually has everything in control and his “glider” or parachute is ready to carry you guys way up!
No, I’m not nervous about jumping off the cliff… not at all…. well… maybe just a little bit….
Those 10 steps I took towards the edge of SARANGKOT mountain are steps that I’ll relive over and over again!
Once airborne and paragliding, you just sit back and relax. You’re so comfortable that you can actually wear sunglasses and take your camera for some extra pics. Of course, I highly recommend having a strap with your cam. Oh and of course, they’ll also take some pics with their cam and you can get the pics for an extra 1700 Nepali Rupees or around $22 US Dollars.
Oh and here’s some more sights from a first person point of view:
You can ask them for the easy breezy glide that won’t really upset your tummy too much, or, if you’re adventurous (or idiotic, whatever you want to call it) like me, then you can also ask them to do a few tricks to add to the excitement.
My wannabe-adventurer-self chose the more thrilling route, sadly, my tummy did not agree with this decision. I almost puked up in the air!
According to FRONTIER, many people actually hurl their first few times paragliding. This is because they’re simply a passenger and their bodies can’t predict the many movements, up, down, left, right, around and around, that they make up in the air. So having your meals come back up is nothing to be embarrassed about when paragliding, but a motion sickness pill before going might help.
Funny thing is that FRONTIER says they are able to spot the signs now before someone hurls
1. They become very quiet
2. Their head bops a bit more than usual
3. They start clinching their fists more.
4. They start to ask questions like “When do we land?” or “How far is the landing point?”
Luckily we were almost landing when I really started feeling sick and when I started to show all the signs.
Landing for us paragliding virgins is pretty easy, you just have to keep your feet up and hold on until your pilot tells you to stand.
We eventually landed with me pale as no other and sweating like I was in a sauna. Luckily I held my own, and my food, just long enough to land.
Is my PALE WHITE face that obvious?
Other than that almost hurling part, I’d say that this is one experience you definitely need to try out! I swear, I’d do it again in a heartbeat!
For paragliding, we do recommend our friends at FRONTIER Paragliding! They were very professional and fun! We felt very safe the entire time we were on the ground and in the air. Moreover, they have some pretty cool pilots too! Thanks to Graham and Ajay, who were our Paragliding pilots that day.
Frontiers Paragliding is owned by Adam Hill who pioneered paragliding in Nepal over 15 yeas ago. Offering first class internationally licensed paragliding courses, tandems and tours, Frontiers is the most experienced team in Nepal.
Frontiers Paragliding Nepal Office
P.O. Box 123
Lakeside
Pokhara, Nepal
Tel: +977 98041 25096
Email: frontiers@nepal-paragliding.com
Thanks to Hannah of FlairCandy.com for some of the cool pics.
Of course, we recommend you book your adventures through Himalayan Encounters Travel Agency. And special thanks to Agoda.com for booking our hotels when in Nepal.
For bookings, I recommend going to Agoda.com and for your itinerary or adventures, contact Himalayan Encounters Tour Group.
Hotel Booking through Agoda.com
Tour Guides: Himalayan Encounters
PO Box 21218(Courtyard Kathmandu Guest House), Thamel, Kathmandu, NEPAL
Tel: +977-1-4700426, 4700335
Fax: +977-1-4700354
info@himalayanencounters.com
https://himalayanencounters.com/
When In Nepal, you need to spread your wings and fly! Sign up for a Paragliding session with Frontier Paragliding In Pohkara Nepal and check this adventure off your bucket list!
How to get your Nepal VISA Requirements here
Paragliding in Nepal with Frontiers Paragliding Instructors in Pohkara
