The main attraction of the sport was the bird’s eye view of peaks like Machhapuchre and Annapurna it offers, as well as Phewa lake and surrounding areas. But persistent bad weather has played spoil sport.
Pokhara is one of the top five destinations for paragliding in the world. According to operators, the haze has considerably decreased the number of people coming for paragliding, directly affecting business worth hundreds of thousands of rupees.
Vice president of the Paragliding Association, Rajesh Bamjam said even enthusiasts coming from third countries have started to return home due to the adverse weather conditions.
“This year’s winter saw no rain. Because of this, the weather has not cleared, worsening the visibility of peaks and the lake,” he added.
Currently, three operators, Sunrise, Frontiers and Blue Sky, are engaged in the paragliding business in Pokhara. Two more, Sarangkot and Paranova, are planning to start their operation soon.
“The tourists, instead of spending one to two hours in the air, come down in just 10 to 15 minutes”, Bamjam, pilot and operator of Sunrise Paragliding, informed. Nepalis pay Rs. 7,000 per hour while foreigners pay a hundred Euros for the same air time.
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