As the
plane moves along, the mountains come closer and
closer. Next on the vision is Choba-Bharnare,
the smallest one of the lot at 5,933 m but
singularly stubborn as it has never been
climbed. Then appears the mountain that is not
only prominent in sight but also in spirituality
- Gauri Shanker. Lord Shiva and his consort
Gauri are said to protect this mountain, at the
proud height of 7,134 m, and the summit had a
history of unsuccessful attempts till 1979.
Gauri-Shanker is sharp and very conspicuous
during the mountain flight.
As the plane moves towards the land of the
rising sun, the eastern Himalaya, a succession
of glorious mountains follow. Melungtse, a
plateau-like mountain, stretches up to 7,023 m.
Chugimago at 6,297 m is still a virgin, waiting
to be climbed. Next is Karyolung, an intensely
white mountain that at 6,511 m gleams with the
rising sun. Cho-Oyu is the eighth highest
mountain in the world. Reaching a height of
8,201 m, it appears stunningly beautiful from
the aircraft.
Next on the menu is Gyachungkang, at a majestic
height of 7,952 m, considered an extremely
difficult climb. To the right of Gyachungkang is
Pumori (7,161 m). As passengers get closer to
Everest, there's Nuptse (7,855 m), which means
West Peak, signifying its direction from
Everest. Finally, there's Everest (8,848 m)
itself, known as Sagarmatha by the Nepalese and
Chomolungma by the Tibetans. Much has already
been written about Everest, but actually witness
it to face to face during a mountain flight is
something else. Even while it looms there in
front of the eyes, it remains an enigma, this
highest spot on earth.
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Rock
Climbing is another challenging sport for
outdoor lovers. Most of te areas for rock
climbing are situated towards the north of
Kathmandu. Valley in the vicinity of the
Nagarjun forest and the Shivapuri Watershed and
Wildlife Reserve. Because one is a national park
and the other a protected area, trip to these
places can be combined with hiking, bird
watching and other activities
Nagarjun, 3 kilometers from Kathmandu city can
be reached via Balaju near the New Bus Park.
Shivapuri, can be reached via Budhanilkantha
which is 9 kms away from Kathmandu
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Paragliding in Nepal gives an opportunity for
aerial view of the Himalayas. Pokhara, the
beautiful lakeside town at the foot of the
Annapurna mountains offers paragliding to see
the Mahabharat Range. As other flying sports
gliding season in Nepal is November through
February, the best months being November and
December. There are various deals for the
paragliding veterans and novices. Three day
introductory course is offered to beginners
while tandem flights where one can fly with
instructor are offered for those not so
experienced.
Some companies offer package deals that includes
introductory flights before taking off on a
six-day para-trek. While on the paratrek, the
flyers camp in villages with local guides. The
take-off point for these flights is Sarangkot
near Pokhara. The bus trip from Kathmandu to
Pokhara takes 7-8 hrs. Daily flights operate
between Kathmandu and Pokhara. A wide variety of
accommodation and other facilities are available
in Pokhara.
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