Handpicked experience · Kathmandu
Kathmandu, Nepal
A tandem flight off the Sarangkot ridge above Pokhara, where the air decides how long you stay up and the take-off asks more of you than most people expect.
Launch from the Sarangkot ridge facing the Annapurna range
Tandem flight with a licensed pilot over Phewa Lake and the Pokhara valley
Around two hours in total, of which a fraction is airborne
Safety briefing with helmet and harness provided
Photo and video options usually available from the operator
Paragliding here is not a fixed-length ride. On a still morning the wing simply descends from the Sarangkot ridge to the Pokhara valley floor in a long straight line. On a good one the pilot finds a column of rising warm air and spirals inside it, and the same flight lasts twice as long without covering any more ground. Pilots read the conditions on the hill and take what the day offers.
This is the part nobody warns you about. You are strapped to the pilot facing downhill, the wing comes up behind you, and then you both run — properly run, down a slope, until the ground stops being there. The instinct to sit down early is strong and is the most common way a launch is aborted.
Many pilots offer a set of tight spiral turns near the end. It is thrilling if you want it and the quickest route to feeling ill if you do not. Asking on the ground beforehand is easier than signalling mid-air.
Thermals attract more than paragliders. Vultures and eagles work the same rising columns and will sometimes circle a few metres off your wingtip, entirely unbothered.
October to November and March to April are the reliable windows. Through the monsoon the hill mostly does not fly at all, and winter mornings can be clear above and hazy below.
Open it to pick a date and work out the price.
What the fare covers, and what to budget for separately.
The practical detail, and the answers people actually ask for.
Because they depend on lift. Without rising air the wing glides steadily from the ridge to the valley. With it, the pilot can circle and stay up considerably longer. Conditions are read on the hill, not booked in advance.
Run downhill alongside your pilot until your feet leave the ground, and resist the urge to sit down early. That instinct is the most common reason a launch has to be aborted and restarted.
Not necessarily. Straight, gentle flying suits most people; it is the tight spiral turns some pilots offer near the end that cause trouble. Say on the ground that you would rather skip them.
October to November and March to April. The monsoon months largely stop flying altogether, and winter can be clear at altitude while the valley below stays hazy.
None. You are attached to a licensed pilot who handles the wing throughout. Your only real job is the run at the start and the landing position at the end.