Paragliding

Why Sarangkot is a world-class site

Paragliding needs three things together: reliable thermals, a safe landing zone and a short drive between them. Pokhara has all three within twenty minutes, plus a view of three 8,000 m peaks — which almost nowhere else does.

The launch at Sarangkot sits at about 1,592 m, and you land beside Phewa Lake at roughly 800 m. The ridge collects sun through the morning and generates predictable thermals, so flights are consistent rather than lucky. Pilots come from Europe for the whole season.

What a tandem flight is actually like

You are strapped into a harness in front of a licensed pilot who does everything. Take-off is the part people worry about and it is the easy part: you run a few steps down the slope and the wing lifts you off. There is no drop and no freefall sensation.

A standard flight is 25 to 35 minutes. You climb in thermals — often circling with hawks and vultures using the same lift — cross above the lake and land on the shore. An "acro" option adds spirals and wingovers at the end, which is optional and worth declining if you are prone to motion sickness.

No experience is needed and no fitness. The only real requirements are a weight range and the ability to run three or four steps.

Parahawking

Pokhara is the birthplace of parahawking, where trained birds of prey fly alongside and land on your glove mid-flight, guiding the pilot to thermals. It began as a conservation project for Nepal's collapsing vulture population. It costs more and runs in limited numbers each season, and it is one of the more genuinely unusual things available anywhere.

Season

September to early December is the best window — stable air, clear mountains, reliable thermals. October and November are the peak. February to April flies well but with more haze. Flights largely stop during the monsoon.

Morning flights are calmer, mid-morning to midday gives the strongest lift and the longest airtime.

What is included, and the photo question

A tandem flight normally covers the transfer up to launch, the flight itself and the transfer back from the landing zone. Two things are usually extra and worth deciding on before you are standing on the hill: the photo and video package, shot on a pole-mounted camera by the pilot, and the Annapurna Conservation Area fee if your flight route requires one.

Longer cross-country flights of an hour or more can be arranged for a higher price and depend entirely on the day's conditions — no operator can promise one in advance, and any who does is guessing.

Checking your operator

Nepal's paragliding sector is better regulated than its rafting, but standards still differ. Ask whether the pilot holds a current commercial tandem licence, when the wing was last inspected, and whether the flight is insured. We fly only with operators who will answer all three without hesitation.