Sports in Nepal

Sports in Nepal means trekking first and everything else second. The Annapurna region carries most of the walking: Poon Hill, a sunrise viewpoint at 3,210 m, then Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130 m, and the Mardi Himal trail, newer and quieter, climbing to a base camp near 4,500 m. The full Annapurna Circuit crosses the Thorong La pass at 5,416 m. In the Khumbu, Everest Base Camp stands at 5,364 m and the route passes through Namche Bazaar at 3,440 m. Below the snow line the country supplies the rest: a 160 m bungee jump from a bridge over the Bhote Koshi gorge, about 100 km from Kathmandu near the Tibet border; river rafting on the Trishuli; and paragliding from Sarangkot above Pokhara.

Sports tours in Nepal are mostly private guided departures. Treks run from a weekend on short ridges such as Chitlang and Bandipur, through three- and four-day Dhampus and Poon Hill walks, to the Annapurna Base Camp trek at two weeks, the Everest base camp route at fifteen days and the Annapurna Circuit at about sixteen. A five-day Everest trek exists for people short of time. Day activities are brief by comparison: a paragliding flight of 20 to 30 minutes ending by Phewa Lake, a rafting morning of about three hours, a day on mountain bikes in the hills around Kathmandu, a day on rock near the valley, and zip lines in Pokhara and Kathmandu.

Practical. Spring, March to May, and autumn, October and November, are the usual trekking windows; the monsoon brings cloud and mud. Kathmandu afternoons reach 19C in January, with nights near 2C, and Pokhara 20C by day and 7C at night. Above 4,000 m nights fall below freezing for much of the year, so pack layers. Climb slowly and take rest days. Mountain flights wait for clear weather.