Paragliders, both near and far, gather in Pokhara to claim the top spots in the 11th Open Paragliding Competition, which was held from 18th to 20th February, 2010.
Sarangkot is a internationally known launch point for paragliders. At about an altitude of 1600m, the flights launched from here will end at Pokhara's lakeside.Para-gliders spend a large portion of their time doing thorough safety checks before engaging in the sport. Being a dangerous sport, many in the past have died due to carelessness and inexperience.An international competitor takes off from Sarangkot, Pokhara, as a local pilot looks on. Due to a lack of proper regulation from local authorities, Nepali pilots do not own a national flying license, which is required for international competitions.A small group of spectators lined the top of Sarangkot to watch the paragliding competition. The take-off point is highly inaccessible, and requires a long drive up with a vehicle.
Narayan Parajuli wore a yeti suit while paragliding, much to the delight of the spectators back at the Khapaudi landing spot. Due to the favourable wind speeds, para-gliders mostly use the reverse launch technique. The pilot kites the canopy, accelerates and takes off.
Upon landing, a para-glider packs his gear. Local kids are also eager to help for a small fee, many of them racing towards the landing spot as soon as they spot a para-glider about to land.
PHOTOS AND TEXT: FOO CHEE CHANG and AHMAD ISKANDAR
