A story behind the Nepal’s first professional canyoning

Kathmandu: Canyoning in Kudi waterfall organized by Pokhara Canyoning is popular these days. Canyoning which is an adventurous sport was initially considered to be associated with foreigners only. However, it has become an interesting sport for Nepalese too.

Ram Bahadur Gurung, a resident of Lwang Ghale of Kaski, who played a historical instrumental role in establishing the Canyoning as an adventurous sport in Nepal says that now more than 90 percent of Canyoning clients are Nepalese while only ten percent of clients are foreigners.

“Canyoning has become so interesting sport among the Nepali clients that it is difficult to provide a chance to each and everyone during the Canyoning season,” says Gurung.

The spot for canyoning is only 22 km away from the Pokhara lakeside and just 20 km far from Zero kilo. Even public vehicles ply in between the sport for Canyoning and Pokhara. At least four public buses ply from Pokhara Hari chowk and Hemja Milan chowk at every one hour.

There are two waterfalls at Kudi. One waterfall is 45 meters high and the other is 75 meters high. The Canyoning professionals are allowed to do canyoning at the 75-meter high waterfall while others are allowed to do canyoning at 45 meters high waterfall.

Pokhara Canyoning usually asks the clients about their physical health and mental conditions before they engage in canyoning. Then the professional canyoning guide shows some demonstrations about how to do canyoning for one who wishes to do canyoning must be physically and mentally fit to go for this daring sport.

For professionals, it takes only five minutes to descend from this waterfall, while novices will take around 20 minutes to descend from this waterfall. According to Ram, the canyoning fee is Rs 2400 per person. But it may be a package of Rs 3900 which includes food and snack and transport charges to Kudi waterfall from Pokhara.

For foreigners, the canyoning fee is 39 to 59 US dollar equivalent Nepalese currency. Many of the foreigners would like to see rural life in rural settings for which arrangements have been made said, Ram. Ram says there is the facility of a tent house on the premises of the waterfall which can accommodate 30 to 35 persons at a time. Ram has also constructed a hotel for guests in his land to stay in the premises of the waterfall.

“Canyoning has a bright future,” says Ram a Gurung tourism entrepreneur’s Gandaki chapter chairman. Ram adds saying, ” I am delighted that Pokhara canyoning has exposed our rural setting to the outside world. Now everyone knows that Lwang Ghale is the site for Canyoning.”

However, Ram Bahadur Ghale’s cherished dream to introduce Canyoning as one of the fine adventurous sports in Nepal was not achieved in one day just as  Rome was not built in a day.

Ram had to struggle a lot before materializing his dream about Canyoning in Nepal and promoting rural settings outside. Ram has a different and hidden story to tell us about how he succeeded in fulfilling his dream. Ram was inspired by the water ski which he discovered in his visit to the United Kingdom when he was in search of a job long ago.

Canyoning was not in practice in the whole region of South Asia at that time. He was utterly disappointed as he did not get any waterfalls on lease in Nepal. By chance, he met with Nepal’s first Canyoning guide Rajesh Lama who advised Ram to make use of the possibility of Kudi waterfall located at Lwang Ghalel for Canyoning.

Then in 2014 Ram started searching for Canyoning in Utube. He started working for Canyoning with all dedication and madness. He also met with Rajendra Lama, who was a secretary of Nepal Canyoning Association. Lama supported Ram in conducting all kinds of a feasibility study for Canyoning in Nepal.

He even sought after the support of the then-existing village development committee and the Annapurna conservation region in this connection. Various consultative sessions were held. The outcome was vibrant Kudi waterfalls with people enjoying Canyoning within no time.

Ram even purchased land to construct a hotel for the clients near the waterfall. He named this Canyoning as Pokhara Canyoning with which his professional business of Canyoning had begun and continues to flourish.