First ever rock climbing festival in Tanahu

Gandaki Alpine Club is all set to launch the first ever national-level ‘’Rock Climbing Festival’’ in Tanahu district. The six-day festival will kick start from December 22 and concludes on Dec. 27 at Bimalnagar of the district.

 ”Revolution for mountaineering in Gandaki Province,”will be the slogan for the event, according to Narendra Shahi, chair of the newly constituted Gandaki Alpine Club. GAC is a non-profitable, non-political organisation registered under the NGO Act of Nepal and established by a team of well-experienced and dedicated alpinists to promote the mountain tourism sector in Gandaki Province. “Since the tourism sector of Nepal has been adversely affected by Covid 19 pandemic, one of the several objectives of the event is also to revive the sector in the post-Covid-19 context,” pointed out Shahi.

Along with the Rock Climbing festival, GAC is also organising a Kayaking competition in the Marshyangdi River at the same time. “It will be a very memorable event for all the participants along with the local people because it is the first of its kind in the region,” Shahi said, adding, “Initially, we believe that there will be more than 200 rock climbers and more than 400 mountaineering lovers from the national and international level.”

Bimalnagar rock climbing wall also known as Chun Pahara (Limestone cliff) located on the premises of Siddha Gufa at Bandipur. It is situated 130 km west of Kathmandu and 70 km east of Pokhara. GAC team will ensure the safety measures to create rock climbing routes ethically and not alternating the existing environment.