Commercial operations have not yet started, even though successful test flights have confirmed that paragliding in Baglung has a strong potential. In an effort to promote the sport for tourists, successful trial flights have been conducted at more than a dozen high-altitude locations throughout the district, including during the Baglung and Balewa festivals.
As a substitute for Pokhara’s Sarangkot, the Gandaki Province Government spent NPR 2 million in 2020 (2077 BS) to construct paragliding facilities at Pahedanda in Balewa. But for the past five years, the facilities which include restrooms, a rest house, and a launch site have not been used.
Several sites, including Bharilakhuri (Baglung-6), Pahedanda (Baglung-13), Dhorpatan Valley (Dhorpatan-9), and Ramchedhunga (Galkot-7) have hosted trial flights. Commercial paragliding has not taken off, despite the excitement generated by successful flights during the 2018 (2075 BS) Balewa Festival.
“When paragliding started in Balewa, we were really excited,” Ward Chair Narayan Sharma Paudel said. “After paragliding pilots verified the site’s suitability, we constructed the infrastructure, but it has never been utilized. Our hopes have diminished even more now that Pokhara’s paragliding industry is having difficulties.
As backup sites, the Gandaki Province Government also set aside funds for paragliding facilities in Armala (Kaski), Rainaskot (Lamjung), Neupanedanda (Syangja), Bihadi (Parbat), and Balewa (Baglung). Although Baglung has a lot of potential for adventure tourism, particularly paragliding, local stakeholders contend that a major obstacle to commercialization is still the absence of access roads and other supporting infrastructure.
