Manali used to be paragliding’s alternative universe with hundreds of tandem pilots with ragged-out wings vying for tourist trade at the small ski fields of Solang Nala and from the 4,000m Rohtang Pass.
No longer is that the case – last year they and their associated rubbish were swept away by local politicians in the name of environmentalism and tidying up the whole area.
Now, you need to book your journey up to the Rohtang (pictured) ahead of time, but it makes the fly-down back into the Kulu Valley all the more special.
The Rhotang is also the gateway to the Greater Himalaya, including sites like Keylong where 6,000m base is just a series of turns away. If you head this way it’s recommended to fly with oxygen and wear your biggest boots, you’ll be on your own.
When to go: Apr to Oct
Photo: Debu Choudhury
This appeared in the 2016 Travel Guide as a Himalayan Getaway, one of six alternative sites to Pokhara and Bir for pilots visiting the Himalaya.
