The swingers club

Features Issue 116 Jul, 2011
Text by Niraj Karki

About a 3-hour scenic drive from Kathmandu and a 166 metre long walk across the Jhulunge pul (wobbly bridge), your bungee experience starts. It's a panic point that becomes real and the eventuality of the jump solidifies and suddenly the 160 metres deep gorge seems a lot longer than you ever imagined.

Adventure aside, The Last Resort is a great place to just be in, scenic, peaceful with provisions of long stays in tents complete with lush gardens, a plunge pool, a bar, lounge and hammocks! A real place of relaxation indeed, until the jump master begins his jump briefing which brings back the dizzying memory of the walk across the bridge and the view 160m straight down. The briefing filled with dry humour addresses jump procedures, security issues, medical conditions (speak up if you have one!) and also mentions that there’s nothing the very encouraging staff can do about broken hearts.

Groups are sorted according to weight, the walk across the plank begins. First timers bind together like a herd of sheep being moved into new pastures (or in this case the centre of the bridge you jump off), while the pros excitedly decide on their flair jumps.

Walk like a penguin, fly like a bird – it’s probably the only thing that you can remember about the briefing when you get to the bridge. Pay attention to the briefing however because security is a REAL issue although not as paramount as the fear of the real jump. But then again, it’s really hard listening to anything after walking the plank. To those already scared it is like a death sentence that you pay for, that and a t-shirt and a video of your screaming your guts out. Ah, so much fun!

Security checked, harness and ropes checked and you step into a metre long extension of the bridge – the bit that you actually jump off.
The last metre at the last resort. That's where it actually, really, truly and overwhelmingly terrifyingly begins. Go on, jump!

At 160m high the bungee jump at the Last Resort is 7th highest in the world (8th if you count the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado which is only open annually during the Go Fast Games); the highest being the Macau Tower in China at 233m. The wild, rugged setting of the Bhote Koshi gorge with the river roaring below and the opportunity of doing the Canyon Swing however makes it for one of the one of the must go places for jumps. While the bungee jump is a 160m of pure adrenaline, the Canyon Swing in itself lets you free fall 100m into the gorge and then swing a 240m arc at 150km per hour.

Logistics and costs
All reservations and booking can be done at the Last Resort’s sales office in Thamel, online or via most travel agencies. Its 65 for a trip to the Last Resort including two-way travel, lunch and bungee jump or a canyon swing, 85 if you do both the bungee jump and swing and 20 for each additional bungee or swing. The best bit - do 3 jumps and the 4th is free!
So go on, head over to the Last Resort and step unto the Last Metre – test yourself and treat yourself to the ultimate adrenaline rush!!

For those watching the jumps there’s lots of entertainment. The first terrifying jumps done people become more adventurous and try acrobatic and themed jumps. There’s the obvious superman, ‘I’m like a bird’ and the best in the set - ‘the Tarzan jungle cry’ done on a backwards swing.

Sunkoshi Valley    
  Bandiba Khola Tantung Khola
Region: Kavre ( Est. Kathmandu) Kavre ( South-Est. Kathmandu)
  Sunkoshi valley Sunkoshi valley, Kallery Village –(800)m
Grade: V2.A1 III V3.A2 III
Water Temperature: 13 13
Time: 4 h 30 5 h 30

 

Marshyandi Valley Canyoning        
  Bul Bule Khola Kabindra Khola Raindu Khola Sansapu Khola
Region: Annapurna Himal Bulbule Village – (820)m Annapurna Himal ( Est) Ngadi Village – (930)m Annapurna Himal
( Est) Syange Village – (1180)m
Annapurna Himal ( Est)
Syange Village – (1180)m
Grade: V3.A1.I V2.A1.I V4.A3.II V4. A3. II
Water Temperature: 14 14 14 13
Time: 2 hours 1 h 30 3 H 45 7 h 30

 

Marshyandi Valley Canyoning        
  Sansapu Canyoning Kabindra Canyoning Syange Canyoning Raindu Canyoning
Difficult: - V3. A2. II V5. A4. III V4. A3. II
Elevation: 650m 350m 400m 260m
Alt. Departure: 1750m 1180m 1550m 1360m
Alt. Arrive: 1100m 1030m 1150m 1100m
Length: 1200m 400m 400m 600m
Schedule: 5h 1h 40 4h 45 4h 30

 

Bhotekoshi Valley Canyoning          
  Jombo Khola Handi Khola Kabre Khola Galung Khola Fanfung Khola
Region: BaraBise- Kodari BaraBise- Kodari BaraBise- Kodari BaraBise- Kodari BaraBise- Kodari
Grade: V2.A1 I V2.A1 I V2.A2 II V2.A2 II V4.A3 III
Water Temperature: 13 13 13 13 13

 

Chamche Canyoning            
  Chamche Khola Chipla Canyoning Bhulbule Canyoning Jagat Canyonoing Gopte canyoining Tal Canyoning
Difficult: V6. A7. VI V4. A3. III V4. A1.II V5. A5. V V3. A2. II V4. A4. IV
Elevation: 1000m 720m 530m 1000m 400m 500m
Alt. Departure: 2150m 1800m 1350m 2150m 1350m 2000m
Alt. Arrive: 1150m 1150m 820m 1150m 950m 1700m
Length: 4500m 650m 4500m 2000m 600m 500m

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