The Last Resort: Bungee in Nepal

It seems that everyone who comes to Nepal is in search of an adventure.  There are literally hundreds of tour companies, offering everything from paragliding to trekking, and it is hard to distinguish which ones are good.  Most excursions are multi-day trips that involve overnights in basic accommodations.  I’m not entirely adverse to “roughing it”, but I just see no reason to do that when I am staying at the best hotel in the entire country. 

When I asked one of the local managers for a day-trip recommendation, he seemed really eager to join me for the adventure and I was happy to have the company.  He suggested bungee and canyon swinging at a place called The Last Resort, which is at the Tibet/Nepal border.  The website was professional and the pictures were beautiful.  Sold!

The company offers a shuttle bus from Kathmandu to the resort, but we decided to take a private car instead.  I e-mailed the company to confirm my spot and they said I had to visit their sales office to pay in advance.  I told them that I would pay on-site and, after several back-and-forth messages, they finally agreed to my proposal (not sure why paying on-site had to be so complicated).

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We set off from the hotel bright and early at 6AM on Saturday morning for the 100-kilometer drive to the mountains.  

Watching the sun rise over Kathmandu valley

I was amazed by the amount of people walking around so early and was told that people in Nepal usually wake up naturally when the sun rises.  (In typical business school fashion, my first thought was that “blackout curtains” would be a good business venture here).

Ok, back to the journey. 

The Last Resort is only 100 kilometers from Kathmandu, but the website said it would take 3.5 hours.  I thought the time estimate was grossly exaggerated.  Turns out, it’s not.

Roads are only about 1.5 lanes wide and they wind through the mountains in a completely arbitrary path.  Homes are built right along the side of the road and each one is the size of a typical toolshed in America, so there is not much reason for people to be inside.  Our car shared the road with children playing, cows grazing, people carrying huge baskets on their heads, and random animals.  I think I finally see why so many people use their car horns here...

Crossing one of many bridges en route to the Last Resort

Police checkpoints at almost every village also slowed us down tremendously.  My colleague told me that this road is often used for smuggling people and other valuable items from Tibet.  I lost count after the eighth search and started just appreciating the opportunity to let my body calm down from all the jolting around.  

Even the busses get stopped at the checkpoints

The drive felt like such an adventure, I wasn't sure how bungee could possibly be any more frightening.  However, when we walked across the bridge that is used for the jumping platform, I looked down at the water (160 meters below) and had a moment of anxiety.  

Here's the bridge that I am about to jump from

Not much separating me and the river below.

Views from the bridge were admittedly beautiful

The resort offered a short safety demonstration, divided us into categories by weight, and the first group was set to go.  (Sidenote: We each had our weights written in permanent marker on our hands...would this ever happen in North America?)

Listening to the safety briefing with my colleague and one of his friends

I started with the canyon swing and we all lined up along the bridge, as if we were about to meet a firing squad.  One by one, they called our names and we watched each person plunge off the side of the bridge - often with a deafening scream.  Whenever someone would jump, we would all turn to the people around us and question our sanity.  

The nerves didn't really set in until the moment I stepped onto the platform.  As I took baby steps towards the edge, my natural reaction was to lean backwards.  I could literally feel the gravity pulling me off the edge and I didn't want to fall off until I was mentally prepared.  It seemed like I was at the edge but the "bungee master" told me to take a few more steps.  I could feel my heart in my throat. 

3...2...1...

...and the next thing I remember is opening my eyes about halfway down.  I felt out of breath, my heart was fluttering, and my legs were running in air, as if I had just set off for a sprint.  I think the nervous energy had to get out of my body and my legs were the only things that could move (since my arms were firmly gripped to the harness around my waist - just in case!)

After the 7-second free-fall, I swung back and forth several times.  My heart was beating like crazy at this point and I realized that this was probably the biggest natural thrill my body has ever experienced.  

Within a couple moments, I was pulled to the side of the river and ascended the staircase back to solid ground.  By this point, I was at the bottom of the canyon and I took some time to enjoy the beautiful views before climbing back up to the resort.  

Throughout the remainder of the afternoon, we just lounged around the resort while people did subsequent rounds of bungee.  The resort served lunch, which was almost inedible, but I was ravenous and there were no other restaurants nearby.   

Enjoying our non-jump time at the bar

I can thank this guy for arranging the trip

Most people (including us) spent the afternoon hanging around at the bar, playing board games and talking.  By mid-afternoon, I was not feeling so well but I couldn't decide if it was the altitude or the food.  Around 4pm, we decided to head back to Kathmandu for the evening and my body was almost begging me not to get into a car for such a long and bumpy ride.  Unfortunately for me, I had no other options. 

With a bottle of water in one hand and a mental determination not to puke too much, I got back into the car with the other three guys. We spent the first part of the ride back talking about bungee, canyon swinging, and the other people we had met that day.  After a while, I decided to just look out the window to anticipate the twists, bumps, and roadblocks before they jolted me around too much in the car.  

Once we finally reached the hotel, I was ready to kiss the ground but I was also satisfied with the day.  Was it worth the 7-hours of driving from Kathmandu?  Yes and no.  Yes, being able to experience the highest canyon swing in the world - in Nepal of all places - is a memory that I will always keep with me.  I just don't think that a 7-hour round-trip drive is the best way to spend a Saturday.  That said, the scenery was beautiful and it was a really relaxing day out of the city.  

It is almost a crime to visit Nepal without doing some sort of adventure activity.  Now, I can cross "bungee jumping" off my bucket list.  I don't really see the need to repeat this task anytime soon, but plummeting into a canyon was certainly quite a thrill.