The 11th "Nepal Open Paragliding Championship" being organised by TAAN, Pokhara from February 18 concluded on Saturday. The Championship was held with the aim of promoting tourism through adventure sports and proved to be quite successful. Among the 87 pilots from 15 countries, Jamie Messenger from Britain, who was last year's title holder won the title this year also claiming a cash prize of NRs 25,000. Ajay Kumar Sharma from India managed to be second bagging NRs 20,000 while Canadian Claudio Mota got NRs 15,000 as a third prize. In the HDV-1-2 category, Eva of Venice, Nepal´s Sachin Bamjan and Rabin Gurung secured the top three spots respectively. Nepal´s Damodar Parajuli bagged the award for the best acrobatics. Korea´s Moon Sevlin won the best spot landing award. Nepal´s Binod Bamjan secured the title of best boat landing, while Narayan Parajuli received the award for best-of-the-costume. In the separate competition held ...
During and after a great trek, most amateur trekkers complain of blisters, backaches and generally sore feet. Most newbie trekkers get all other gear right but think that any pair of good shoes will do. Wrong. Any pair will not do. Your feet are what get you up the hill and then down it too. Take extra care of them with these guidelines to choose the right shoe for specific kinds of treks. As a rule, most backpackers today choose leather-fabric hybrid boots. Day-hikers lean towards trekking shoes, as do ultra-light backpackers who prioritize light weight over support or durability. And a few traditionalists stick to leather boots, valuing their stability and ruggedness. Make an informed choice. Happy Trekking! Traditional Leather Hiking Boots Traditional leather hiking boots have been around for years. Some hikers swear by them; others swear at them. They have quite a bit of pros and cons. Pro: Traditional backpacking boots offer ankle support for rugged conditions, especially for hikers with weak ankles or poor balance and are a good choice for hikers with heavy packs. They are durable and can be re-soled and repaired so they last for years. Leather boots are waterproof, and come up high enough above the ankle to keep sand and mud out of the boot.
