The hills of Hattiban change around February every year. The otherwise quiet woods become filled with people, some running amongst the trees, some pitching tents. There are cycling and rock climbing events, where kids, adults and athletes all participate. The aura is different. It’s like a carnival.

 

This February too, the hills are set to change colour, as they get ready to host the Himalayan Outdoor Festival, from February 14 to 16. And with more than 400 participants registered for the ninth edition of the annual adventure festival, the three-day event is set to celebrate all things adventure—with competitions in mountain biking, bouldering, running, and a screening of adventure films.

 

“When we started off, our plan was to host an adventure festival which could act both as a training point for budding adventure athletes and also act as a tourism product,” says the festival’s executive president Dipesh Ghaley. And after nine years, that is what the Himalayan Outdoor Festival has become. Since its inception, which was in 2012, the festival has hosted many famed athletes like Mira Rai, Rajesh Magar, Panchamaya Tamang and Rasila Tamang, giving them a competitive platform to practise their abilities.

 

One athlete who recently benefited from the festival is rock climber Panchamaya Tamang. Tamang has been taking part in the festival since 2015 and says that the event has been a great boon for athletes like her.

 

“This festival is great because it brings everyone under one roof. It’s not only given me a chance to compete with the best, but has also given me an opportunity to bond with fellow adventure athletes from different sports,” says Tamang, who has been winning the bouldering event each year she’s participated.

 

The idea behind the festival, according to Ghaley, came to the organisers after one of the board members Yalambar Adhikari saw such festivals during his time in Boulder, Colorado, in the United States.