Built for adventure, held back by regulations

Namche Bazar, the gateway to Mount Everest, once hosted Everest Bungee, a 145-foot plunge over the Dudh Koshi river. Chhepal Dorji Sherpa launched the operation in 2024 after securing approvals from local authorities and Sagarmatha National Park, investing Rs14 million. The business attracted customers, showing promise.

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What exactly was my mistake? I started the business only after receiving approval from the local government and the national park. Later, however, I was shown different provisions of different laws.

However, a complaint questioning the legality of a private company operating on a government-owned bridge halted the operation. Sherpa expressed confusion, stating he had obtained all necessary permits. He found himself navigating a labyrinth of different government offices, each with its own procedures and jurisdictions, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Environment, and the Department of Tourism.

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Every government office has its own process. After exhausting every option, I spent nearly Rs4 million dismantling and removing all the bungee infrastructure.

Unable to resolve the bureaucratic tangle, Sherpa dismantled the infrastructure, costing him an additional Rs4 million. He is now building a new "single-pillar bungee" on private land, with an investment of around Rs50 million, expecting to open within three months. Sherpa's struggle is emblematic of the challenges faced by investors in Nepal's adventure tourism industry, where regulatory confusion and administrative delays are common hurdles.

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I expect to begin operations from the new site within the next three months. All the necessary procedures are now in their final stage.