Countless aspiring trekkers, mountaineers and travelers have taken the overland route from Kathmandu to Pokhara along the crowded Prithivi Highway, en route to other adventures deep in the mountains. Shortly after passing the lunch spot cum crossroads in the market town of Mugling, a featured wall of reddish limestone towers over the southern side of the highway. If you aren’t paying attention, this overgrown cliff is easy to miss. But if you do press your face against the left window of the micro, chances are good you’ll see a few small climbers, connected by thin ropes, silhouetted against the steep and blocky rock face.
This is Chun Pahara – (roughly translated as ‘Lime Cliff’) – a main center of Nepal’s growing climbing community. A few generations ago, a handful of intrepid local climbers established routes here, attracted by the steepness of the rock and ease of access. Today, there are close to twenty climbing routes of various grades here, including the infamous Cobra – one of Nepal’s hardest climbs, rated at 7a according to the French system. But now, the proximity to the busy highway is also likely to be its undoing.
The cliff lies along the main highway between Dhading and Pokhara, Nepal’s second largest city, and is the main east-west artery for trade to the country’s largest urban centers. This section is key to a planned national pride project that will eventually connect Nepal with China via the Kora-La pass in Mustang.
Right now, 81 kilometers of highway between Mugling and Pokhara have been slated for expansion to a full four-lane road. The project, which is expected to be completed by 2025, will cost a total of $251 million USD. Of this, $59 million is pledged by the Nepal Government, and the rest will be arranged via a loan from the Asian Development Bank.
The widening project has already been awarded to two Chinese construction firms: the China Communications Construction Company, and Anhui Kaiyan Highway and Bridge Co. Ltd. Unfortunately, this expansion likely means the end of Chun Pahara, due to spatial constraints. There are also unconfirmed rumors that the companies are considering mining the cliff for lime to be used to help meet Nepal’s burgeoning demand for cement.
“As many as 20 climbing routes are here,” said Binayak Jay Malla, an international mountain guide based in Kathmandu. “So many climbers have put their efforts and resources into identifying routes. But once the road is expanded as designed, we won’t be able to use our beloved playground anymore.”
Left with few other options, Nepal’s mountaineering and guiding community has hosted a number of high-profile competitions and events to promote climbing and save the cliff. Last December, the Gandaki Alpine Club organized a rock climbing competition, hoping to place pressure on the government to save the area. The event was attended by Nepal’s top rock climbers and notable local political figures, who awarded 50,500 rupee prizes to the top finishers in the men and women’s categories.
“This is the closest rock climbing spot to Kathmandu,” said Narenda Shahi, another internationally certified mountain guide, who has been a long-time promoter of the cliff as an adventure destination “What we want is to convey a message to rock climbers around the world that the Nepal government plans to demolish the cliff before it’s too late.”
But the construction work began in November, with trees along the highway felled and hauled away.
The mountaineering community is also exploring possible new destinations for rock climbing competitions and training in the country. One possible venue is in the village of Chyamche in Lamjung, but the area lacks the ease of access and the drama of Chun Pahara. Establishing safe new routes on virgin cliffs also demands a large amount of effort and expenditure.
Purna Singh Thapa, the Mayor of Dumre Municipality (where Chun Pahara is located) assured The Everest Chronicle that he was trying to save the rock climbing destination. “It’s hard to say what exactly will happen, but we will do our best to save it. I hope the ongoing highway expansion drive won’t affect Chun Pahara,” said mayor Thapa.
Mountaineers and tourism entrepreneurs aren’t assured though. “When the DPR [detailed project report] and everything is ready, and contractors have already started actual construction work on the grounds, how can a mayor change the highway track? It seems like chun pahara is lost already,” said Gobinda Gurung, member-secretary of the Gandaki Alpine Club, and organizer of the climbing competition.
