MANANG: The 'Ice Climbing Festival' will be held promoting Visit Nepal Year-2020 in Manang Disyang Rural Municipality-4 of Manang district in February.

The festival will take place on the snow and ice rocks in Humde region, at the altitude of 3,200 metres above sea level, in Annapurna range from February 1 to 10, according to organiser Santa Bir Lama, president of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA). He said a total of 45 domestic and international tourists would compete in the adventure sport during the festival.

According to the organiser, Humde region serves as the hub for ice climbing. The NMA disclosed its plan to continue hosting such festival from time to time.

The festival will be co-sponsored and managed by Nepal Climbing Team (NCT), a non-profit organisation established by climbers of Nepal with the purpose of promoting adventure sports. According to Chief Executive Director at NCT Vinayak Jay Malla, participants would climb the snowy rocks at a temperature between -15°C to -20°C in the festival being held for the second time.

Malla said that ice climbing can be done in more than 15 waterfalls in Humde region. "The height of those waterfalls which are suitable for climbing ranges between 500 m to 1,000 m and are elevated at the angle between 60° and 100° in Mt Annapurna II and Mt Annapurna III," Malla said, and added, "there are waterfalls with grades between WI3 to WI5 in the region. According to Malla, the ice climbing can be done from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm, the time when the temperature remains between -15°C and -60°C.

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has taken the responsibility of promoting the 10-day festival that would be held with the financial assistance from Visit Nepal Year-2020 Secretariat.