80 | TRAVEL HIMALAYA SPRING 2019 http://www.travelhimalayamagazine.com
WORLD’S OLDEST ZIPLINER IN NEPAL
After Chitwan, they group traveled by bus to
Pokhara. Tuesday night it began to rain and by
Thursday morning, the skies had cleared over
the Annapurna’s to allow the group to enjoy a
spectacular sunrise over the mountains.
All of the group but June climbed the 280 steps
to the top of Sarangkot Hill to watch the sunrise.
June found a vantage point not far from the top
where she was able to sit and enjoy watching
the sun illuminate the snowcapped peaks to a
brilliant white.
That was Thursday, January 24. But the
highlight was to come as she had planned to ride
the zip-line down Sarangkot hill.
Was she nervous? “No,” she replied. She
said that the owners and employees were more
nervous and thought she should not go. June had
made up her mind to go, and she mounted the
short steps and got right into the chair to prepare
for the ride down the mountain.
The Zip-Line in Pokhara is billed as the world’s
longest and steepest zip-line as it drops around
600 meters in under two minutes with speeds
approaching 140 k/ph. It drops at an angle of 56°.
“The views were clear from the top,” said June,
although she noted once she started down the hill,
she wasn’t looking at the mountains. Getting to
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knees. At the bottom, she had no problem once she
remembered which strap to pull to release herself.6RZK\GLGVKHFRPHWR1HSDOIRUWKHÀUVW
time at the age of 93? “It was available,” said
June. This was her third trip with SSLL, her
two previous trips being Ireland and German
tour wit 11 other countries as well as a tour
last fall of Italy.
June retired from the US Department of
Agriculture in Tawas City, Michigan in 1987
and has been keeping busy ever since. She ran
for township clerk in Baldwin Township and
served in that position for eight years. She also
volunteered for 12 years at the area Chamber
of Commerce. Now in her 90s she’s active in the
Tawas Area United Methodist Church along
with volunteering for SSLL.
Did she have a favorite place in Nepal? “I
don’t know,’ she replied. “It’s a beautiful place.
People here are so friendly and happy.” She
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who wants to see beautiful mountains and great
scenery as well as an excellent sunrise in the
Annapurnas.
Her one complaint? “Lots and lots of steps!
I don’t think they make even steps (in Nepal).
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June does want to return to Nepal, but this
time, she wants to try paragliding in Pokhara.
For some people, retirement may mean slowing
down and doing very little. But for June Scott,
its just another adventure. Even at 93..With an incline of 56
degree, total length of 1.8
km and a vertical drop of
600 meters, it is the tallest,
the longest and the steepest
zipline in the whole world