Founded in 2003, Initiative Outdoor is a Nepal-based outdoor leadership school and multi-sport adventure company, focused on providing wilderness first aid, technical rescue and leadership development to organizations and individuals. IO courses are based in Nepal’s incredible wilderness and consist of activities such as white water rafting and kayaking, hiking, mountaineering, rock climbing, canyoning and caving. Our aspiration is to empower people. We strive to help individuals develop vision, practice leadership and teamwork skills and to create members of society who are tolerant in the face of adversity, respect diversity and who are aware and respectful of their environment
Chandra has been living and working outdoors sports since the late ‘80s. He has trekked extensively throughout Nepal in the Annapurna, the Khumbu, the Ganesh Himal and Langtang regions. He started working as a river guide in 1992 and has progressed through a series of roles such as trip leader, senior guide, operations manager including completing the first Nepali descent of the Maha Kali and Upper Seti rivers (1999), both of which are solid Class V whitewater. Chandra has both worked professionally and explored personal goals outside of Nepal, on rivers and in mountains, in fields such such as ice-climbing in Norway, rafting in Japan and Canada and climbing and trekking in the USA. Much of Chandra’s expertise comes from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in Wyoming, USA. He is a registered instructor with Rescue3 International and SOLO School of Wilderness Medicine based in USA. He works as the lead instructor in Wilderness First Aid, Swiftwater and Whitewater Rescue. Having seen the emphasis placed on outdoor education, rescue, first aid and professionalism in other countries, Chandra is determined to bring the same personal development skills to Nepal’s youth and tourism industry to ensure they are not denied the same well-rounded education as being offered overseas.
