Ski festival has kicked off in Kalinchok of Dolakha by installing a ski lift for the first time in Nepal.

Suk Dev Thapa of Dolakha was the first person to test the ski lift installed at the Kuri area of Kalinchok, perched at an altitude of 3,842 metres from sea level with the help of a rope.

Inaugurating the 60-metre long ski lift made for snow lovers on Tuesday, lawmaker and Nepal Olympic Committee Chairman Jeevan Ram Shrestha said that the ski game could serve as a boon to tourism industry in the country.

Ski and Snowboarding Foundation Nepal organised the two-month long festival with an aim to make Kuri of Kalinchok a popular Ski Park.

Chairman of Ski and Snowboarding Foundation Nepal Utsav Pathak said that around 10,000 domestic and international tourists are expected to visit the place within a span of two months.

Saying that Nepali engineers prepared the ski lift at a total cost of Rs 1.3 million, he said that this is the first ski lift of Nepal.

Kalinchok, a famous Hindu pilgrimage site with beautiful sceneries, has a cable car and standard hotels for visitors.

Shrestha said that Kalinchok will be packed with tourists in every winter season from this year due to the ski adventure.

He said that if Nepal could develop winter sports, the international tourists can be attracted even in the winter season which is otherwise considered as off season.