Utsav Pathak

Utsav Pathak is a Nepalese skier, snow sports promoter and organizational leader, best know as the president and founder of Ski and Snowboarding Foundation Nepal (NFSS), a non profit organization focused on the development of skiing and snowboarding in Nepal.^[1][2] His work is associated with the early intuitional growth of snow sports and ski tourism in the country.^[3][4][5]

Utsav Pathak in Annapurna Sanctuary to Ski

Utsav Pathak

Personal information
Nationality	Nepali
Born	Dolakha, Nepal
Education	Bachelor in Travel and Tourism Management
Years active	2016-Present

In 2016, at about 20 years old, Pathak tried skiing for the first time — a sport he had only known through media. That experience helped solidify his conviction that skiing could become more than a novelty in his home country.^[1]

Activities and achievements

• The first ski and snowboard course by NFSS took place in 2016 near Rolwaling (Naa valley), Dolakha. International instructors arrived with donated equipment — marking a milestone for winter sports training in Nepal.^[6][1]
• NFSS has expanded ski and snowboard training and events across various Himalayan regions including Humla, Manang, Solu-Khumbu, and Kalinchowk.^[7][8]
• In 2019, NFSS installed what was reported as the first ski lift in Nepal — a 60-metre rope tow at Kuri, Kalinchowk — aiming to develop a local ski park and promote winter tourism.^[9]

• 

  Ski mountaineering in mera peak

  In 2022, NFSS was nominated for the UIAA Mountain Protection Award (MPA), recognizing its work in sustainable mountain tourism and promoting skiing among Nepalese youth.^[10]
• According to recent reports, over a thousand Nepalis have undergone training via NFSS, and a portion are continuing skiing long-term or working as ski guides.^[1]

• The organization has also planned more ambitious ski-mountaineering expeditions (for example on peaks like Mera Peak), aiming to combine mountaineering and skiing — which could open opportunities for international ski-mountaineering participation.^[11]

Vision and impacts

Pathak and NFSS view skiing not just as a sport, but as a means to: diversify Nepal’s tourism beyond trekking and peak-climbing; revive winter tourism seasons; create livelihood opportunities in remote Himalayan communities; and promote environmental awareness — by training guides in skiing and avalanche safety, and by encouraging sustainable mountain tourism.^[10]

While skiing remains a niche activity in Nepal compared to trekking and mountaineering, the efforts of Pathak and NFSS have played a pioneering role in building snow-sport culture, infrastructure, and local capacity — potentially laying the foundations for future growth of skiing and ski-mountaineering in Nepal.