A newly-opened pass in eastern Nepal links two of the world's tallest peaks and opens a window on the rarely visited home of mountain peoples

Treasures of the snowStory and photography by David Ducoin

64

— November/December 2014

Himalayas 65

a world of wateras the arun river flows out of

tibet across the main Himalayan ranges, it leaves their rain shadow.

Its volume then surges as it is fuelled by the monsoonal climate

of eastern Nepal.

November/December 2014 —

In northeastern nepal sIt the world's most easterly 8,000-metre peaks - Kangchenjunga, third-highest in the world at 8,586 metres, and makalu, fifth-highest at 8,463 metres. each is the centerpiece of a national park, protected areas that include not just high alpine environments but also lush lower hills, home to a mosaic of indigenous tribes. through these lands run a system of pathways, arteries of commerce and today part of the Great himalayan trail (Ght) project. In 2012, a high pass named the lumbasumba la was opened to trekkers after an expedition by the trekking agencies association of nepal (taan). long in use by the peoples of the area, it offers a wild and beautiful way to connect the base camps of the two great peaks, using the charming arun Valley.

67

November/December 2014 —

66

— November/December 2014

Himalayas

goINg out oN a lImb? a rustic bridge tests the nerve of hikers on the trail between

barun dovan and gola.

at Home IN tHe aruN above: a typical limbu house in lower ekuwa village. the limbu belong to the Kirati nation of peoples that mostly inhabit the middle hills of Nepal. right: the steep trail to Chyamtang from the top of the valley is still more treacherous after rain, which also brings the leeches out.

69

November/December 2014 —

68

— November/December 2014

Himalayas

gIve aNd taKe facing page: tamor bridge on the river of the same name. every year the the rains sweep away bridges such as this one, forcing locals to trade with tibetans over the border until links to the south are restored in the early fall. left: blinded by smoke, a local daredevil dances an aerial ballet on a system of ropes and poles to collect much-prized honey.

taKINg No CHaNCes Cutting wood is forbidden in

the makalu barun National Park but officials generally tolerate

locals who rely on it for fuel and roofing materials.

70

— November/December 2014

71

November/December 2014 —

Himalayas

ImItatINg Nature? above: thudam is a remote village far beyond roads and just a few hours from the border. Here, people breed yaks and barter wood with their tibetan brothers for supplies. right: making annual repairs in olangchungola, another tibetan village. roof shingles last five to eight years and are replaced on a given day, dictated each year by the local lama.

guardIaNs of KNowledge above: tsering dorje, 80 years old, tells tales as the women of his family make momos. drying loaves of yak cheese hang like

gold bars overhead. left: Kushuk Phula is lama of the second oldest monastery in Nepal, founded 450 years ago. Its dusty library houses

108 sacred volumes of Kangyur (translation of the word) and 225

volumes of tangyur (translation of the treatises).

72 73

— November/December 2014 November/December 2014 —

Himalayas

PracticalitieSWhen to goOctober and November are the best months: after the monsoon and before the first snow. Spring (april/May) sees the rhohodendrons in bloom but clear skies are less guaranteed than in autumn.

How to get therethe route taken by the author was from the airport at Suketar (near taplejung) to the one at tumlingtar. Domestic carriers connect these points with Kathmandu and the obvious indian hubs. For two days the party followed the regular route to Kangchenjunga, then branched off to the west to the village of Olangchungola, climbing over the lumbasumba pass to descend the arun valley.

ContactsBe careful of cheap trekking deals in Kathmandu: eating only rice and lentils might be ok, but getting lost because you don’t have a good guide is more a problem. the author used royal Mountain travel, www.royalmt.com.np, and also recommends Yatra Himalayan adventures, www.yatrahimalaya.com. the Mountain company, www.themountaincompany.co.uk, in the UK also offers this kind of off-the-beaten track itinerary.

lIgHtINg tHe way the path over the 5,200-metre lumbasumba pass is rarely used and unpredictable. In Kathmandu, guides who know the route can be counted on the fingers of a single hand.

a trIbal KaleIdosCoPe Chyamthang bhote lies at the Nepalese

end of the spectrum of peoples in the valley, readily identified by its bamboo

roofs, crops of rice and millet, stone chortens and prayer flags.