This photo was taken by me in 1986 likely in February of Tarke Gyan, Nepal. We had just returned to Nepal from 2 months in India and Dharamshala and New Delhi and Varanasi and Bodhgaya by bus. We stayed at the Snow Lion Inn in Bodhanath near the STupa there and the family whose hotel this was had a son about 20 who became our guide through about a 50 mile trek through the Himalayas across suspension bridges in various states of repair with winds sometimes while porters carried things like aluminum roof pieces in the winds across these suspension bridges because there were no helicopter landing pads yet in these areas because no roads could be built without them being washed away during monsoon rains. So, at this point anything that went into Helambu was carried. If you had an accident like breaking your leg, If someone didn't carry you to safety you just died and that's all she wrote. There were 5 of us so we felt generally safe because my wife then and I were 37 with our 3 kids 10, 12 and 14 and were experienced mountain climbers and backpackers from the U.S. so we felt safe doing this as we all were in excellent physical condition at the time. But, when we got our trekking permits in Kathmandu there were many pictures of dead westerners who were not prepared for one reason or another and broke limbs, got sick, didn't get help and just died there. So, the Nepalese government wanted people to know it wasn't the U.S. where a helicopter might rescue you. nope. It wasn't like that then in 1986. I think we had walked many miles likely 10 to 20 miles from the nearest dirt road a bus can drop you off at to get to this location which was between 9000 and 10,000 feet in elevation. It snowed there while we were there. People didn't use heaters to stay warm all they had were cooking fires without chimneys in the middle of their houses. So, the eves high up were all smoky from cooking food for many years. They had copper plates and things because breaking something couldn't easily be replaced. They ate Momos which are dumplings with potatoes or sheep or other meats inside them and vegetables and sometimes had candy for the children. But, unless you had warm clothes you often were cold in February when it snowed. Everything was done on foot then and Kathmandu was likely a 10 to 20 mile walk(hike because during this hike you would have to descend over 5000 feet in elevation across swinging suspension bridges in the winds, rain or snow or other difficult weather because it was winter time in February) and then a taxi (if you could find one) or waiting for the bus. So, even going to Kathmandu would be a 2 day or more affair if you lived in Tarke Gyan. There was no electricity and people either used candles or lanterns for light at night or the campfires in the middle of the room next to usually a Sherpa Alter which would be Tibetan Buddhist because Sherpa villages like this are generally Tibetan Buddhist (or at least they were then over 30 years ago now here in 2018). They either had water piped to their houses or gathered buckets of water from the nearest spring.
Imagine this hamlet was high on a bluff where canyons went down at least 4000 to 6000 feet. Though it looks like it could be down low it is actually way up high on a bluff at 9000 to 10,000 feet and it snowed the next day after this picture was taken then in February 1986. Also we were surrounded by mountains like Langtang peak which is 23,734 feet high. So, climbers often walked past or stayed in Tarke Gyan on the way to climb Langtang peak. I was with my family then and 9000 to 10,000 feet elevation was enough danger for us. Like I said before no one was going to rescue you by helicopter back then even though you were 10 to 20 miles or more from the nearest road (even dirt road then). I saw a sick woman being carried piggy back across a rickety narrow suspension bridge one day and wondered what we all were doing that far from civilization and Kathmandu where there is medical care.
Langtang Himal
| Peak | elevation |
|---|
| Langtang Lirung | 7,234 m (23,734 ft) |
| Langtang Ri | 7,205 m (23,638 ft) |
| Dorje Lakpa | 6,966 m (22,854 ft) |
| Loenpo Gang | 6,979 m (22,897 ft) |
9 more rows
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langtang
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langtang
Langtang is a region in the Himalayas of Nepal to the north of the Kathmandu Valley and bordering Tibet. The Langtang National Park is located in the area. About 4,500 people live inside the park, and many more depend on it for timber and firewood. The majority of the residents are Tamang. The park contains a wide ...
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