People of Nepal of People people of nepal Nepal has the most remarkable mosaic of ethnic groups in all of the Himalayan countries. It is home to more than 60 different peoples with their own culture and often their own language. Their lifestyle, their economy and the construction styles of their houses are tailored to suit the altitude and the climate zone. People of Nepal is a cross-section of Nepal. In photographing the people, Robert Eckhardt follows the geography and the vegetation zones from low to high: from the semi-tropical Terai to the cold Tibetan Plateau that lies to the north of the main range of the Himalayas. From the Tharu people, originally from India, to the Tibetan Bothiya in the northern regions – from Hinduism to Buddhism. It is with deep respect that Eckhardt has portrayed the many faces of all these different communities. The result is a stunning, sometimes moving book. from the foreword by peter habeler ‘In April 2015, when I wrote the foreword for Robert’s book, we had no way of knowing that Nepal would soon be hit by a terrible earthquake. I now realise that this book has become Robert Eckhardt enormously important, because People of Nepal is probably the last photo book of Nepal just before the earthquake. It includes photos of places that no longer exist. But the book also shows many places that were not destroyed by this catastrophe. With his stunning, sometimes moving portraits, you just feel how signifi cantly Robert is involved with the fate of the Nepalese people’. robert eckhardt is a photographer and one of the most experienced alpinists in the Netherlands. He climbed more than a thousand mountain peaks; nine of which can be found in the Himalayan range. During his travels and trekkings through Nepal he quickly discovered that the Himalayas are more than just mountains. The region is also home to many people. Eckhardt gradually became captivated by a world from which he could no longer escape. Every time he goes back to Nepal, he returns to areas where he can still photograph the authentic people, with their roots in the distant past. He has published four books. The most important are Passie voor een Berg (Passion for a Mountain), his alpine biography, and Grenzeloos Verlangen – tweehonderd jaar alpinisme (Limitless Longing – two hundred years of alpinism; with co-author Mark van Hattem), a research into the history of two centuries of alpinism. Eckhardt also writes for national and international magazines and gives multimedia presentations. I SBN 978-94-62261-594 People of Nepal Robert Eckhardt 9 789462 261594 Lecturis Lecturis People of Nepal Robert Eckhardt Contents Foreword 16 The earthquake on 25 April 2015 17 A journey through Nepal 19 Map of Nepal 24 Contents Foreword Terai Kathmandu Valley Foothills 16 26 64 102 The earthquake on 25 April 2015 17 A journey through Nepal 19 Map of Nepal 24 Juguda 28 Bodnath 66 Bandipur and Tansen 104 Gola 34 Svajambunath 72 Myagdi and Rukum 108 Thakurdwara 46 Kathmandu 78 Okhaldhunga 116 Megauli 52 Kirtipur and Bungamati 84 Salyan 124 Barwa 58 Patan 88 Namobuddha and Bhaktapur 96 Himalaya Tibetan Plateau 136 188 Dhaulagiri Himal 138 Thuli Bheri Khola Valley 190 Annapurna Himal 142 Barbung Khola Valley 196 Ganesh Himal 156 Charkabot 204 Tama Koshi Valley 166 Nar and Phu 212 Rolwaling Himal 182 15 Foreword In April 2015, when I wrote the foreword for Robert’s Our group consisted of a number of Viennese climbers book, we had no way of knowing that Nepal would soon and friends of mine from Tirol. Robert and I were the be hit by a terrible earthquake. I now realise that this only ones able to climb to the summit of this stunning book has become enormously important, because People mountain. Other climbers in our group also made an of Nepal is probably the last photo book of Nepal just attempt, but were forced to abort when they found the before the earthquake. It includes photos of places that rock passages above camp 2 too difficult and dangerous. no longer exist. But the book also shows many places I got to know Robert much better on Ama Dablam. that are not destroyed by this catastrophe. With his He was an excellent, passionate mountain climber who stunning, sometimes moving portraits, you just feel could focus very well on the objective. He reached the how significantly Robert is involved with the fate of the top solo, under unfavourable conditions. He was also Nepalese people. the first Dutchman on Ama Dablam. With this climb, Robert’s boyhood dream came true. However, it should When you open People of Nepal and look at the impressive also be mentioned that his long climbing career has photos taken by Robert Eckhardt in Nepal of the land- included many famous, often steep and challenging scape, the mountains and especially the people, you alpine climbs throughout the Alps and beyond. immediately understand his great love for this incredibly Dear reader, you will see two different sides of Robert beautiful country and its friendly people. Robert has Eckhardt. On Ama Dablam he was the ‘hard’ man, a travelled to Nepal many times, he has lived with the person dedicated to the alpine goal for who no route was people there and learned their customs. Nepal has too steep or too difficult. But in his book People of Nepal become his second homeland. When you read his texts, we primarily see his ‘soft’ side, the man who has come to written with a great depth of knowledge, his considera- love Nepal and its inhabitants with great warmth and ble respect for Nepalese culture is particularly evident. emotion. The land of many eight-thousanders has also become a second home for me. I have travelled to Nepal more Look at these photos properly, time and again. Luckily than fifty times. The Himalayas and the wonderful vil- not all of the old Nepal was destroyed and many places lages with their welcoming people, ensured me every were not even touched by the earthquakes. The book time a beautiful trekking. also communicates an invitation; travelling to Nepal, I can still clearly remember the things I experienced especially now, is of great support to the Nepalese during the approach routes to the eight-thousanders people. It may take a while, but from the ruined houses I climbed, such as Mount Everest, Cho Oyu and we will eventually hear the laughter of children again Kangchenjunga. Particularly vivid are of course my and the invitations to come in. We must not forget memories of the time that Reinhold Messner and I were Nepal, it will need a lot of help in the years to come. on the way to Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth. Messner and I were, in 1978, the first to climb the mountain without supplementary oxygen. Peter Habeler, Finkenberg, 25 June 2015 On route to the eight-thousanders I regularly trav- elled through striking landscapes. I often thought: ‘Will I ever come back here?’, in the knowledge that fate could quite easily decide that I would lose my life on a steep mountain face or a narrow ridge. My friend Robert understands this perfectly, because two decades ago we travelled to the ‘world’s most beautiful mountain’, the Ama Dablam, in the same region as Mount Everest. 16 Foreword The earthquake on 25 April 2015 In April 2015, when I wrote the foreword for Robert’s Our group consisted of a number of Viennese climbers On Saturday 25 April 2015, at 11:56 am, the earth in Nepal Nepali Times of 1-7 May 2015, which was dedicated to the book, we had no way of knowing that Nepal would soon and friends of mine from Tirol. Robert and I were the shook with a force of 7.8 on the Richter Scale. The epi- earthquake. be hit by a terrible earthquake. I now realise that this only ones able to climb to the summit of this stunning centre was in the district of Gorkha. The earthquake book has become enormously important, because People mountain. Other climbers in our group also made an mainly hit the Kathmandu Valley, the surrounding hills sahina shrestha The avalanche of ice and rocks fell of Nepal is probably the last photo book of Nepal just attempt, but were forced to abort when they found the and the Himalayan districts from Gorkha to Solu Khumbu. on the village of Langtang just after the ground started before the earthquake. It includes photos of places that rock passages above camp 2 too difficult and dangerous. On 12 May, Nepal was once again hit by an earthquake shaking. Before the debris had engulfed them, the family of no longer exist. But the book also shows many places I got to know Robert much better on Ama Dablam. with a magnitude of 7.3. The epicentre this time was in Dawa Tamang could run for safety. This family was lucky; that are not destroyed by this catastrophe. With his He was an excellent, passionate mountain climber who the district of Dolakha. The earthquakes claimed more nearly all the 200 inhabitants of this tiny village are pre- stunning, sometimes moving portraits, you just feel could focus very well on the objective. He reached the than 9000 victims, the biggest humanitarian disaster ever sumed to have perished. ‘The entire village is gone, our how significantly Robert is involved with the fate of the top solo, under unfavourable conditions. He was also to hit a Himalayan country. In the monsoon – the wet house is gone, where can I go once this is over?’, asks Dawa.