The Tsum valley is located in the Ghorka region of Nepal. It is a side valley off of the major Manasalu trek.  Etablished in the 12th century, Ghorka borders Tibet and the culture reflects that. Steeped in Tibetan Buddhism, the Sherpa, Gurung and Tibetan languages are spoken here. The valley is nestled among large peaks and provides access and trading for locals with Tibet. The Ganesh Himal peaks form one border of the region. Our journey took us up to Dupchet the head of the valley where the trail splits. We hiked to a high point of 4400 meters and looked out on the border of Tibet, then into the base camp of Ganesh Himal where we were dwarfed by the 7000 meter peaks!

( check out interactive map click here)

Admission to the valley comes at a “steep” price. the intense up hill climbs end in a wide fertile valley. The small villages are tucked in among the many fields where people grow barley, potatos and buckwheat. 

People here live a rural mountain life. Women in the fields spread compost by hand out of BIG baskets that they carry with a strap on their forehead. These same hands will make dinner possibly on a gas stove but more likely over open fire of wood and yak dung…..breathing in smoke and tending their children…. all makes my life look so easy (which it is!). Life is hard and simple in these mountains. It hit home watching the man till his field with 2 buff pulling a hand plow, something I remember from my 9th grade geography textbook. Images like that are part of daily life here. 

women spreading compost by hand. They start early in the morning! I can’t imagine what a full basket of compost weighs.
The kitchen at Lungdang Gumpa. You can just make out the embers under the tea pot in the lower right. The nun was feeding 20 people at night from this kitchen!
Fuel resources – wood and dung drying on the walls! There are few trees. Nothing is wasted here.
A traditional sherpa home. Note the large copper bowls. This is a guest house we stayed at. The tables are for tourist eating.
Mule caravan coming back from Tibet. The border is only open 2 times a year for 3 – 4 weeks.

All of this against a back drop of stunning beauty and spiritual practice. The landscape is characterized by prayer flags, mani-walls and chortens. These are all traditional elements of Tibetan Buddhism. A chorten is built when some one dies. Certain Llamas are required to carve the stones, usually with the words “om Mani padme hum” on them.  These are placed on the chortens and each time someone passes or views the stones compassion is bestowed upon the family.

Walking in the Tsum valley.
Always walk to the left side of the Mani wall. The walls in this valley are particularly long.

 

A stupa along the trail. Buddha eyes are always watching.
Prayer flags show up many places and often where one wants good luck, like bridge crossings and high passes.
A chorten and small monestary high up on the trail.
This is the Om Mani padme hum inscription.
Looking up valley. The trail is lined by rock fences here which protect the fields from cattle.
Prayer flags marking the Milerapa cave. A spiritual sight of the goddess Milarepa. She was last seen at this spot before ascending to the sky.
A chorten we made for Izzy, Mike’s dog who passed the day before he left for Nepal.
Mani walls are constant companions as well as providing direction for travelers.

The valley is littered with monestarys. Some are small with just a few monks or Lamas, some are large teaching monestarys like Rangen Gumpa, that has 60 female student nuns. Some houses have private monestarys attached.  Whatever the size these monestarys are ornate and colorful! They have altars and prayer wheels. Some prayer wheels can be 6 feet tall which makes you wonder how they got there! We stayed at a few monestarys including Mu Gumpa at the head of the valley. We had the true fortune of staying in one of the lamas quarters.

Ornate Rangen Gumpa. Always a picture of the Dalai Llama on the altars.
The nuns or “anis” (Nepali word) at morning Puja.
The meditation space at the Milarepa cave. Some monks come and live in this space for months of meditation.
Prayer wheel in a small monestary.
Small or large, monestarys are ornate and colorful. Buddha’s are displayed in the cases.
The home of our Lama friend who offered us shelter at Mu Gumpa!
Our lama friend. Thank you! We helped treat his eye a little bit, it had swollen up for some reason.

The spirituality is everywhere – in the daily puja of people in there homes, in walking past mani walls, in the chanting and horn blowing one hears as they pass a monestary. The spirituality is a way of life here and the stupas, chortens and mani walls are physical reminders as you move through the day.

Nunnery above Mu Gumpa. The Ani’s were very fun.
Views from our high point of 4400 meters!
Looking out at Tibet border in the distance.
The absolutely awe-inspiring scenery of the Himalayas.

Remnants of earthquake damage from 2015 are all over, many places busy rebuilding, which is slow when you make your lumber by hand. Rock construction is the norm as it is in great abundance. They break the rock with a big sledge hammer. (I shall never complain about a hard days work again!). One monestary that was particularly hard hit was Lungdang Gumpa in the Ganesh valley. 

The Lungdang Gumpa and it’s efforts to rebuild. Most buildings were ruined. That is Ganesha l in the distance.
Rebuilding the monestary. The flower represents how strong and resilient these people are.
Our greatest fortune to meet Lama Sherap, the highest lama in this region for this Buddhist sect. He was here overseeing some rebuilding of the monestary. Note his accommodations, a tent.

Traveling through the Tsum valley was magical, a true gem.