Himalaya

The Himalaya, the ‘abode of snows’ ranges from Pakistan in the west all the way to Assam in eastern India. An unbroken chain of the youngest and highest mountains on earth it spans regions of deep spirituality, tradition and great diversity. Lying mostly above 4500 metres, the aptly named ‘roof of the world’ Tibet houses such treasures as the holy Mount Kailash, throne of Siva to the Hindus and the soul of Tibet. Bhutanese tsechu (festivals) rival those anywhere in the world for pure pageantry and if Nepal had a seaboard it would have it all. The charming Indian hill stations like Darjeeling and Simla evoke the British Raj and Concordia in Pakistan hosts some of the most awesome mountain views on the planet.

CLIMATE

The Himalaya climate is primarily dependent on two main factors, altitude and time of year. Most of the precipitation in the Himalaya occurs during the summer monsoon emanating in June from the southeast in Sikkim and drifting along the chain over three months before breaking up over the Karakorum in October. October to March bear witness to clear dry warm weather and clear skies during the day but temperatures can plunge at night especially at altitude. To the North Dolpo, Mustang and Tibet receive much less rain being generally high, dry, windy and cold even in summer.

GEOGRAPHY

From Nanga Parbat (8125m) in Pakistan to Namche Barwa in the east, the range holds 14 peaks over 8000 metres including Chomolongma (Tibetan), Sagarmatha (Nepali) or Mount Everest, as we know it, astride the border at 8850 metres. 60 million years ago the Eurasion continent and the Indo-Australian plates came together buckling the earth’s crust as the Eurasion plate was forced upwards. The folding and upheaval continue today as rivers emanating from the high Tibetan plateau erode their deep gorges, apace with the uplifting process, draining onto the low plains of the Indian Sub-continent (hence the Yarlong Tsangpo in Tibet flows out of the Himalaya as the Brahmaputra).

CULTURE

Extending over 2500 km and with a width between 200-300 km the range traverses a multitude of distinct regions of culture, ethnicity, tradition and religion with the common thread of a deep reverence for the mighty peaks fundamental to them all. Tibetan Buddhism, Bon and other animist, pre-buddhist faiths prevail in the high ancient realms of Tibet, Bhutan, Dolpo, Mustang and amongst the Sherpas of Nepal, while Hinduism holds sway in the Indian Himalaya with Islam confined to mainly in the Karakoum. Multi-coloured prayer flags adorn passes and trails are dotted with mani stones, stupa and chortens with the odd remote monastery dwarfed by the vast terrain.

WILDLIFE

Reflecting the decrease in annual precipitation to the western end of the range, trees grow to a much higher elevation at the wetter eastern end, with the rhododendron forests blooming from March to May and other famous species being the pipal and banyan trees and not forgetting many species of orchid. Apart from the yeti of course, the Himalaya sustain a wide variety fauna from the illusive snow leopard and their prey the blue sheep, the soaring lammergeyer and the perfectly adapted beast of burden the yak.