Published 14th Feb, 2019
Honey hunting is culturally significant and has been in practice since centuries in Nepal. Earlier, it was undertaken twice a year during the festivities of Udhauli and Ubhauli. Indigenous Himalayan folks have been practicing this art in a bid to extract the purest form of honey. While a tradition, Honey hunting is also done for medicinal values of honey. Consumption of honey supports metabolism and helps improve immunity. Effects of honey help maintain body temperature which is significant if you are a Himalayan native. No wonder these natives risk their lives for this edible molten gold. Also believed is that honey obtained from the hives of those wild bees has a peculiar hallucinating characteristic, which, recently, has attracted those seeking natural highs.
Naturally,
honey is harvested at different locales but honey hunting is carried
out in the remote hillside, by the Himalayas. Let’s get to know the
major aspects of this trip.
Hunt for honey is carried out in different locations. The two major locales, however, are Lamjung and Hinku Valley. In Lamjung, natives of Marsayangdi organize scheduled honey hunting twice a year at Chopli cliff. This region is North West of Kathmandu City. A 6-hour bus ride along Prithvi Highway will take you to Lamjung via Besisahar. A pristine landscape accompanied by Trishuli and Marsayangdi River makes up a majestic ride.
The other popular Honey hunting game is carried out in Hinku Valley. This valley, northeast of Kathmandu, lies in the Khumbu region which is famous for trekking and mountaineering activities. A flight from Kathmandu to Lukla and a hike along the Everest trail will take you to this famous site, also famous for the scaling of Mount Kusum Khangkaru (6367m).
With a village full of
hospitable locals, enjoy your stay and expect to observe daring ventures
of men who take on this game hunting with vigor.
Honey hunting practices in Lamjung, as well as Hinku valley, have the same rituals. Gurung community and locals organize this event and take the lead on formalities plus rituals leading up to the hunt.
It all starts with a blessing to the participants and elders take a lead early in the morning. With a customary reverence of cliff gods and deities, the hunting party along with visiting group embarks on a hunting trip. First up, the cliff! The hunting party takes up a trail to the summit. The visiting group finds a spot beneath the cliff with a bird’s eye view of bee-hives that will be a battleground in some time.
The hunting party readies its weapon, essentially a blade tide at one end of a long bamboo stick. This is used to take down the hive and collect honeycomb. A second bamboo stick is used to center a basket below honeycomb in order for that to fall directly onto the basket. A team lowers custom made ladder off the top of the cliff as a brave hunter climbs down this ladder until eye-to-eye with the bees. He then carefully places a packet of smoke (generally a bunch of leaves set on fire) to subdue the bees. Cutting through the hive as bees are distracted by the smoke, the hunter carefully accomplishes his mission.
Finally,
the collected honeycombs drop onto a basket hanging from a rope which
is then lowered down to the collectors watching this event from the
bottom of the cliff.
Arriving with fresh-off-the-cliff honeycombs, in overall, is an overwhelming feeling. Having witnessed a courageous act, the honey out of collected honeycombs is purest. Best in the World, no doubt! It is so pure that it is believed to hallucinate people when consumed above the average amount. A few sips can make you drowsy. The honeycomb itself is a delicacy and locals fight to have a bite.
Honey hunting in Lamjung and Hinku valley is more than what meets the eye. While the harvested honey is also available at prices set by the locals themselves, a honey hunting trip in Nepal has become a tourist attraction and a source of revenue owing to visits by enthusiasts from across the globe. Let's face it, nothing can be as challenging as fighting a swarm of bee, dangling off a cliff face, balancing onto a skeptical rope ladder while making sure the collection of honeycomb doesn't fall off. Be a spectator or dare to try it yourself! Honey Hunting is an off-the-book adventure in Nepal.