This story describes the situation of fieldwork in 2019. I was able to participate in the snow leopard research team that Shey Phoksundo National Park and WWF Nepal were working on together. I was overjoyed. I was in the field studying snow leopards for the second time, following my bachelor's thesis in 2018.
We left Kathmandu for Dolpa just a few days after our main festival, Dashain. We left for Jumla the next day, after a one-day interaction program in Nepalganj. I had to travel through Jumla to reach my work block in Jagdgulla.
Despite being from Karnali, I have never had the opportunity to visit the western Himalayas. My grandfather tells me that some of my ancestors moved from Jumla to Salyan before 13 generations. I was overjoyed to see where my ancestors were born. My friend Amrit, my senior Purnaman, and I were the three people assigned to work in the Jagdulla block of Shey Phoksundo National Park.
When we arrived in Jumla, we were served a meal made of Marsi rice, which is grown at the highest elevation on Earth. We then went to visit the market. Jumla was fantastic- an apple orchard with cool people and a cool vibe. We met my junior, Pranil, in Jumla. He took us to his apple orchard. The apple from his orchard was the most delicious and juicy. Following that, I met other senior foresters in Jumla, including my brothers Mahendra and Tejendra, as well as my high school friend Aashutosh, whom we had met by chance.
The following day, we set out for Jagdulla Block, passing through Maure Lek, Guthichour, Kaigaun, and Hurikot. Hurikot was the last village before reaching the mountains, and we stayed there for two days. We began gathering the supplies and food that would be required for the fieldwork. We also had an excellent opportunity to meet members of the snow leopard conservation committee, national park staff, and locals who would assist us with our field surveys. We also discussed our field plans and trained the locals on how to use GPS, binoculars, data forms, and camera traps.
We began ascending on the eighth day.
Furthermore, we were informed that there would be no phone calls for the next few weeks, as we were already aware that there would be no tower after Hurikot. We went to the field as a group of 17 and began our surveys.
Jagdulla Block is named after Jagdul Lake. Despite its beauty, Jagdulla was a real challenge to work with. You had to walk on all fours in a lot of places. The food was prepared at eight in the morning. We used to eat dinner, leave for work, and return late at night. For the past few days, I have had trouble sleeping, possibly due to the cold.
It was the sixteenth day of the Dolpa stay. We were at 'Lingcho' setting up tents.
All arrangements were good, except for drinking water. It took about 45 minutes to 1 hour to go to the waterfall to get water.
We arrived in the evening. Friends came with two jars of water. We cooked and ate well. We all ate with spoons as there was not enough water to wash the dishes.
We all licked the plates and spoons before packing them into our bags. We used to do the same in places without water. Our mobile phones barely worked. We used to watch movies, take pictures, and play Ludo every night before bedtime. We used to sleep in tents inside open caves where it was warm.
Lingcho, perhaps that place will never be forgotten. On day seventeen, we arrived in Lingcho. It felt almost like getting used to those old and scary roads around Jagdulla. But Lingcho was different. It was different than anyone could imagine.
Except for the 17 of us, no one else was in the area. Some of them had already visited Lingcho, but many of us had not. Some of our friends suggested that because there were no trails, we would need a rope and a strong mindset to cross the Lingcho.
We were also running low on food. Some friends went to camp near the village to bring food and rope, where we had hidden half of our food on the ninth day.
Many of us were intrigued by the location, which had no trail and required us to climb with a rope around our waists. Lingcho can only accommodate a limited number of visitors at a single time. So, half of us stayed near a small bridge above the deep gorge.
Below was a deep gorge, above was a breathtaking bridge of Himalayan birch (Betula utilis) branches, and one could hear creaking when one tried to walk. We then prepared to climb, taking turns, by tying the rope around our waists.
Two of our friends have previously gone there to harvest Yarshaguma (Cordyceps sinensis). They were too skilled, as they climbed to the top and tied the rope to the Himalayan birch tree.
The heart was trembling, the lips were dry, and the heart was heavy with tragedy. A short rope around our waists held many desires together. We all shouted with joy as we reached the top, and it could be heard all over the mountain.
We arrived in Kathmandu on day 34, having successfully completed the fieldwork. We talked about the same fieldwork for days after arriving in Kathmandu. Even now, friends who worked together in Dolpa discuss their experiences in Lingcho. It's surprising to find such places in Nepal.
I'm grateful to everyone who helped out at Jagdulla Block in Shey Phoksundo National Park. Without their unwavering support, I would never have returned to my home.
The 'Lingcho' and the fieldwork at Dolpa have taught me a lot about life. I'll always be grateful to them.
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