Of the more adventurous trips I have been on, this was the most humbling, and it is not hard to explain why. The Manaslu region had only been open to trekkers for a year or so, and locals were not used to foreigners invading their patch. As a result they were engagingly curious. The downside of this was that they saw the two of us, my wife and myself, as harbingers of good things medical. So we were approached at fairly regular intervals by people in distress over various ailments. Most mentionable by far was an incident in Jagat where a frantic father brought his five-year-old daughter to us with a fresh and very deep wound from a dog-bite.
The villagers were convinced that the dog was rabid, and there were no grounds for doubting them. So there was my wife, with hands shaking, trying to wrap a bandage around the forearm of a screaming little one, while her father held her arm tight. But both of us knew that we were papering over a very serious crack indeed. That child had to be taken to Gorkha, a three-day walk away, as quickly as possible. Had we done all that we could? Is that child still alive? We will never know, but it sobered us rather, and the fairyland setting of this wonderful area was less enjoyed than it would have been.

Part of Khumbu Himal seen from
 Nagarkot, Numbur on the left

Ganesh Himal from Nagarkot

Jugal Himal (Dorje Lapka)
from Nagarkot

Porter at Namru

Rice paddy between
Khanchok and Arughat

 

Nima, our guide, sirdar and friend

Painted chickens near Khanchok

Children at Lena

Bridge over Dorbi Khola,
just past Doban

Mimmicking my photographic
technique at Ghata Khola

Mimmicking my photographic
technique at Ghata Khola

Mimmicking my photographic
technique at Ghata Khola

Children near Ghorka

Children near Ghorka

Village children in Shanti Bazaar

Burhi Gandaki near Labubensi

Quaint English greeting sign,
Arughat Bazaar

Porter above Jagat

Carlos Carsolio and brother, Atli

Adriana Swarbrick entertaining
local children at Shanti Bazaar

Burhi Gandaki near Ghap

Kutang Himal group
from Namru

Another young mimmick
on the round-Manaslu trek

Sheltering from the rain at confluence of
Yaru Khola and Buri Gandaki rivers

Manaslu from Syela

Camp at Syela

Peaks of Kutang Himal from Syela

Ngadi Chuli from Syela

Ngadi Chuli and Manaslu from Syela

Manaslu from Syela

Manaslu from near
Sama Gompa

Pungen group

Cheo Himal from west
side of Larkya La

Children at our Samdu camp

Khutang Himal/Pang Phuchi
from Dharmasala

Pang Phuchi from Dharmasala

Khutang Himal/Pang Phuchi
from Dharmasala

Porter approaching Larkya La,
Pang Phuchi behind

Pang Phuch from
trail to Dharmasala

Larkya Peak group from
just east of Larkya La

Larkya Peak group from
near Dharmasala

Cheo Danda group from near
Larkya La (east side)

Just to east of Larkya La,
possibly Cho Dhana behind

Looking west to Himlung Himal
from Larkya La

Cho Dhana group,
just east of Larkya La

Larkya Peak group from
trail to Dharmasala

Phungi from near Hampuk

Cheo Danda group
from Larkya La

Manaslu and Manaslu North Peak
from below Bimthang

Himlung Himal from camp at Bimthang

Phungi from near Hampuk

For image licensing or to purchase a print, contact Ian Swarbrick
e-mail: imagesfromthewild@bluewin.ch
Rehetobelstrasse 34, CH9000 St Gallen, Switzerland
Tel: 0041 71 245 29 17
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