Current condition of temples and buildings at World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu Valley following April 2015 earthquake in Nepal

On April 25th 2015 there was 7.8 Richter scale earthquake in Nepal resulting in 9,000 fatalities and 19,000 injuries mainly in Gorkha, Dhading, Lamjung, Rasuwa (Langtang), Sindupalchok and Dolaka districts. Beyond the human cost, there was a huge amount of destruction to property resulting in over 500,000 houses being destroyed throughout the country and, as widely reported in the press, a lot of damage to the World heritage Sites of Kathmandu Valley.

After the earthquake the media reports focused on the destruction at the World Heritage Sites however I was curious to find out which temples and buildings were still standing. As I was in Kathmandu I decided to inspect and to take photographs of these temples and historical buildings to find out their condition after the earthquake.

On May 12th and 13th I visited six out of the seven World Heritage Sites of Kathmandu Valley: Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Temple and Patan Durbar Square. I did not get the chance to have a look the seventh World Heritage site at Changu Narayan Temple.

It is incredibly sad to see many temples damaged and destroyed however I was surprised to also discover many were still standing and hardly affected by the earthquake. As my visit was more than two weeks after the main earthquake a lot of the debris had been cleared up by the army, police and many volunteer helpers.

From seeing these places after the earthquake I have come to the conclusion it is certainly still well worth visiting the World Heritage Sites of Kathmandu Valley. Pashupatinath Temple was barely affected; in Patan and Bhaktapur most of the temples are still standing. I was very relieved to see both Boudhanath and Swayambhunath Buddhist stupas had survived too. It seems that Kathmandu Durbar Square was worst affected by the earthquake.

I have listed below the condition of World Heritage Sites of Kathmandu Valley, please get in touch if you have any further information or changes since my visits.

Kathmandu Durbar Square

The good news is that Taleju temple known as tallest in Kathmandu survived, this is located at the north end of Durbar Square. In this area, the Jagannath Temple as well as the nearby Vishnu and Indrapur temples are also intact. The large stone image of Kala Bhairab, a manifestation of Shiva, known as God of wrath and terror is still standing.

Photo: Taleju temple after 2015 earthquake

Photo: entry to north side of Durbar Square

Over on the south side of Durbar Square the Kumari House sustained only minor damage, this is where a girl known as Kumar revered as the living goddess, lives.  Other surviving temples and buildings include Bimaheshwor Temple, Kabindradpur Sattal, House of the Priest, Mahhendreshwar Temple and Kabindra. The Shiva Parvati temple house where the Hindu gods Shiva and his consort Parvati take shelter has also survived.

Photo: Gaddi Durbar (heavily cracked) and empty plinth from destroyed Trailoka Narayan temple

Photo: rubble and debris from destroyed Kasthamandap temple 

Sadly the temples of Kasthamandap and nearby Biseshwori Mahadev as well as the tall pagoda style temples of Maju Dewal and Narayan that used to dominate Durbar Square all have completely collapsed. Trailoyka Narayan temple has been destroyed and and the large statue of Garuda, the mount of Lord Vishnu, has toppled. The nine-storey Basantapur tower overlooking Basantapur square has partially collapsed. The old royal palace at Hanuman Dhoka and also the large white palace at Gaddi Burbar has been badly damaged. The statue of King Pratap Malla in front of Hanuman Dhoka has toppled over.

Photo: Basantapur tower has partially collapsed after 2015 earthquake

Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is believed to be the oldest city in the valley dating back to Licchavi period 350 to 740 AD. The good news is that most of the temples survived however many of the older private houses collapsed around the main squares.  Fortunately the famous Pashupatinath, Nyatapola and Dattatraya temples all still standing. 

Photo: Chyasilin and Pashupatinath temples after 2015 earthquake

The Royal Palace, the magnificent Golden Gate and the palace of fifty- five windows all survived. The Statue of King Bhupatindra Malla seen on a column facing the palace is still standing as well as the nearby Chyasilin Temple rebuild recently after 1936 earthquake.

Photo: Palace of 55 windows after earthquake

Photo: Nyatapola temple after 2015 earthquake

Vatsala Durga temple between Chyaslin and Pashupatinath collapsed and Siddhi Lakshmi shikara is damaged although still standing.

Patan Durbar Square

Luckily the magnificent Royal Palace survived the earthquake and its tall pagoda of Degutale. The main temples in Durbar Square Chyasin Dega, Krishna and Bhimsen survived too. However unfortunately Hari Shankar and Char Narain temples have completely collapsed. I heard Kwa Bahal monastery complex often know as Golden Temple and Machchhendranath Temple also are still standing. 

North of Durbar Square in Swotha Square the three-tiered pagoda temple dedicated to Radha-Krishna has collapsed (I climbed onto the stone plinth during the second earthquake on May 12th).

Photo: Royal Palace and Degutale pagoda

Photo: Krishna temple to left with Garuda on pillar facing temple

Photo: Bhimsen (merchant) temple

Photo: Vishwanath temple

Boudhanath stupa

The Buddhist stupa of Boudhanath has survived the earthquake intact, some of the golden sections at the top have been dislodged however these should be repairable. I noticed one one of the smaller stupas on north -east side has collapsed.

Photo: Boudhanath stupa after 2015 earthquake

Swayambunath stupa

The Buddhist stupa of Swayambunath has survived although many of the buildings, monasteries and temples around the main stupa have been damaged and collapsed. 

Photo: Syambunath stupa after 2015 earthquake

Photo: Harati temple (Hindu)

Photo: Anantapur shikhara temple destroyed in 2015 earhquake

Photo: Karmaraj Mahavihar monastery badly damaged

Pashupatinath

There has been very little damage at Pashupatinath temple complex located on the banks of the holy Bagmati river. Sadly the ghats have been busy with cremations for the many people killed during 2015 earthquake. 

Photo: Pashupatinath temple

Photo: ghats with cremations on holy Bagmati river

The best way to help Nepal to recover from this devastating disaster is to come and visit later in the year. As you can see from these photos many of the temples and buildings of the World Heritage Sites of the Kathmandu Valley are still standing and not affected by the earthquake. There is no doubt Nepal with assistance from UNESCO and international community will rebuild many of the destroyed and damaged temples.

Please support Nepal by coming to visit for holiday this Autumn season. Most of the trekking areas in Nepal will be open apart from areas like Gorka and Langtang most severely affected, I will write an article on TMC blog with more information about where it is possible to trek once we have more information.

Please get in touch if you have any further information or updates on the current condition of these places or if you have any corrections on this blog. Thanks!

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Black-necked cranes in Bhutan

Photo: Black-necked cranes in Phobjika valley in Bhutan

A Black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis) has an average height of 1.5 meters, weighs about 5kg and lives approximately 70 to 80 years. There are an estimated 11,000 Black-necked cranes in the world and about 500 of these birds spend the winter in Bhutan. Black-necked cranes can also be found in Pakistan, China, northern India and Vietnam. Over the summer these birds breed on the Tibetan plateau, Ladakh and Kashmir then migrate to lower altitudes for the winter. It is worth pointing out that our Ladakh Sky Trail GHT itinerary passes next to Tso Kar lake known as an important breeding ground for Black-necked cranes.

Black-necked cranes migrate to Bhutan from late October to end of February. In Bhutan the cranes are called Thurung-thrung Karm and are known as “heavenly birds” because of their beauty and association with long life. Phobjikha valley is one of the best places to see these birds. There are also crane overwintering areas in Gyetsa village (start of Kitiphu Ridge trek), Jakar in Bumthang valley, Punakha and Wangdi.

Phobjika valley is accessible by road and is located 129km from Thimphu and 89km from Trongsa, after crossing Lawala Pass at 3,360m the road descends to Phobjika valley at an altitude of 2,900m. Phojikha is often called Gangtey after the name of the monastery in this valley.

Photo: beautiful Phobjika valley

Photo: Gangtey gompa in Phobjikha valley

On November 12th the annual Black-necked cranes festival is held in Phobjikha valley. The festival includes cultural and mask dances, short plays and exhibitions organised by the local community.

Photo: wetlands of Phobjika valley from Gangtey Nature Trail

Photo: Dwarf bamboo is favourite food of the cranes

Photo: Black-necked cranes in Phobjikha valley

Photo: Black-necked cranes in Phobjikha valley

Photo: cranes in flight above Gyetsa village

Phobjikha is located on the north western edge of Jigme Singye Wangchuk National Park and is protected due to its ecological significance and rich natural heritage. Phobjikha valley has the largest wetland in Bhutan and is habitat to about 300 Black-necked cranes that migrate in winter from their breeding grounds in Tibet.

On arrival to Phobjkha we suggest you walk along the Gangtey Nature Trail with views onto the wetlands where you will hopefully see Black-necked cranes in their roosting grounds. At end of the nature trail you will meet up with your transport for the drive up to the Black-necked cranes visitor centre.

Photo: Black-necked crane Information Centre

Photo: 311 cranes counted in December 2014 by Information Centre

Photo: Life sized crane at Information Centre

It is important that all tourists carefully read and follow the Green Code of Conduct listed below:

• Stay on the trails, do not walk wherever you desire.
• Do not tamper or collect flowers and plants.
• Dispose your garbage at a proper place and carry back all non-biodegradable wastes for recycling/reuse or to a safe disposable site.
• Do not use camera with flash; it will disturb the cranes and other wildlife.
• Wear dull-colored clothes when near the crane roost. Bright clothes will alarm the cranes.
• Be as quite as possible when near the crane roost. Also refrain from using vehicle horns in the valley.
• Use only designated campsite (consult RSPN/DoF for a proper campsite).
• Avoid using firewood. Do not leave fire unattended.
• Respect the cultural heritage and customs of the area

Photo: Phobjika Conservation Area with Green Code of Conduct

The Mountain Company organises several itineraries visiting Phobjika (Gangtey) valley including our Luxury Classic Tour of Bhutan, Classic Tour of Bhutan and Kitiphu Ridge trek. For our standard tours and treks in Phobjika we use Hotel Dewachen , Hotel Yo-Lo-Koe or Hotel Gankiling whereas for our luxury tours we use the wonderful Aman Kora Gangtey or Gangtey Palace. Please get in touch with us if you would like to visit Bhutan and its wonderful Phobjikha valley.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Classic Circuit and The Great Himalaya ("GHT") treks in Nepal

Photo: Phoksumdo Lake on Upper Dolpo to Jomsom GHT

Two of our most popular types of treks in Nepal are the Classic Circuits and trips along The Great Himalaya Trail ("GHT").

The main Classic Circuit treks in Nepal are as follows from East to West: Kanchenjunga Circuit, Everest High Passes, Manaslu Circuit, Annapurna Circuit and Dhaulagiri Circuit. All of these treks are very different in terms of scenery, culture, accommodation, grade and number of days on the trail.

Please see The Mountain Company’s website: Classic Circuit treks in Nepal webpage in Information Centre to find out how the different Classic Circuit treks in Nepal compare and the pros & cons of each one.

Photo: North Face of Kanchenjunga

Whereas The Great Himalaya Trail ("GHT") is a trekking route that traverses the Himalaya from end to end starting in Burma and finishing in Pakistan. However the most popular section of GHT is through Nepal, this trails starts near Kanchenjunga in the East and continues to Humla on the Tibetan border in the West.

In Nepal there is a GHT High route crossing high passes up to 6,146m and GHT Low route passing through the middle hills with highest pass at 4,519m. GHT High route takes the highest feasible route along the spine of the Himalaya, this involves very challenging trekking as well as several mountaineering sections over technical passes (eg Sherpani Col near Makalu).

GHT has been divided into ten sections and our approach at The Mountain Company has been to focus on organising these sections one at a time rather than promoting the full GHT from Kanchenjunga to Far West. The advantage of this way is we can select the optimal time of year to trek each section.

GHT sections and The Mountain Company treks are as follows:

Section One: Kanchenjunga ---> Kanchenjunga to Makalu

Section Two: Makalu Barun ---> Makalu to Everest

Section Three: Everest and Rolwaling ---> Everest High Passes

Section Four: Langtang and Helambu ---> Langtang & Laurebina La

Section Five: Manaslu and Ganesh ---> Manaslu Tsum valley

Section Six: Annapurna and Mustang ---> Naar to Upper Mustang

Section Seven: Dolpa ---> Upper Dolpo to Jomsom

Section Eight: Far West ---> Nepal Far West & Limi valley

Please see The Mountain Company’s website: The Great Himalaya Trail (“GHT”) webpage in Information Centre to find more about GHT and how GHT treks differ from standard Himalayan treks.

We hope this helps you select the right trek objective for you, if you require further information please get in contact with us.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Tsechu (religious festivals) in Bhutan with dates for 2015

Photo: mask dance at Paro Tsechu

If you are planning a visit to Bhutan it is well worth considering coming during one of the tsechu (religious festivals) held annually at most dzongs and monasteries throughout the country. Click here for more information on Tsechu (religious festivals) in Bhutan

The festival dates in Bhutan for 2015 are as follows:

Punakha Tsechu: 28 February to 2 March

Paro Tsechu: 31 March to 4 April

Wangdi Tsechu: 21 to 23 September

Thimphu Drubchen: 22 September

Thimphu Tsechu: 23 to 25 September

Gangtey festival: 26 to 28 September

Jakar in Bumthang: 21 to 23 October

Jambay Lhakhang Drup in Bumthang: 27 to 30 October

Mongar Tsechu: 18 to 21 November

Trashigang Tsechu: 19 to 22 November

Trongsa Tsechu: 20 to 22 December

The Mountain Company organises several different tours of Bhutan where you will have opportunity to visit one of these tsechu festivals, please get in touch if you are interested in joining one of our groups.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Weather forecasts for our Himalayan treks and expeditions during 2015

The Mountain Company has recently made an agreement with EverestWeather.com (West Coast Weather, LLC) to provide professional weather forecasts for our Himalayan treks and expeditions throughout the Spring and Autumn seasons in 2015.

Following the severe weather from Cyclone HudHud that impacted Nepal in October 2014 and also Cyclone Phailin in October 2013 we have performed a detailed review and risk assessment for all of our trips in the Himalaya. As discussed in our blog post The Mountain Company statement on Cyclone Hudhudand its impact on trekking in the Himalaya (October 2014), we detected this cyclone from weather forecasts several days before impact in Himalaya. We were able to communicate this extreme weather warning to our groups in the field and the leaders took appropriate action by not crossing the high passes.

Following our review we believe it would further enhance the safety of our groups to have regular weather forecasts throughout the trekking season from an experienced organisation like EverestWeather.com. The main purpose of these forecasts is to give advanced warning of major storms that move out of the Bay of Bengal that can bring heavy rain and or snow in the Himalaya. Their forecasts are based on computer generated weather data generated from government agencies. Of course weather patterns and forecast models are very complex and these storms can quickly change course and our leaders have to be ready to adapt to these situations.

We plan to have rolling weekly forecasts provided by EverestWeather.com for the Everest region covering the next seven days. If there are any significant storms brewing then we will obtain more frequent updates between these weekly forecasts. The main purpose is to inform our leaders of the chances of a big storm, like a cyclone or a big dump of snow (i.e 10 inches or more of snow in 24 hours).  The focus of the forecast is on a big precipitation event and less focused on wind speeds.

We will also have region specific weekly forecasts for our more remote western led camping treks such as Upper Dolpo to Jomsom GHT, Dhaulagiri Circuit, Lunana Snowman, Kanchenjunga Circuit, Naar to Mustang and Kanchenjunga to Makalu GHT. During the course of these treks our forecaster will be keeping an eye on any systems coming towards the Himalaya and we will get further forecasts if there is any indication of cyclonic storm activity. For our expeditions to climb mountains like Mera Peak we will get specific summit forecasts including precipitation and also wind speed at high altitude.

At The Mountain Company we have always taken the safety of our groups very seriously. We believe that by investing in weather forecasts like those provided by EverestWeather.com, this will further reduce the overall risk of our groups trekking in the Himalaya. It will also increase your chances of successfully completing your objective as we can plan the itinerary around any major storms.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Trip Report for Kitiphu Ridge trek in Bhutan during December 2014

In December 2014, I visited Bhutan in order to develop our program of shorter treks in this country. I posted a blog article yesterday with the Trip Report for Druk Path describing how we enjoyed excellent weather and superb views during this five day trek. As discussed in this article my plan during this visit was to find short treks in Bhutan that have good views of the Himalaya, beautiful landscape and also cultural interest too.

From speaking to several friends I heard good reports about the three day trek along Kitiphu Ridge (also called the Bumthang Owl trek). So we decided to walk this trail to find out whether Kitiphu Ridge would be a good objective to promote for future groups. From reading the Bhutan Tourism Monitor report I gather there were only 71 tourists who completed Kitiphu Ridge trek in 2013 so it was unlikely to be too busy especially in December.

There are several variations of this trek however after discussion with our Sirdar, Dawa, we decided to start at Gyetsa village near Chumey and walk along Kitiphu Ridge to end the trek at Dur village. Now having completed the trek there is no doubt this is the best way as you walk in a northerly direction with views towards the Himalayas.

During Kitiphu Ridge trek we used GPS SPOT where we checked in at each camp and main passes during the trek, to view our the trail on SPOT Adventures website mapped onto Google Earth

Photo: start of trek at Gyetsa village near Chumey

Photo: crossing bridge near at roosting area for black-necked cranes

Photo: black-necked cranes in flight near Gyetsa village

Photo: black-necked cranes near Gyetsa village

Day One: From Gyetsa village to Tharpaling monastery- three hours walking.
We started this trek on December 10th at Gyetsa village and we were very lucky as shortly after setting off we saw a flock of black-necked cranes fly over us then land in the fields outside the village. On our return after the trek we found an article on Kuensel Online explaining how the numbers of cranes overwintering in this area has increased significantly from only five or six birds for last twenty years. It is wonderful to hear about the healthy population of cranes and it was a fantastic experience to unexpectedly see them at the start of this trek.

Photo: view down to Gyetsa village

Photo: looking up the ridge to Tharpaling monastery

After walking across the fields and crossing a bridge over a small stream we walked on a path up through pine forest, there were good views back down to the fields around Gyetsa village. After 45 minutes we reached several traditional Bhutanese farmhouses and a private monastery. From here we followed the ridge up through more forest and along the way we passed prayer flags, mani wall and an old gateway (probably marking the old trail from Trongsa to Bumthang) with a beautiful mandala painted in the roof.

We could see Tharpaling monastery above us near the top of the ridge and after about three hours walking we arrived to our camp in the grounds of the monastery. Our tent had been pitched next to eight stupas and it was wonderful to have a cup of tea watching the nuns walking koras while spinning their hand-held prayer wheels.

Photo: traditional Bhutanese farmhouse

Tharpaling is a cluster of isolated monasteries at an altitude of 3,700m and one of the gompas is located with a cliff behind. Tharpaling is an important monastery complex founded in 1352 by Longchen Rabjampa during his enforced period of exile from Tibet. There are usually more than 100 monks however during the winter they head south to a warmer place so in December we only saw a few caretaker monks. Outside the main assemby hall are eight stupas built in 2011 commemorating the major deeds in the life Shakyamuni Buddha.

Photo: row of eight stupas outside Tharpaling monastery

Photo: Tharpaling monastery

Day Two: From Tharpaling monastery to Shonath camp- six hours walking
After breakfast we walked up through the monastery complex and visited one of the temples to attend a morning puja (religious ceremony). Above the monastery we followed the trail up to a pass on Kitiphu Ridge where we saw our first views of the Himalayan peaks to the east. As one walks up the grassy ridge to the first view point bedecked by prayer flags Mount Chomolhari becomes visible to the west. We passed through a section of forest with blue pine and rhododendron before continuing on more grassy slopes to the second viewpoint. From here one looks down to the Bumthang valley far below and we clearly saw Jakar Dzong located on a hill top.

Photo: walking along the trail above Tharpaling monastery

Photo: walking along Kitiphu Ridge

Photo: view of Himalayan peaks from Kitiphu Ridge

Photo: Kitiphu ridge

Photo: view of Bumthang valley from Kitiphu Ridge

Photo: lammergeier above Kitiphu Ridge

At the end of the ridge is Mount Kitiphu (4,050m) and it is from this point we saw Mount Gangkar Punsum. At an altitude of 7,570m it is the highest unclimbed peak in the world. At this high point there are many prayer flags, a large Buddhist prayer umbrella and a shrine for pujas. We arrived at Mount Kitiphu in early afternoon and had lunch while enjoying the view. After taking many photos we started the walk down Kitiphu Ridge and on the descent we saw two large lammergeier (bearded vulture) flying in the sky high above us.

Photo: view of Himalayan peaks from Kitiphu Ridge

Photo: Mount Kitiphu at 4,050m

Photo: view of Mount Gangkar Punsum (7,570m) from Mount Kitiphu

Photo: descending from Mount Kitiphu

Photo: walking along Kitiphu Ridge

Further down Kitiphu Ridge after passing a yak herder's hut we reached Drange La (3,600m), at this pass we descended through a beautiful forest of spruce, fir, rhododendron and bamboo for about 45 minutes to our camp in a grassy clearing called Shonath. In the forest around this camp are many owls, hence giving the trek its name, however sadly we did not hear any hunting that night.

Photo: Shonath campsite in the forest

Photo: ponies used for carrying our luggage

Day Three: From Shonath Camp to Dur Village- two hours walking.

It is a short walk out through blue pine forest to the road head at Dur Village. After exploring the village and saying farewells to our horseman, we were driven to Bumthang where we checked into Swiss Guesthouse for the night. In the afternoon we visited two monasteries in Bumthang valley starting at Tamshing Gomba and then walking over the suspension bridge to Kurjey Lhakang. Kurjey Lhakang is an important place as has the body print of Guru Rinpoche preserved in a cave inside the oldest temple.

Photo: walking through forest of hemlock and juniper

Photo: river near Dur village

Photo: Dur village

Like for Druk Path trek once again we had perfect weather for Kitiphu Ridge trek. As discussed in my Trip Report for Druk Path I would recommend trekking in the Himalaya during December as the weather is normally sunny (never guaranteed!) and the views of the Himalayas tend to be clear with less haze than often experienced in other months. Of course there is a risk of getting cloudy weather with precipitation at anytime of year however you have a good chance of dry and sunny weather in December.

Kitiphu Ridge would be a good choice for a December trek as the camps are not too high in altitude with highest near Tharpaling monastery at 3,700m. Therefore it should not be too cold however you certainly need to bring along warm clothes and a good sleeping bag to enjoy the experience!

My view is that Kitiphu Ridge is wonderful trek and I would highly recommend considering this option if you are looking for a short trek in Bhutan.  During the three days on Kitiphu Ridge trek we visited monasteries at Tharpaling and Bumthang; walked through forests of blue pine, hemlock, spruce, fir, rhododendron and juniper; saw lots of birds (black-necked cranes; lammergeier, nut crackers etc); met monks, nuns, yakherders and locals from Dur village. Once onto Kitiphu Ridge the view of the Himalayan mountains is superb and gets better as one ascends up towards Mount Kitiphu where the impressive Gangkar Punsum can be seen on a clear day.

We have not yet set up Kitiphu Ridge on The Mountain Company's website however we will do so soon. Please get in touch if you are interested in this trek and we will provide more information and tailor an itinerary for you.

Roland Hunter
www.themountaincompany.co.uk