Trekking in Manang, Nepal

Over the Himalaya is a hidden valley. Surrounded by the 8,000 m-plus Annapurna range and the great peaks of Pisang and Chulu, the valley is wild and wonderful. Nomadic Tibeto-Burman people, moving across the mountains hunting and gathering food, found and settled the valley centuries ago.

Today, the Manangi people, with support from the late King Mahendra, have become prosperous traders, hoteliers, and businessmen. Many have moved down from the harsh and beautiful valley in north central Nepal down to Kathmandu.

The weather is dry and desert-like. The Annapurna range creates a rain shadow that stops the monsoon clouds from crossing over. This harsh climate ensured that the Manangi people never lost their nomadic roots. Horse-riding and archery were the most popular tools used by these people for gathering food, and these abilities continue to remain important for the community, and are celebrated each year with festivals.

A major stop on the Annapurna circuit, Manang has much to offer the intrepid adventurer, climbers, the cultural and religious tourist. The government has opened a number of new peaks in Manang and new destinations like Nar and Phu, the northernmost outposts of the district bordering Tibet are added attractions. The Destination Manang 2004 Campaign hopes to revive traditional festivals like Badhe in Manang. Celebrated on a grand scale once in every three years, Badhe has not been celebrated for the past decade owing to an influx of the local population to the city and a lack of economic resources in the village. But most important, local villagers have expressed a keen interest to promote sustainable tourism and are working with the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) to see that this materialises.

Long known as itinerant traders, the Manangi people, who live in six villages of upper Manang Valley in northwest Nepal, call themselves Nyeshang. There are many speculations as from where the name originated. According to local sources, a long time ago, invaders who came over the southern mountains harassed the people of the northern Valley. A lama, through some device made it impossible for the invaders to cross the high mountain passes. At the same time, the people of the northern valley were unable to get out. Today, upper Manang is also referred to as the Nyeshang Valley. Research also indicates that there was a place called "shang" in Tibet a long time ago. And "Nye" in linguistic research means "us". More probable, say history books, is that Nyeshang was a tributary area to Se-rib, then a political entity encompassing many villages in the neighboring Kali Gandaki Valley south of Lo or Mustang. Yet again, others say, the Nyeshang might have migrated from Tengar in Tibet.