Langtang Valley () also known as Lamtang Valley is a Himalayan valley in the mountains of north-central Nepal, known for its trekking routes and natural environment.
Administrative
The Langtang Valley lies in
Rasuwa District of the
Bagmati Province in Nepal. Situated about 80 kilometres north of the
Kathmandu Valley, the valley lies within the Langtang National Park, which borders the Tibet Autonomous Region in
Southwest China. Prior to the 2015 earthquake, 668 individuals were estimated to be living within the valley.
Ecology
The Langtang Valley lies within the Langtang National Park. The park contains a wide variety of climatic zones, from subtropical to alpine.
Approximately 25% of the park is forested. Trees include the deciduous
oak and
maple, evergreens like
pine, and various types of
rhododendron. Animal life includes the Himalayan black bear,
Himalayan tahr,
Monkey, langur
Assam macaque,
snow leopard,
yak,
red panda and more than 250 species of birds.
Culture
Among themselves, the local inhabitants of the Langtang valley refer to each other as 'Langtangpa'. They generally follow
Tibetan Buddhism, and speak a Tibetan language that is closely related to the Tibetan spoken in
Gyirong County, southern Tibet. The Langtangpas regard the mountain
Langtang Lirung as their 'yu-lha', their local country god. However, in the state census, the Langtangpas are categorised as
Tamang people.
Langtang valley is believed to be the Beyul Dagam Namgo, one of the many
Beyul blessed by
Padmasambhava.
Economy
The traditional livelihoods of the Langtangpas have centered around
agropastoralism.
Since the mid-1970s, tourism has grown to become an important source of livelihoods in the Langtang Valley.
Swiss cheese-making was introduced in Langtang in the 1950s by Werner Schulthess. Over time, Swiss cheese became a popular product of Langtang, and its production in the valley continues to this day.
Access
The nearest motorable roadhead for the Langtang Valley is
Syaphru, which is also the base for most treks into the Langtang Valley. The distance of Syaphrubesi from
Kathmandu Valley is 113 km. But due to bad road conditions, it usually takes 6-8 hours to drive from Kathmandu to Syaphrubesi.
Just as for the Langtang National Park, entering the Langtang Valley requires everyone except locals to have the TIMS permit and the Langtang National Park entry permit.
Tourism
The Langtang Valley trek, from Syaphrubesi to Kyanjin Gompa and back, is the third most popular trek in Nepal, after the Annapurna Circuit and Everest Base Camp (EBC) treks. Several treks go through the Langtang valley and link it to nearby valleys,
like the
Helambu valley. In most of these treks, one can stay at local 'tea houses', which are run by locals in nearly every village in the valley, and where one gets basic lodging and food. Around 2000, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme, some of these were equipped with solar panels so that hikers could shower with warm water. There are also several mountain-climbing options available in the Langtang valley, ranging from relatively easy-to-climb peaks around 5,000 m high, such as Kyanjin Ri and
Tsergo Ri, to technically challenging peaks, such as
Dorje Lhakpa and
Langtang Lirung.
2015 Nepal earthquake
The village of Langtang was almost completely destroyed (1 building survived) by a massive
avalanche caused by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake. The village suffered an estimated 310 deaths, including 176 Langtang residents, 80 foreigners, and 10 army personnel. More than 100 bodies were never recovered.
Several other villages in upper Langtang valley were also destroyed.
The Langtangpas who survived the destruction of the earthquake were evacuated by helicopter to Kathmandu, where a displaced persons camp was temporarily set up at the Yellow Gumba near Swayanmbhu.
Many Langtangpas returned to the valley in the following months, and a significant amount of reconstruction was completed within the first year after the earthquake.
By early 2018, the centuries-old
gompa at Kyanjin Gompa, which had also been destroyed in the earthquake, had been rebuilt.
The Swiss-cheese factory at Kyanjin Gompa village was destroyed too, but has been rebuilt and since then become operational again.
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Climate change
Since the mid-2010s, Langtangpas have noticed that most natural springs in the valley have gone dry.[ Scientists have attributed the reduction in the glacier area of the Langtang glacier directly to anthropogenic climate change since the 1970s.]
Langtang Himal
Langtang Himal is a mountain range in the Himalayas which includes the following peaks:
See also
-
Langtang National Park
-
The earthquake of April 25, 2015 in Nepal
-
Path of the Mani
