I wake up everyday to learn something incredible from our mysterious planet. This morning, it was about Himalayan honey hunting in Central Nepal.
Do you think you have a hard job? These pictures of hanging honey hunters in central Nepal will just blow your mind!
Twice each year, the Gurung tribespeople of Central Nepal risk their lives collecting wild honey from the world’s largest hives high up on Himalayan cliffs.
To collect the honey, the hunters use nothing more than handmade rope ladders and long sticks called tangos. Smoke is used to drive thousands of angry Apis laboriosa — the largest honey bee in the world.
The majority of the massive hives are located on steep, south-west facing cliffs to avoid predators and for increases exposure to direct sunlight. The autumn honey hunt requires three days and is preceded by a ceremony meant to placate the cliff gods.
Here a short movie about their epic work! And of course listen to the bees!
You’re a grown up adult in Nepal when you can eat the honey… with the bees around it.
Travel photographer Andrew Newey recently spent two weeks capturing this ancient but dying art.
