Barun Valley
Encyclopedia
Barun Valley is a Himalayan valley situated at the base of Mt. Makalu
in the Sankhuwasabha district Nepal. This valley lies entirely inside the Makalu Barun National Park.
Barun Valley provides stunning contrasts, where high waterfalls cascade into deep gorges, craggy rocks rise from lush green forests, and colorful flowers bloom beneath white snow peaks. This unique landscape shelters some of the last pristine mountain ecosystems on earth. Rare species of animals and plants flourish in diverse climates and habitats, relatively undisturbed by human kind.
which becomes a glacier in winter. River Barun is known as Chukchuwa in local indigenous Kirat language. Study has shown that this place has been initially habituated by Mewahang, Yamfu and Kulung Kirat-Rais centuries ago.
( Nghe-Beyul Khimpalung) situated in the Himalayan region are described as mystical and spectacularly beautiful evergreen places where no one gets old. It is told that, in case of great cataclysm, life will remain only in these seven areas of the world. In those books one of the Shangri-La is mentioned to be situated somewhere at this Makalu-Barun region.
at low elevations through Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests
and into Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
.
Recognized for its tremendous diversity of plants, animals and people, the area contains over 3,000 species of flowering plants, including 25 species of rhododendron, 47 types of orchids, and 56 rare plants. 440 species of birds, and 75 species of mammals, including the endangered clouded leopard (Snow leopard), red panda, musk deer, wild boar, have been recorded.
This remarkable biodiversity is considered to be of global significance, and provides a living laboratory for international scientific research. The Barun Valley is part of a huge international protected area under an agreement between Nepal and China.
Plants like Swertia Barunensis (4200m) and Potentilla Makaluensis (4000 m) nomenclatured under the name of river Barun and Mt. Makalu are found only in this area in the entire world. 87 himalayan medical herbs including Yarsa Gumba and Panch Aule are found here. Panch Aule is a fingered root plant (five fingers max) where fingers indicate the age of the plant in year.
Day 1: Tumlingtar (487 m) to Khandbari/Manebhanjyang (1,160 m)
Day 2: Manebhanjyang to Chichila (1,920 m)
Day 3: Chichila (487 m) to Mude or Num (1,500 m)
Day 4: Num(487 m) to Seduwa (1,610 m)
Day 5: Seduwa to Tashigaon (2,060 m)
Day 6: Acclimatize at Tashigaon.
Day 7: Tashigaon to Khongma (3,500)
Day 8: Khongma to Mumbuk (2,460 m) - Cross the Sipton La pass (4,200 m)
Day 9: Mumbuk to Nghe (3,750 m)
Day 10: Nghe to Merek (4,200 m)
Day 11: Merek to Shersong (4,600 m)
Makalu
Makalu is the fifth highest mountain in the world at and is located southeast of Mount Everest, on the border between Nepal and China...
in the Sankhuwasabha district Nepal. This valley lies entirely inside the Makalu Barun National Park.
Barun Valley provides stunning contrasts, where high waterfalls cascade into deep gorges, craggy rocks rise from lush green forests, and colorful flowers bloom beneath white snow peaks. This unique landscape shelters some of the last pristine mountain ecosystems on earth. Rare species of animals and plants flourish in diverse climates and habitats, relatively undisturbed by human kind.
History
It was created by the Barun RiverBarun River
The Barun River is a tributary of the Arun River and is part of the Kosi river system in Nepal.-Kosi river system:The Kosi or Sapt Kosi drains eastern Nepal. It is known as Sapt Koshi because of the seven rivers which join together in east-central Nepal to form this river...
which becomes a glacier in winter. River Barun is known as Chukchuwa in local indigenous Kirat language. Study has shown that this place has been initially habituated by Mewahang, Yamfu and Kulung Kirat-Rais centuries ago.
Shangri-La
In the ancient religious Buddhist books, seven Shangri-laShangri-La
Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. Hilton describes Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains...
( Nghe-Beyul Khimpalung) situated in the Himalayan region are described as mystical and spectacularly beautiful evergreen places where no one gets old. It is told that, in case of great cataclysm, life will remain only in these seven areas of the world. In those books one of the Shangri-La is mentioned to be situated somewhere at this Makalu-Barun region.
Places
All the area of this valley is uninhabited. It is mostly covered by grassland (Kharka). In the summer, some temporary camps are made. Listed below are the names of these camping regions.- Mumbuk
- Yangle Kharka
- Nghe
- RipukRipukRipuk is a local name for one of the highland pasture in Barun Valley where local setup their temporary seasonal settlements.Centuries ago, the river Barun used to be a glacier here, flowing to the north composing this lush green valley for today....
- Tadaso
- Yak Kharka
- Langmale
- Merek
- ShershonShershonShershon is a settlement on the north side of the Lower Barun Glacier in Nepal. It is about 14 miles south-east from Mount Everest....
Flora and fauna
Barun Valley climbs from Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forestsEastern Himalayan broadleaf forests
The Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests is a temperate broadleaf forest ecoregion found in the middle elevations of the eastern Himalayas, including parts of Nepal, India, and Bhutan...
at low elevations through Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests
Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests
The Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests is a temperate coniferous forests ecoregion which is found in the middle and upper elevations of the eastern Middle Himalayas, in western Nepal, Bhutan and northern Indian states including Arunachal Pradesh....
and into Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
The Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion of Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal, which lies between the tree line and snow line in the eastern portion of the Himalaya Range.-Setting:...
.
Recognized for its tremendous diversity of plants, animals and people, the area contains over 3,000 species of flowering plants, including 25 species of rhododendron, 47 types of orchids, and 56 rare plants. 440 species of birds, and 75 species of mammals, including the endangered clouded leopard (Snow leopard), red panda, musk deer, wild boar, have been recorded.
This remarkable biodiversity is considered to be of global significance, and provides a living laboratory for international scientific research. The Barun Valley is part of a huge international protected area under an agreement between Nepal and China.
Plants like Swertia Barunensis (4200m) and Potentilla Makaluensis (4000 m) nomenclatured under the name of river Barun and Mt. Makalu are found only in this area in the entire world. 87 himalayan medical herbs including Yarsa Gumba and Panch Aule are found here. Panch Aule is a fingered root plant (five fingers max) where fingers indicate the age of the plant in year.
The trek
This valley lies along the trekking route to Makalu Base Camp. This somewhat difficult yet extremely rewarding trek offers a true wilderness experience in the rugged uninhabited terrain of Makalu-Barun National Park. Because there are no lodges above Tashigaon one needs to take camping gear and enough food and fuel for at least two weeks. The use of a local guide is strongly recommended, as the trails are hard to follow.Shiva Dhara
This domelike cave, about 500 feet high, has a large waterfall coming out of its stone roof. The waterfall is considered one of the most sacred tape of Lord Shiva. To get to this place one has to climb an extremely dangerous cliff with the help of locals, which will take about three to four hours.Tadasho
Large stone cliff has a hole on it and a big waterfall comes out of this hole. It is believed that there was a dark lake above the cliff which used to kill Tibetan refugees in the night. A Buddhist monk Rimpoche broke the cliff with his Tadasho to destroy the lake and save the life of Tibetan refugees.How to Reach
The nearest airport is Tumlingtar. There are daily flights from Kathmandu and Biratnagar to Tumlingtar. It is a six to seven-hour drive to Hile and three-day trek to Tumlingtar from there. One can also reach the Inkhu valley of Makalu Barun from Lukia and Phalpu. There is a regular flight from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar. One has to plan about 10–20 days' trek to reach Barun Valley.Day 1: Tumlingtar (487 m) to Khandbari/Manebhanjyang (1,160 m)
Day 2: Manebhanjyang to Chichila (1,920 m)
Day 3: Chichila (487 m) to Mude or Num (1,500 m)
Day 4: Num(487 m) to Seduwa (1,610 m)
Day 5: Seduwa to Tashigaon (2,060 m)
Day 6: Acclimatize at Tashigaon.
Day 7: Tashigaon to Khongma (3,500)
Day 8: Khongma to Mumbuk (2,460 m) - Cross the Sipton La pass (4,200 m)
Day 9: Mumbuk to Nghe (3,750 m)
Day 10: Nghe to Merek (4,200 m)
Day 11: Merek to Shersong (4,600 m)