INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
INSIDE HIMALAYAS | NEPAL | TIBET | BHUTAN
Sherpa Culture and Spirituality
in the Thangme Valley
by Michael D. Smith
Large mani stones are seen throughout the Thame Valley. Photo: Elen Turner.
While the Everest Base Camp trek is a
classic, for trekkers in the region who
wish to encounter traditional Sherpa
agricultural life and quiet expressions
of Himalayan and Tibetan Buddhist
spirituality, there are alternate trips in
the Everest Region of the Khumbu. For
those on the EBC itinerary, plan an extra
day or overnight hike west from Namche
Bazaar through the Thangme (Thame)
Valley. Many trekkers visit this valley as
it is a good place to acclimatise before
heading to higher elevations. If making
the walk to Thangme from Namche
a day trip, it is advisable to depart as
early as possible to provide ample time
to explore Thangme village and the
gompa (monastery) before returning
to Namche. But, if possible, it’s best to
stay the night in Thangme or Thamo and
continue trekking north via the shortcut
to Khumjung the following day.
Since 2003, I have enjoyed four trips
up the Thangme Valley, and observed
Himalayan tahr (a large majestic wooly
mountain goat), white-bellied musk
deer, countless Himalayan monal
(large pheasants, of which the males
are very colourful like peacocks),
domestic animals such as yaks and
dri (a cross between a yak and a cow),
and other birds and wildlife. One
November I trekked three weeks from
Jiri up to Thangme and back down
to Salleri, escaping the crowds for an
unforgettable private and spiritual
adventure. Sherpas have long believed
the Thangme Valley is the entrance
to a Beyul, or “Hidden Valley”, a safe,
fertile and spiritual home for sincere
seekers. Walking up from Jiri or Salleri
is highly recommended for the solitary
views, charming remote homesteads,
enchanting forests, delicious local
cuisine, out-of-the-way temples and
monasteries, and constantly changing
local cultural scenes in the lower Solu
Valley villages populated with Sherpa,
Tamang, Rai and other groups.
To enter the Thangme Valley, climb
west out of Namche Bazaar by the
Namche gompa, along the well-worn
trail that weaves through large mantra
stones up on the ridge. Enjoy the view of
the Himalayan ‘metropolis’ of Namche
and proceed along the path that follows
the valley. Once you pass the western
ridge of the Namche bowl, the path
becomes less steep, a pleasant and
gradual ‘Nepali flat’. The trail continues
above the Bhote Koshi, a river that
originates at the Tibetan border below
the Nangpa La (Pass) and a tributary
of the Dudh Koshi (not to be confused
with the Bhote Koshi further west in
Sindhupalchowk District). Don’t worry
about packing lunch as there are small
teahouses in Thamo and Thangme.
Along the way, the track passes
beautiful restored stupas on each ridge,
and bubbling clear creeks in each small
valley. After roughly two hours, the trail
rounds a bend and enters the village of
Thamo, which means ‘warm place’ in
Sherpa, as it sits along a south-facing
valley that provides ample sunshine and
protection from wind. From this vantage
point, the remnants of landslides are
visible, caused by the catastrophic 1985
Dig Tsho Glacial Lake Outburst Flood,
which wiped out the almost complete
Namche Small Hydroelectric Project
and more than a dozen farmhouses
down-river of Thangme.
Thamo is home to the headquarters
of the Khumbu Bijuli Company (KBC),
the cooperative micro-hydro electric
provider for 18 villages in the Khumbu
Valley, and owned jointly by three
community groups broken down
geographically. Developed with the
assistance of the Austrian government
and fully turned over to local
management in 1999, KBC was one
of the first cooperatively owned and
locally managed electric companies
in Nepal, and has served as a model
of inclusive economic development.
KBC’s powerhouse lies across the river
from Thamo on the southern bank of
the Bhote Koshi in Hungo village (3600
metres). Since most transmission lines
are buried underground to maintain the
valley’s pristine photogenic views, and
the powerhouse was built to mimic a
traditional Sherpa house, most trekkers
don’t even realise there is a hydro-
electric plant here! KBC also spearheads
a number of sustainable development
and environmental programmes in the
area, including a high-altitude nursery
and drinking water projects.
Be sure to stop at Ang Maya’s Lodge
in the center of Thamo village for a
delicious cup of salty, buttery Sherpa
tea (think of it more as a broth!) that
provides the fat, energy and salt
needed to stay hydrated in the high
alpine climate. Then, visit the recently
renovated Khari Ganden Tenphel Ling
Ani Gompa (‘Nunnery of Sky Mountain,
Joyful Island Spreading the Dharma’), at
the top of Thamo village, just before the
path continues westward to Thangme.
The nunnery was established in 1963
on donated land by the Khari Rinpoche
Lobsang Tsultrim, a revered Buddhist
master who fled from the original
Khari Gompa in Tibet via the Nangpa
La. The nunnery is home to about 30
Buddhist nuns who maintain a rigorous
daily routine of prayers and meditation,
which are open to the public.
The handsome new prayer hall was
consecrated and opened in November
2014, after over fifteen years of
laborious construction work, primarily
performed by the nuns themselves.
A unique aspect of the prayer hall
is the three main statues of the
Buddha Sakyamuni, Guru Rinpoche
Padmasambhava, and Je Tsongkapa.
The Khari Rinpoche enjoyed a close
connection with Trulzhig Rinpoche,
who founded the Thupten Choling
Gompa above Junbesi and became the
most important teacher for the Sherpa
people, often providing protection
and blessings to mountaineers before
attempting dangerous summits such
as Chomo Langma (Mount Everest).
Another unique
hermitage,
the
Lawudo Gompa is perched about
ninety minutes’ walk above Thamo
at 4000 metres, backed by imposing
granite boulders in a sea of juniper
trees. It is well known to followers of
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the Abbot of the
Kopan Gompa in Kathmandu, a well-
known international Buddhist teacher.
Visit Lawudo to acclimatise, sit quietly
in the holy cave, and experience the
peaceful surroundings of a secluded
mountain hermitage. For those who
wish to spend some time in retreat,
Lawudo offers retreat rooms for long-
term meditation practice.
From Thamo, continue walking roughly
two hours west to Thangme village
and Thangme Gompa. The trail follows
the river upstream through juniper and
pine forests, by waterfalls, paintings
of mantras and Buddhist images, and
eventually crosses the Bhote Koshi on
a suspension bridge over an impressive
raging torrent of glacial runoff. After the
bridge, the trail ascends the southern
side of the valley to the hamlet of
Thangme (3800 metres), which means
‘Lower Plain’, referring to the large flat
area where the Bhote Koshi turns west
Namche Monastery, on the way to the Thame Valley. Photo: Elen Turner.
60
www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel
from its northern origin, settled due to
its suitability as pasture and farmland.
The Thangme Gompa Dechen
Chokhor Ling (‘Dharma Wheel of
Great Bliss’) was established by the
legendary Buddhist master Rolpe
Dorje in the 17th century, and lives
up to its high name. At roughly 4000
metres, the affecting power of the
spectacular view from the gompa,
tucked into the imposing cliffs, and
the almost 500-year-old temple itself,
is palpable and unforgettable. Almost
thirty monks reside there, who perform
traditional lifecycle and blessing rituals
for the local Sherpa households. Each
year in May or June (depending on the
Tibetan lunar calendar), the monks
at Thangme perform the famous
Mani Rimdu festival and sacred lama
dancing known as cham, to inspire
virtue in the minds of the community
members and dispel demonic forces.
There is a small restaurant with a big
view just below the Thangme Gompa,
so make time for a snack before
turning around or continuing upward.
From Thangme, the path along the
Bhote Koshi turns north toward Renjo
La (5340 metres), one of the famous
passes crossed on the Three Passes
Trek of the Upper Khumbu, and
eventually reaches the Nangpa La,
on the traditional trade route to the
Tibetan highlands.
Rather than swiftly returning to
Namche, trekkers can pick from a
number of charming and quiet family-
run guesthouses that have mostly
been rebuilt after the earthquakes
of April and May 2015, as well as
guesthouses in Thamo. After all, why
rush through an enchanting hidden
valley with deep history beneath every
step, rich culture around every corner,
and stunning mountain views all along
the way?
Khumjung village in the Khumbu region. Photo: Elen Turner.
www.insidehimalayas.com | By Royal Mountain Travel
61