Langtang

Coordinates: 28°15′00″N 85°30′00″E / 28.250°N 85.500°E / 28.250; 85.500
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the region in Nepal. For other uses, see Langtang (disambiguation).
Starry night in Langtang National Park
Langtang village
before it was destroyed by an avalanche caused by an earthquake in 2015
Gosainkunda
Lake
Kyanjin Gompa

Langtang Valley (Nepali: लाङटाङ उपत्यका) 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

Southwest China. Prior to the 2015 earthquake, 668 individuals were estimated to be living within the valley.[1]

Ecology

The Langtang Valley lies within the

Himalayan black bear, Himalayan tahr, Assam macaque, snow leopard, yak, red panda and more than 250 species of birds.[3]

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 Kyirong, 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.[4] Langtang valley is believed to be the Beyul Dagam Namgo, one of the many hidden valleys blessed by Guru Padmasambhava.[5]

Economy

The traditional livelihoods of the Langtangpas have centered around

agropastoralism.[6][7] Since the mid-1970s, tourism has grown to become an important source of livelihoods in the Langtang Valley.[8][9][10] 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.[11]

Access

The nearest motorable roadhead for the Langtang Valley is Syaphrubesi, which is also the base for most treks into the Langtang Valley. The distance of Syaphrubesi from Kathmandu is 80 km. But due to bad road conditions, it usually takes 6-8 hours to drive from Kathmandu to Syaphrubesi.[12] 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.[13]

Tourism

The Langtang Valley trek, from Syaphrubesi to Kyanjin Gompa and back, is known to be the third most popular trek in Nepal, after the Annapurna Circuit and Everest Base Camp (EBC) treks.[14] There are several treks that go through the Langtang valley and link it to nearby valleys,[15] 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 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 several mountain-climbing options available too 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.[16][17]

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.[18] Several other villages in upper Langtang valley were also destroyed.[19] 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.[20] 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.[21] By early 2018, the centuries-old gompa at Kyanjin Gompa, which had also been destroyed in the earthquake, had been rebuilt.[22] The Swiss-cheese factory at Kyanjin Gompa village was destroyed too, but has been rebuilt and since then become operational again.[11]

Climate change

Since the mid-2010s, Langtangpas have noticed that most natural springs in the valley have gone dry.

cryospheric research in the Langtang valley and Yala Glacier.[24][25][26]

Langtang Himal

Langtang Himal is a mountain range in the Himalayas which includes the following peaks:[27]

Peak elevation
Langtang Lirung 7,234 m (23,734 ft)
Langtang Ri 7,205 m (23,638 ft)
Dorje Lakpa
 6,966 m (22,854 ft)
Loenpo Gang 6,979 m (22,897 ft)
Changbu 6,781 m (22,247 ft)
Yansa Tsenji 6,690 m (21,950 ft)
Kyunga Ri 6,601 m (21,657 ft)
Dogpache 6,562 m (21,529 ft)
Langshisha Ri 6,427 m (21,086 ft)
Gangchenpo 6,387 m (20,955 ft)
Morimoto 6,150 m (20,180 ft)
Tsogaka 5,846 m (19,180 ft)
Yala Peak 5,520 m (18,110 ft)
Cherkuri
Tsergo Ri view point at Langtang Trekking Region
Gosainkunda
lake

See also

References

  1. ^ "Langtang Valley Assessment - Langtang Valley, May 2015" (PDF). Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  2. ^ "Flora and Fauna in Langtang national park". Ministry of Forest and Environment, Government of Nepal.
  3. ^ "Faunal Diversity". dnpwc.gov.np. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  4. ISBN 978-90-474-4337-7
    .
  5. ^ "Langtang". Nekhor. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  6. JSTOR 43123727
    .
  7. S2CID 129575462
    .
  8. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9655.2007.00452.x
    .
  9. ^ Acharya, Rajesh (2011). Mountain Tourism in Nepal (A Case Study of Langtang Rastriya Nikunja, Rasuwa) (Thesis thesis). Central Departmental of Rural Development.
  10. S2CID 149655369
    .
  11. ^ a b c Tamang, Gyalbu. "The story of Langtang cheese". Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  12. ^ "Kathmandu to Syabrubesi - Best Routes & Travel Advice". kimkim. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  13. ^ "Permits Required for a Langtang Trek". www.magicalnepal.com. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  14. ^ "Top 5 major highlights of Langtang Valley Trek - Trek to Langtang". 17 February 2020.
  15. ^ "The Best Langtang Treks - Horizon Guides". horizonguides.com. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  16. ^ Hatch, Robert (2015-07-13). "Kyanjin Ri– The Highpoint of the Langtang Trek". HimalayanWonders.Com. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  17. ^ "Langtang Heli-Trek and Climb". Mountain Madness. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  18. ^ eberger (2015-09-28). "An Oral History of Langtang, Destroyed by the Nepal Earthquake". Outside Online. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  19. ^ "Impact of Nepal Earthquake 2015 on Langthang Valley". ICIMOD. 2015-05-15. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  20. ^ Pandey, Abhimanyu (May 11, 2015). "Notes from the Field: to another valley". Himal Southasian.
  21. ^ Thapa, Rabi (June 25, 2016). "Langtang the terrible, Langtang the beautiful". Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  22. ^ Lord, Austin (April 25, 2020). "The courage and endurance of the Langtangpa". Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  23. ISSN 2296-6463
    .
  24. ^ "Reviving the Science in Langtang Valley". ICIMOD. 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  25. ^ "Cryosphere research expedition to Langtang Valley, Rasuwa". ICIMOD. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  26. ^ "Comprehensive community-led risk assessment and management in Langtang valley". ICIMOD. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  27. ^ Carter, H. A. (1985). "Classification of the Himalaya" (PDF). American Alpine Journal. 27 (59): 109–141.

28°15′00″N 85°30′00″E / 28.250°N 85.500°E / 28.250; 85.500

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