Come trekking with our mountain family and learn about the rich culture and warm community of these High Himalayan people, known as Tamangs…the descendants of Chenghis Khan. Let us show you the beauty of our natural surroundings that never ceases to amaze us, even after a lifetime. Astounding vistas of snow peaks and pastoral mountain scenery stretch in every direction- horizontal and vertical- as we walk through the vast and ancient aromatic forest of Langtang National Park. In the evening we celebrate with the traditional music, song and dance of this ethnically Tibetan region.

Wildlife, such as the musk, spotted and barking deer, many rare Himalayan birds, wild goats, wild boar, Langur and Rhesus monkeys, jackals, and the elusive Red Panda live among the old growth forests of giant hemlocks, firs, flowering rhododendrons, bambu and birches. Yaks and Yak/Cow crossbreeds are tended from the villages up to the high mountain pastures, Tibetan Mastifs guarding the herds. Above the tree line live the wild Blue Sheep and the even more elusive Snow Leopard. Most elusive of all, somewhere in this remote and stunningly beautiful landscape roams…. the yeti!

Villages in Langtang range from around 2,000 meters (6,562ft.), to 4,000 meters (13,123ft.), high. They are lovely pastoral scenes of stone and log cabins clustered between terraced alpine farmland; a tableau that sweeps upwards to breathtakingly close views of the giant snow peaks Langtang and Ganesh Himal- the peaks seeming to hold up the sky. The hearty, amazingly strong villagers go about their business; ploughing with oxen, planting, harvesting, threshing, winnowing and carrying heavy loads up and down the mountainsides on their backs by a strap from the forehead- (I once saw our cousin carry 100kg of potatoes for four hours straight downhill- imagine his knees!). Grains such as barley and corn are roasted over a wood fire and then brought to the communal water mill that each village owns. While waiting for the crops to grow or winter to pass, the women pass the time weaving beautifully patterned traditional yak hair and wool handlooms. But even with all the hard work, everyone finds plenty of time for visiting, music making and enjoyment. Annual festivals, weddings, Buddhist and Shamanic ceremonies are the biggest social occasions. A favorite pastime is trekking by foot or horseback from village to village, enjoying the scenery and meeting with friends and relatives.

Some villages boast Yak Cheese factories, an initiative that was brought by the Swiss many years ago. The cheese is delicious! Other local specialties include morel mushrooms, wild nettle soup, dried meat, fire roasted polenta and a variety of home made spirits. Some of the lodges have trained cooks who from mostly local ingredients provide such delicacies as apple fritters, tasty momo dumplings, morel mushroom and yak cheese pizza, among other things.

Woodcarving: Among the Tamang men of Lantang National Park are many expert woodcarvers. Items such as window frames, doors and dramyen (the Tibetan banjo) are carved with intricate designs of Tibetan Buddhist and high Himalayan themes such as the eight precious symbols, dragons and snow leopards.

Weaving and knitting: While waiting for the crops to grow or winter to pass, the women pass the time knitting sweaters, socks and gloves, or weaving beautiful traditionally patterned yak hair and sheep’s wool handlooms such as bags, belts, carpets and coats.

The Tamang people of Langtang play a few special traditional instruments such as the beautifully carved wooden Dramyen (Tibetan banjo), small wooden flute, and carved Tamang Sarangi. Groups of men and women sing the songs of their region by call and response – with beautiful soaring harmonics and expressive lyrics – usually accompanied by group step dancing.

Shaman’s of the region engage in transcendental drumming, chanting and dancing during festivals and healing ceremonies.

Living just a day’s trek from the Tibetan border town of Kyirong, the people of Langtang are Tibetan Buddhists that trace their origins in Nepal back to the army of Chenghis Khan. One of the earliest ethnically Tibetan groups to settle in Nepal, they say they originally arrived as an outpost of his army and as horse traders. Since then, they have intermarried with other local groups, namely the Yolmo Sherpas, more recently arrived from the East. Thus, although they speak a Tibetan dialect called Tamang, most of their songs and dances are Yolmo in dialect and form. You’ll find they always love to make time for singing, dancing and playing their traditional instrument the dramyen- so get ready to dance your hiking boots off!