The Himalaya, the ‘abode of snows’
ranges from Pakistan in the west all the way to Assam in eastern India.
An unbroken chain of the youngest and highest mountains on earth it
spans regions of deep spirituality, tradition and great diversity.
Lying mostly above 4500 metres, the aptly named ‘roof of the world’
Tibet houses such treasures as the holy Mt Kailash, throne of Siva to
the Hindus and the soul of Tibet. Bhutanese tsechu (festivals) rival
those anywhere in the world for pure pageantry and if Nepal had a
seaboard it would have it all. The charming Indian hill stations like
Darjeeling and Simla evoke the British Raj and Concordia in Pakistan
hosts some of the most awesome mountain views on the planet.
Climate
The Himalaya climate is primarily dependent
on two main factors, altitude and time of year. Most of the
precipitation in the Himalaya occurs during the summer monsoon
emanating in June from the southeast in Sikkim and drifting along the
chain over three months before breaking up over the Karakorum in
October. October to March bear witness to clear dry warm weather and
clear skies during the day but temperatures can plunge at night
especially at altitude. To the North Dolpo, Mustang and Tibet receive
much less rain being generally high, dry, windy and cold even in
summer.
Geography
From Nanga Parbat (8125m) in Pakistan to
Namche Barwa in the east, the range holds 14 peaks over 8000metres
including Chomolongma (Tibetan), Sagarmatha (Nepali) or Mt Everest, as
we know it, astride the border at 8850 metres. 60 million years ago the
Eurasion continent and the Indo-Australian plates came together
buckling the earth’s crust as the Eurasion plate was forced upwards.
The folding and upheaval continue today as rivers emanating from the
high Tibetan plateau erode their deep gorges, apace with the uplifting
process, draining onto the low plains of the Indian Sub-continent
(hence the Yarlong Tsangpo in Tibet flows out of the Himalaya as the
Brahmaputra).
Culture
Extending over 2500 km and with a width
between 200-300 km the range traverses a multitude of distinct regions
of culture, ethnicity, tradition and religion with the common thread of
a deep reverence for the mighty peaks fundamental to them all. Tibetan
Buddhism, Bon and other animist, pre-buddhist faiths prevail in the
high ancient realms of Tibet, Bhutan, Dolpo, Mustang and amongst the
Sherpas of Nepal, while Hinduism holds sway in the Indian Himalaya with
Islam confined to mainly in the Karakoum. Multi-coloured prayer flags
adorn passes and trails are dotted with mani stones, stupa and chortens
with the odd remote monastery dwarfed by the vast terrain.
Wildlife
Reflecting the decrease in annual
precipitation to the western end of the range, trees grow to a much
higher elevation at the wetter eastern end, with the rhododendron
forests blooming from March to May and other famous species being the
pipal and banyan trees and not forgetting many species of orchid. Apart
from the yeti of course, the Himalaya sustain a wide variety fauna from
the illusive snow leopard and their prey the blue sheep, the soaring
lammergeyer and the perfectly adapted beast of burden the yak.