Himalayan Faces

 Watching from the ruins of her home - Kaule Village - Nepal after the earthquake April 2015

On my treks over many years in the Himalaya, I have been fortunate enough to photograph the people living in these remote locations and villages. Some of the interesting faces of the Himalaya are in this post.

At Tashiding monastery Sikkim - March 1987 

Porter in the Solu Khumbu April 2011

Boys from Photoksur village - Zanskar September 2007

Leh Ladakh September 2008

Samagaon - Manaslu region April 2017

Watching masked dances at Tabo, Spiti October 2011

For more photographs from the Himalaya please do visit www.sujoydas.com

Vittorio Sella | Mountain Photographer

Jannu from Chunjerma

Today 28th August 2017 is the 158th birth anniversary of the great mountain photographer Vittorio Sella. 

Vittorio Sella  was an Italian photographer and mountaineer, who took photographs of mountains which are regarded as some of the finest ever made. 

Sella was born in Biella in the foothills of the Alps and acquired his interest in Alpinism from his uncle, Quintino Sella. He made a number of significant climbs in the Alps, including the first winter ascents of the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa, and the first winter traverse of Mont Blanc. He took part in several expeditions further afield, including three to the Caucasus (where a peak now bears his name), to Mount Saint Elias in Alaska, to the Rwenzori in Africa, and the 1909 expedition to K2 and the Karakoram. The latter three expeditions were in the company of Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi. Sella continued to climb into his old age, and made his last attempt on the Matterhorn at seventy six. The attempt failed when one of his guides was injured in an accident.

The high quality of Sella's photography was in part due to his use of 30×40 cm photographic plates, in spite of the difficulty of carrying bulky and fragile equipment into remote places. He had to invent equipment, including modified pack saddles and rucksacks, to allow these particularly large glass plates to be transported safely. His photographs were widely published and exhibited, and highly praised; Ansel Adams, who saw thirty-one that Sella had presented to the US Sierra Club, said they inspired "a definitely religious awe". Many of the photographs he took were of mountains which had not been previously recorded and so have historical as well as artistic significance; for example by recording the retreat of glaciers in the Rwenzori mountains in Central Africa.

Sella died in Biella in 1943. His collection of photographs is now managed by the Sella Foundation (Fondazione Sella) in Biella. Some pictures of Sella are exhibited in the Museo Nazionale della Montagna "Duca degli Abruzzi"in Turin. [ From Wikipedia }

Some of Sella's photographs are below: 

Siniolchu and Little Siniolchu from the Zemu Valley 1899

Muztagh Towers Karakoram

Siniolchu Zemu Valley 1899

Camp Zemu Valley 1899

Glacier near Mont Blanc

Chardon Glacier 1888

In the words of Ansel Adams “Knowing the physical pressures of time and energy attendant on ambitious mountain expeditions, we are amazed by the mood of calmness and perfection pervading all of Sella’s photographs. In Sella’s photographs there is no faked grandeur; rather there is understatement, caution, and truthful purpose… Sella has brought to us not only the facts and forms of far-off splendours of the world, but the essence of experience which finds a spiritual response in the inner recesses of our mind and heart.”

Useful Links:

http://www.sujoydas.com/SujoyDas/Vittorio-Sella

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2011/02/pioneering-photographers-vittorio-sella/

Hindu Business Line: The backbone of Everest - A Photo Essay

The Hindu Business Line March 22nd 2014
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/blink/article5810297.ece?ref=slideshow#im-image-0

The sherpas of the Khumbu region continue to carry the weight of expectations of thousands of climbers

In the northeast corner of Nepal, bordering Tibet, lie four of the five highest mountains in the world — Everest, Makalu, Lhotse and Kangchendzonga. In the high valleys, below these mountains, lie the two districts of Solu and Khumbu, the home of the sherpas.

Ever since Nepal opened it doors to climbers in 1949, the sherpas have been the backbone of any climbing expedition, carrying huge loads, sometimes up to 50kg each, for a wage of not more than $15 per day. Many of the expedition sherpas, who are now Everest summiteers, started their lives as porters ferrying loads. Even today, most of these porters hail from the Solu-Khumbu district. Since 1949, the popularity of the region with its star-studded galaxy of high peaks, emerald lakes, icy glaciers and fast-flowing rivers has drawn tourists in droves. This influx also provided a means of employment for the villagers.

Every spring and autumn, more than 50,000 trekkers and climbers descend on the Khumbu region. A majority of them come to trek to the base camp (south) of Everest and to climb Kala Patthar, the black rock above the base camp with its splendid 360-degree view of the Khumbu Himal. Others attempt ‘trekking peaks’ like Island Peak, Lobuche East, and the most intrepid and determined attempt the Everest. There are guided climbs to Everest where a client can pay $50,000 for a place on the summit! To keep the lodges running en route and to provide food and shelter to this enormous influx of visitors, porters and yaks are used right through the season to ferry loads from the airstrip of Lukla to the base camp. Without this back-up team, no expedition can be successful.

Back to the grind: Two porters, bent over and oblivious to the stunning back the Cholatse peak, start the climb up to the Dugla memorials en route to Lobuche

The high fliers: Flights land at Lukla airstrip from Kathmandu, and the yaks take over. Expedition barrels are carried from the airstrip at 2,800m to the Everest base camp at 5,600m

By the way: A porter rests awhile near a prayer wheel of the Benkar village

Weighty matter: Surely it doesn’t get any bigger than this! A porter carries a huge suitcase for a lodge owner on the trail between Khumjung and Thyanboche monastery

Breathing easy: Exhausted, this young lad takes a short nap before resuming a punishing climb to Mong la pass.

Load shedding: Playing carrom in the Lukla sunshine on a rare afternoon off

The Everest Region: Load Bearers of the Khumbu

Every year during spring and autumn more than forty thousand trekkers and climbers descend on the Khumbu region in Nepal. The majority of them come to trek to the Base Camp of Everest and to climb Kala Pattar, the black  rock above the Base Camp with it’s splendid 360 degree view of the Khumbu Himal. Others  attempt “trekking peaks” like Island Peak and Lobuche East and the most intrepid and determined attempt Everest itself.  To keep the lodges running en route and to provide food and shelter to this enormous influx of visitors, porters and yaks are used right throughout the season to ferry loads from the airstrip of Lukla to the base camp. Without this back up team no trek or expedition can be successful. This is an essay on the load bearers of the Khumbu who I admire enormously for carrying huge loads sometimes upto 60 kg,  day in  and day out  for a wage of not more than US 15$ per day.

The flights land at Lukla and then the yaks take over carrying expeditions loads to Base Camp 

Holding his stomach in pain a young  boy carries rice and atta on the long walk uphill



This porter is carrying a trekkers load and protecting it from the heavy downpour. It wont do to have the "sahibs'" gear wet when he reaches camp!  

Mobile phones have come to the Khumbu and these two young lads check their messages during a rest stop



This porter has to go down the Namche steps to Jorsale backwards as the huge load will not allow him to  balance down the steps 

The last bridge below Namche Bazar sees large yak caravans crossing every day



A rest stop for the porters near Devoche



It doesnt get any bigger than this!



Oblivious to the "mane wall" next to her, a young girl climbs to Dingboche carrying supplies for a lodge owner

Snow is no deterrent for this porter near the village of Pangboche. The kerosene jerrycan now empty goes on top



Half bent under the crushing loads, two porters start the punishing climb from Dugla to the memorials with Taboche and Cholatse in the background



A sudden snow storm has changed spring into winter as this party of yaks and porters cross the bridge below Dugla



Almost at journey's end, these yaks are rested at Gorak Shep before the final push to Everest Base Camp