The Smoke and the Void: Gurung Honey Hunters
Documenting the ancient, perilous ritual of harvesting cliff honey suspended hundreds of feet above Himalayan gorges.
High above the roaring river gorge in the shadow of Annapurna, the cliff face drops sheer into the abyss. Here, the Gurung honey hunters continue a sacred communion with the cliff spirit Rangkemi that has spanned millennia.
Before any hunter touches the ladder, shamans sacrifice a rooster and chant invocations to appease the spirits. Below the cliff, bundles of green leaves and wormwood are lit to produce thick billowing smoke, subduing the world’s largest honey bees, Apis laboriosa.
To photograph this from an adjacent suspension rope requires nerves of steel and absolute confidence in one’s gear. As the smoke parted, the hunter sliced through the golden comb with a 25-foot bamboo pole, his weathered eyes calm and unblinking behind a crude mesh veil.
Experience This Location in Person
Join our small-group visual masterclass to document Annapurna Conservation Area, Pokhara & Tanahun under the mentorship of our lead photographers.