High up in Nepal's mountains, groups of men risk their lives to harvest much sought-after wild honey from hives on cliffs.
Devi Bahadur Nepali, an experienced honey hunter, climbs on a bamboo rope to harvest cliff honey in Dolakha, 115 miles (185 kilometers) east of Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 19, 2021.
Trekking hours through the steep mountains, one group led by experienced honey hunter Devi Bahadur Napali carried food, bamboo ropes, sharp bamboo sticks and other tools needed to harvest the honey.
Honey hunters climb a hill carrying rope and other tools required for harvesting cliff honey in Dolakha, 115 miles east of Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 19, 2021.
A minor slip could mean falling hundreds of feet (dozens of meters) and sure death for the hunters, who carefully navigated the steep and narrow openings on the mountain.
A honey hunter watches his team leader harvest cliff honey in Dolakha, 115 miles east of Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 19, 2021.
Nepali climbed up a ladder made from bamboo rope with a sharp bamboo stick in one hand and a basket in another – the stick to break off the hives and the basket to collect them.
Devi Bahadur Nepali, an experienced honey hunter, climbs a bamboo rope to harvest cliff honey in Dolakha, 115 miles east of Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 19, 2021.
... then gave a signal to a teammate to use a rope tied to the basket, full of dripping hives, to lower it to the ground.
A honey hunter protected by face nets, holds a rope connected to a basket used to collect harvested honey in Dolakha, 115 miles east of Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 19, 2021.
Nepali’s hands were swollen badly. He was stung on his hands, feet and elsewhere on his body. He drinks the alcoholic beverage, he said, to make the pain bearable.
Nepalese honey hunter Devi Bahadur Nepali shows his swollen hands after being stung by bees while harvesting in Dolakha, 115 miles east of Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 20, 2021.
