People: Dolpo, Rukum and Jumla

Taken during November 1969 this collection of images shows the high altitude people encountered between the southern areas of Dolpo and Jumla in Nepal's western area. The images also show people in northern areas of the Rukum district (averaging 3-3.5,000 metres) who are quite distinct from the more Tibetan people of Dolpo. One series shows the nomads from Dolpo whom I walked with for many days as they moved to new pasture. Another group shows the village of Tarakot (3,500 metres) where I spent several weeks. Yet another shows a wandering Lama and his servant whom I encountered and a single image is of a Bon-po (pre-Buddhist) Lama who was about to enter meditation retreat but who was keen to tell me that he had recently helped a French anthropologist (Cornielle Jest, whose jacket he wears) and was therefore a person worth chatting with! The final grouping shows the people to be found in Jumla town, in Nepal's far west, an administrative centre.