Funeral Procession Below Cho Oyu
In April and May of 2006 I trekked through four valleys in the Mt. Everest region of Nepal. This region, known as the Solokhumbu, is home to the Sherpa people. Living high in the Himalaya the Sherpa are more closely connected geographically, religiously and ancestrally to the Tibetan people than they are to people living in the lowlands of Nepal.
At over 16,500 feet in elevation Gokyo is one of the farthest outposts of habitation in the Everest Region. Located on a glacial lake directly below the massive south face of Cho Oyu, the world’s eighth highest peak, Gokyo has several lodges that serve trekkers and climbers. The lodges are owned and operated by Sherpa people. While I was there the owner of one of the lodges was killed. He was walking from a lower village in the night and fell off the narrow mountain path. Within hours a contingent of Buddhist Monks were summoned from Khumjung to perform a funeral ceremony. In this photo the monks are leading a procession carrying the body into the mountains to perform the traditional cremation.
Canon EOS 5D
Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens
1/200 sec @ F/8
