Cliff honey hunting begins

KATHMANDU: The traditional practice of cliff honey hunting has commenced at Swanta in Annapurna Rural Municipality–5, Myagdi.

Continuing a long-standing cultural tradition, locals engage in collective honey hunting during the first week of the Nepali month of Jestha (mid-May), scaling dangerous cliffs near their village to harvest wild honey.

On Tuesday, under the leadership of local Lok Bahadur Paija, 40 liters of honey were extracted from Chhahare cliff.

The team included veteran honey hunter 72-year-old Kesh Bahadur Tilija Pun, along with Tul Bahadur Purja, Sujan Tilija, Sanam Paija, and other young participants. Dangling from ropes, they braved treacherous cliffs to collect the honey from wild hives.

Approximately 20 individuals assisted in various roles including collection, initial processing, and support.

The dangerous activity involves climbing rented cliffs and harvesting honey from bee colonies nesting in inaccessible rock faces.

In a bid to preserve this ancestral skill, experienced honey hunters are now training younger generations, ensuring the survival of this unique tradition.

Before the hunt, a ritual puja was performed near the cliff in accordance with Magar culture to ward off bad omens.

Last year, Chhahare cliff yielded 200 liters of honey, but this year’s harvest was significantly lower—five times less.

Honey hunter Paija explained that recent rainfall prevented bees from reaching their foraging areas, causing them to consume their own honey reserves.

The Chhahare cliff currently hosts 11 hives. Preparations are underway for the next hunt at Chhisko Tauko cliff, located on the trekking route from Swanta to Khopra. That site reportedly contains about 20 hives.

These rock bees reside in the middle sections of steep, slippery cliffs near riverbanks.

Their diet consists of nectar from wild jungle flowers. During winter, they descend to warmer lowlands, but as temperatures rise, they migrate back to higher altitudes.

The honey hunt attracted both domestic and foreign tourists. Sagar Parajuli from Kathmandu expressed awe after witnessing the daring act of honey extraction while suspended by rope.

“My whole body tingled watching the hunters descend with ropes to extract honey from such a terrifying cliff,” he said. “While the taste of cliff honey is rich and sweet, the process of harvesting it comes with extreme risks.”

The hunters divide into two groups—one at the top and one at the bottom of the cliff. One group lowers the rope (locally called parang) down the cliff, while the other waits below or above to collect and manage the harvested honey.

Smoke is used to disperse the bees that cluster around the honeycombs. When smoke is applied to the hive, bees flee, and during this time, the main honey hunter slices off the comb and places it in a container, which is then moved up or down using the rope.

Due to the risks involved, including bee stings and rope accidents, older hunters like Kesh Bahadur Tilija now use safety equipment such as protective clothing and harnesses.

“Ten years ago, we had to worry about bee stings and falling due to rope slips,” he said. “Now, with safety gear, it’s much safer and easier.”

Cliff honey is considered highly nutritious and energizing. Locals like Bal Bahadur Tilija say it’s also used in religious rituals and valued as a gift by those living in cities or abroad. Once all the honey is collected, villagers convene to distribute it according to their roles.

The community divides honey among three groups—those who climb the cliffs, those who assist, and the rest of the villagers. Any surplus is sold outside the village.

Swanta’s cliff honey is priced at Rs 3,000 per liter. Many who have migrated to urban areas such as Beni, Pokhara, Kathmandu, and Chitwan return to Swanta during honey hunting season.

Chandra Pun, originally from Swanta and now residing in Pokhara, said she visits every year to witness the hunt, eat fresh honey, and take some home.

Cliff honey hunting has been a tradition since the founding of the Swanta settlement. Ward Chairperson of Annapurna Rural Municipality–5, Rajesh Tilija Pun, stated that there are plans to make the honey hunting practice more systematic, modern, safe, and tourism-oriented.

“We aim to attract both domestic and international tourists during the honey hunting season, and to process, store, and market the honey in an organized manner,” he said.