Rafting in Nepal really began in the mid-1970's on the Trisuli River after Al Read imported Avon rafts. This album shows the 1st descent in 1976 and miscellaneous weekend excursions near the road to Pokhara in 1975-76 that Johan participated in.
In 1976 I located this group of the Ban Raut tribe in Darchula on the border of West Nepal with India. They use to hunt monkeys, but in 1976 the women mainly gathered tubers and the men worked as laborers wherever could find work. They have likely become settled agriculturalists.
The Bandali Raji are located mainly along the Karnali River, where some work as ferry men. The Naukule Raji are in Kailali District, where they still are active honey gatherers.
The Raute are one of the last nomadic hunter-gathering tribes in Asia. They hunt monkeys, gather forest tubers, and trade wooden bowls and boxes with villagers for grain. They will put on dances for villagers when paid with goats.
Only a few members of the Kusunda tribe remained alive in 1968. This man is one of the few who spoke the language fluently. It is unrelated to any language family, thus one of the world's rarest languages.
