Nature · Lubra
Fossils, cliffs and water in the Panda Khola
A slow nature walk in the Panda Khola below Lubra, looking at layered cliffs, shaligram fossils in the riverbed, wildlife on the slopes and the irrigation channels that make farming possible here, with a guide who can explain how floods are changing the valley.
The Panda Khola valley is a small lesson in how the Himalaya was made. Its cliffs show layer upon layer of sedimentary rock, laid down on the floor of the Tethys Sea before India collided with Asia and pushed it up. In the riverbed you can find black shaligram stones that split to reveal ammonite fossils, the same stones that Hindu pilgrims seek in the Kali Gandaki. Take photographs, but leave most of them where they lie.
Walk slowly and watch the slopes. Blue sheep come down to graze in the mornings, especially in winter, and lammergeiers and griffon vultures circle above the cliffs. Lower down, the willows and walnut trees around Lubra draw small birds. Your guide will point out the irrigation channels that carry water from the Panda Khola to the terraces, some running for hundreds of metres along the cliff foot. Binoculars are worth bringing.
Then there is the river itself. In recent years flash floods have torn through the valley and damaged Lubra's fields and channels. Standing on the wide gravel bed, you can see where the water has cut new courses and where villagers have rebuilt walls. This walk can be combined with the monastery visit, or done as a quieter morning from Jomsom. Avoid it when rain is forecast. It is a sobering sight.
Good for
Questions
Can I find shaligram fossils near Lubra?
Yes, shaligram stones can be found in the Panda Khola riverbed below Lubra, as in the Kali Gandaki. They are sacred to Hindus, so handle them respectfully. Take one or two small stones at most if you wish, and leave the rest. Searching is only safe when the river is low, roughly October to May.
What wildlife lives around Lubra?
Blue sheep (bharal) graze the slopes, especially in the mornings and in winter, and large birds such as lammergeiers and Himalayan griffon vultures ride the air above the cliffs. Smaller birds gather in the willows and walnut trees around the village. Snow leopards range in the wider area but are very rarely seen.
Why does Lubra flood?
Lubra sits beside the Panda Khola, whose narrow upper valley can channel heavy rain into sudden floods. In recent years floods have repeatedly damaged the village's fields and irrigation channels, which villagers and reporters link to more intense rainfall events. It is one reason we avoid the valley when rain is forecast.
Also in Lubra
More ways to spend the day
SpiritualVisit Lubra's Bon monastery with a local guide
Meet the old religion of Tibet in Lubra's monastery: Bon statues and paintings, a counter-clockwise kora and, if he is …
TrekkingHalf-day walk from Jomsom up the Panda Khola
A half-day walk from Jomsom north along the Kali Gandaki and up the narrow Panda Khola valley to Lubra, with …
TrekkingDown from Muktinath by the Lubra trail
A full-day walk from Ranipauwa over the ridge south of Muktinath and down the Panda Khola to Lubra and Jomsom, …