Khumbu Architecture

The architectural style and composition of the urban Kathmandu and the provincial Khumbu regions actually have a bit in common. Nepal is a less developed nation and the infrastructure is based on limited resources and technology. The cityscape of Kathmandu looks like dusty roads and uneven piles of bricks on the verge of toppling over, which could also be said of the shacks and walls in the villages among the Himalayas. In the Khumbu there are simply a lot of rocks available as building material, but there are limited sources for plaster or cement. The result is the practice of chipping away at the stone to square them off then to simply stack them without any binding agents to form walls.

More sophisticated materials, such as cement, plywood, metal sheets and glass, are transported up to the highlands at great cost via helicopters and the toiling of porters. Large Russian transport helicopters load the materials and fly up to the midpoint of the Shyangboche airfield above Namche. From that point the materials are sold and further transported. Because of the costs builders prefer the lighter materials (plywood and corrugated tin) rather than sturdier ones. The resulting structures are made up of loosely stacked (but heavy) stone exteriors, light but effective tin roofing, and flimsy but effective plywood interiors. The insulation and sound-proofing are non-existent, but it's better than exposure to the elements.

For the pricier structures, such as higher class lodges, the owner will hire a crew of stonecutters to carry in a vast amount of stones and to chip away at the edges to form amazingly even bricks. The workers masterfully align the cut stones to form planed walls, but usually they still don't use any mortar. The stones stack so neatly that they don't need anything to hold them together. The really deluxe buildings do use bricks and mortar.

In the case of property demarcation, the villagers rely on simply piling the unfinished stones loosely without concern for whether they serve as an effective barrier. As long as you don't bump into the stone walls they stand well enough and serve their purpose. However, the stones are put to very effective and lasting use for improving and reinforcing the trails. Most of the trails are very uneven with the jutting stones protruding from the ground, but in some sections the way is well paved and supported with many stones inlaid into the ground.