The Himalayan mountains, with an elevation of some 5,000m, conceal a valuable "elixir." Caterpillar fungus is a parasitic fungus growing on insects that is especially valued in China for nutritional and anti-aging properties. High-quality specimens sell to wealthy buyers for as much as $70,000 per kg. In order to seek out this buried treasure, impoverished residents of Nepal's villages climb the snowy mountains to seek out the fungus from May through July, when it briefly becomes visible. In this program, a young man accompanies his father on this journey, joining the "Himalayan gold rush" to hopefully provide a better life for their family.
Transcript
The Himalayas, where the earth is closest to the heavens.
Multiple peaks extend more than 8000 meters high, including Mount Everest.
In secluded sections of the mountains,
people gather once a year in search of a special substance.
Look, here it is!
This fungus has been treasured for its nutritional and anti-aging properties for centuries.
It's called caterpillar fungus.
Highly sought by wealthy Chinese citizens,
quality fungus is literally worth more than its weight in gold.
Like some heavenly elixir, it's harvested by impoverished people living in the Himalayan valleys.
Thanks to caterpillar fungus,
we can buy food and send our children to school.
By harvesting caterpillar fungus in the spring,
one person can earn enough money for an entire year.
This father and son will soon set out to find caterpillar fungus.
Laxman is only 16 years old.
I want to help earn money.
This will be his first time climbing the Himalayan mountains.
At elevations of 5000 meters, many challenges await.
I didn't find any caterpillar fungus,
and it's hard to breathe.
You should head down if you feel worse.
People die up here.
A boy departs on a harsh journey into the mountains, dreaming of riches...
Don't cry, don't cry...
From Nepal's capital city of Kathmandu,
travelling 300 km west along the foothills of the Himalayas reveals a small village named Barekot.
Even its lowest elevation is more than 1000 meters up.
The village's population is around 100.
Most are Hinduists leading traditional lives.
Some villagers venture into the Himalayas to seek caterpillar fungus.
Karna Bahadur Basnet has made more than 10 trips for the substance.
He's part of a family of 6.
This is his wife, Kumari.
Laxman is the oldest of his four children.
The village economy centers on farming.
Soil among the mountains is thin,
and rain has become infrequent in recent years.
One family can only harvest enough food for three months.
I go to larger towns to earn money for rice.
Every year, Karna spends more than 6 months away from home to earn money.
Our father treats us well.
He takes care of us, no matter what.
Laxman decides to help his father look for caterpillar fungus.
I want to earn money
so I can buy things and travel.
He wants to go to South Korea for work, so he'll need money to study the language.
If he finds enough caterpillar fungus, he could fund his studies himself.
He also wants to lessen the burden on his family.
There's a fish!
Laxman has a certain hobby that he enjoys.
He loves to sing, so he writes music and lyrics.
I told the teacher I had to go to the restroom,
but I just goofed off.
I tricked my parents,
but that made me what I am.
- Why did you write those lyrics?
- I can tell the truth about myself.
It's the real me.
Tomorrow, Karna and Laxman leave for the Himalayas.
They go to see the village shaman.
Gods, please let this father and son
have a fruitful journey and return safely.
A prayer is made for the safe return of Karna and Laxman.
I'm not afraid of anything.
With two people, our income will double!
Karna previously earned 100,000 rupees in a month, or around 800 US dollars.
He stands to make double that.
However, his wife is concerned.
I worry about Laxman.
I don't want him to fall or starve, or to get sick.
The day of the journey has come.
One family is split in two.
Bye-bye!
We're off!
They set off in search of caterpillar fungus.
They'll need to ascend to 5000 m up in the Himalayas.
It will take 6 days to reach their destination, Perika Puwa.
Do you think we'll find any?
Of course we will.
We just have to work hard.
Bye!
Located in the district of Dolpo bordering China,
the village of Dunai serves as a basecamp for Himalayan mountain climbers.
The road from here must be traversed on foot.
They leave together with two others from Barekot.
It's a 5-day climb to reach Perika Puwa.
Many others journey up the mountain in search of caterpillar fungus.
Some wear only sandals on their feet.
They finally reach the inner mountains of Dolpo.
They've been climbing for 5 hours.
Laxman has started to lag behind.
You finally caught up.
Their pace has slowed, and the sun is starting to set.
Laxman can barely muster the energy to speak.
After 10 hours, they reach a mountain cabin at just past 8 p.m.
The next morning...
Another day of pure hiking begins.
They spot some people coming down the mountain.
Did you find any caterpillar fungus?
Not much.
Is the snow melted?
It's still thick.
It's knee-deep. Your clothes will get wet.
Maybe we shouldn't hope for too much.
Snow didn't fall until the spring this year in Dolpo.
Such climate changes may have kept caterpillar fungus from growing as much as usual.
Nevertheless, Laxman and his father continue their search for fortune.
The surroundings start to change as they climb higher.
Nearing the timberline, they see less trees and more rocks.
Blue sheep inhabit the alpine zone.
They're now 3000 meters up.
They come across a waterfall.
From a height of 167 meters, water gushes down the Suligad waterfall.
A beautiful lake lies just beyond.
Known as the Blue Eye of the Himalayas, Phoksundo Lake is 145 meters deep.
Light reaches deep into its pure water, giving it a noticeably blue appearance.
After 5 days of hiking, they reach an elevation of 4,500 meters.
Their strength is almost depleted.
The destination finally comes into view.
Caterpillar fungus grows in Perika Puwa, which means "vast grassland" in Tibetan.
After the snow melts in May, villagers come in search of this elixir.
More than 200 people have already arrived.
Across eight locations in Dolpo, thousands come in search of caterpillar fungus.
They've come to drink tea.
Food and goods are being sold at tents.
I'm here for potatoes.
It's good that we can buy things here.
We couldn't bring enough by ourselves.
Karna and his son settle for bean soup and rice.
Even in spring, the nighttime temperature falls below freezing.
Eat well and keep warm!
Laxman eats like a horse.
This tastes as good as the food at a 5-star hotel.
Tomorrow, their hunt for the caterpillar fungus will commence.
I wonder who'll find the most.
We'll see tomorrow.
The one who finds more will be our hero.
Caterpillar fungus is especially popular in China.
One major dealer is located in a town near the Tibetan Plateau.
These are big.
As its name suggests,
the caterpillar fungus is a parasitic fungus that grows by feeding on insects.
Large ones in good condition can be sold wholesale for around $10 each.
The best specimens are sold in stores for over $70,000 a kilogram, a value higher than gold.
The number of people buying it has increased.
Demand goes up each year,
and limited supply means rising prices.
Increasing in popularity among affluent city-dwellers are tea gatherings centered around the fungus.
Mixing it into high-end teas has become a recent trend.
Demand goes far beyond what's available in China, leading dealers to look to Nepal.
This tea hits the spot.
Laxmand and Karna have begun their search for the fungus.
Hopefully each of us can gather 10 a day.
I'd like to find as much as I can.
As they heard from another climber, even in May, the snow is thick.
The snow covers some places
where it seems like we'd find them.
They climb a slope east from the camp site toward an area that isn't snowed under.
In this region, caterpillar fungus can only be found at elevations of 3500 m or higher,
and only fresh samples carry value.
They practically crawl along the ground as they hunt for it.
It should be found in places like this,
but it can be hidden in the grass.
Sometimes it's barely exposed.
Laxman learns the techniques from Karna as he continues to search.
The strain on their hands and legs is considerable,
and yet concentration means everything.
Oh my...
Where are you at?
3 hours has passed.
I found one!
Karna's experience yields results.
It's pretty big!
The fungus protrudes straight from the ground.
It's in good shape. It should fetch a high price.
We can get around $4 for it.
If they can sell one for $4, then ten will fetch $40,
far more than most migrant workers make for a day's work.
At the end of the first day, they count their haul.
- How many did you find?
- I got five.
Zero!
So cold, cold is my fate...
On the second day, Laxman and Karna aim for even higher ground,
deciding that their results from the day before weren't what they had hoped.
The elevation here is nearly 5,000 m.
I didn't find any caterpillar fungus,
and it's hard to breathe.
Oxygen levels here are around half that of normal elevation.
We need to climb higher.
Unfortunately, Laxman's body can't keep up with his enthusiasm.
The altitude sickness is causing headaches and chills.
They decide to pull back to their tent.
He'll be fine.
Karna watches over Laxman.
Meanwhile, a large family from another village has assembled their own group.
They form a long line so that no fungus goes unfound.
If any among them spot one, a cheer erupts from the group.
They make sure to return the earth to its former state.
If we take care of the ground,
it'll grow again next year.
This importance of preserving nature is taught to their children as well.
When we dig up the fungus,
we try not to damage it.
We give thanks to nature.
Morning dawns on the third day.
Laxman heads out of his tent and attempts the climb,
but he hasn't fully recovered.
You're trying,
but it's still hard.
Drink some warm water.
You can head back.
I'd like to do more, but the pain may come back.
Later that evening...
A man from the same village who had gotten an earlier start comes by their tent.
- You got this many in one day?
- 15 of them.
Over two weeks, the man has managed to amass 110 of the fungi.
Even searching the same way,
only one or two people will find anything.
It all comes down to luck.
Does your head still hurt?
A little.
Over three days, Karna has found 7 caterpillar fungi.
Laxman still has yet to find one.
The fourth day of the search.
Laxman has regained some of his strength.
In the afternoon, the weather grows suddenly worse.
Cold winds drain their stamina.
When you get back to camp, drink lots of warm water.
Once again, Karna sends Laxman back early.
The results remain disappointing.
No matter how hard we try,
there's no point if we can't find them.
Anxiety builds...
That evening, the two other fungus-hunters descend, but Karna is not with them.
Another hour passes...
Finally, Karna returns to camp.
Persevering well into the evening,
he gained their largest take yet, of 7 fungi.
I hung in there till I found them.
I crawled all over the place, so my legs are soaked.
The snow got them all wet.
Karna pressed on through the thick snow until he at last brought back results.
They begin their fifth day.
This time, Laxman is keeping warm with a jacket layered over his parka.
It's Dad's.
He seemed cold.
Laxman appears to have fully recovered.
- Check the cracks in the ground.
- Right.
Sometimes they're buried in there.
They spend 4 hours searching.
Laxman found one of them.
Right here.
I'm so happy.
I really tried.
Pull it on out.
It's definitely one of them.
You hold it like this.
As gently as possible.
Clean it well and it'll get a good price.
You've got it?
Yeah.
A fresh caterpillar fungus, the fruit of their efforts.
However, things wouldn't continue so smoothly.
Laxman has a fever.
It might be from the cold.
You should head down if you feel worse.
People die up here.
Then, on top of that...
We're almost through our rice.
It'll be expensive here.
We'll need more fungi just to keep working.
Their current supplies will last only a few more days.
If they don't come across more fungi, it'll be hard to justify buying more rice.
From the sixth day, the snowfall builds in intensity.
It's getting too cold.
You go ahead and I'll search a little more.
Take my gloves. It's really cold.
They're faced with the hard decision of how long they can endure.
Laxman is writing a new song.
How will we work to survive?
My father said on the phone.
Don't cry, don't cry...
They reach the 9th day.
Their total so far comes to 20 fungi found by Karna, and 3 by Laxman.
They haven't even come close to their goal of 10 each per day.
Realizing that it'll be difficult for them to stay out any longer,
they decide to descend the mountain.
There's nobody to depend on here.
Where can you go to make a living?
Laxman wrote this song in the image of his father working far from their village.
My father said on the phone, "Don't cry.
I'll earn lots of money to make you happy."
My father had to leave our town to travel for work.
I wrote the song about my own feelings of sadness.
I stayed at home, and Dad went to work.
Unaware of his hardship,
I just asked him to send money.
Looking for the fungus with him
was eye-opening.
Making money is much harder than I knew.
Understanding this hardship may be
the greatest sign of growth.
Now my son has experienced
both joy and adversity in life.
Laxman finishes their journey having obtained only a few fungi.
However, perhaps he brings back something even more important.
On their way back, Laxman and Karna stop by a village near Phoksundo Lake.
There are brokers located here
who purchase the caterpillar fungi gathered in the mountains.
In Nepal, not many people carry around wads of cash.
These are from Perika Puwa.
This one is old.
These are big.
How much can you buy them at?
For the ones of good quality, about $2 each.
How much for the lot?
22 dollars.
The offer comes to what would be just 2 days' pay for normal work.
I had hoped we could get around $4 each for them.
It doesn't seem worth the trouble.
Brokers like this man make a living by buying the fungi at low prices,
and selling them along to other brokers.
Laxman has no choice but to look on silently.
6 days after descending from the Himalayas,
father and son return to their hometown of Barekot.
Bye!
Bye!
They're finally home again.
It's been a whole month.
We missed you.
I wondered how you might be doing.
How many caterpillars did you get?
Three of them.
This is a caterpillar fungus.
Let your little sister see it.
I'll go too.
I can catch a bunch.
This many.
You'd get sick in the Himalayas.
You'd be carried off by the wind.
No I wouldn't!
It's really cold.
But I could make money.
After their return, Laxman hasn't forgotten the song that came to him in the Himalayas.
I wanted to convey that other people
feel that same hardship I experienced.
We're poor folk.
We don't get to have dreams like the rich.
We can barely put food on the table.
The rich just sit back and rake in the cash.
Let's work with our own strength.
No need to leech off anyone.
Let's work with our own strength.
No need to leech off anyone.
In the face of harsh reality,
Laxman's song reaffirms his will to take pride in their humble, honest life.