Published Oct 16, 2026Updated Oct 16, 2026
Harvesting Nigalo｜A Five-Hour Walk into the Mountains
The wild-growing site is about a five-hour walk from the artisans’ village. We follow the search for Nigalo, the artisans’ handwork, and the route that continues from Darchula.
Nigalo also grows around the village where Dalo makers live. The bamboo used for the baskets is gathered farther into the mountains: makers walk about five hours each way to its natural growing area and select mature culms to harvest.
When Nigalo Is Ready to Harvest
The Nigalo selected for harvesting is fully mature and has turned an ochre colour. After cutting, the bamboo is carried back to the village, where branches and nodes are trimmed as it is prepared into fine bamboo strips.
Nigalo is slender and flexible, but processing it still requires strength. In this region, harvesting, preparing the strips, and basket making have traditionally been carried out by men.
Variation in the Material
Each Nigalo culm differs in thickness, node spacing, branch position, and curvature.
In western Nepal, wild bamboos like this have long been used for baskets and mats. Bamboo growing on the land is harvested, split according to its individual qualities, and worked into tools.
Finished Dalo retain traces of the material itself: nodes, sap marks, and variations in colour.
Transport from the Mountain Region
Dalo are transported from Darchula to other regions once completed.
We followed the logistics route ourselves, flying from Kathmandu to Dhangadhi and then travelling by jeep for two days to reach Darchula.
Large buses are also an important means of transport in the region, carrying Nigalo bamboo products to markets elsewhere. Road and traffic conditions make transport both time-consuming and unpredictable.
The next article looks at Dalo’s double-layered structure made from Nigalo.
