Yarsagumba Harvest Turns Deadly in Dolpa as Collector Dies of Altitude Sickness

A 43-year-old man from Jajarkot has died of altitude sickness while collecting Yarsagumba in Dolpa, adding to the long list of tragedies tied to the high-risk Himalayan harvest.

The deceased has been identified as Lok Bahadur Singh of Jajarkot. He fell ill at the Tinjangkhola highland in Dolpo Buddha Rural Municipality and died while being transported for treatment toward the district headquarters, Dunai. The incident occurred at Laini in Kaike Rural Municipality.

Yarsagumba, a highly valued medicinal fungus found in the Himalayan region, draws thousands of collectors to remote high-altitude pastures every season. The harvest can be financially rewarding, but the journey often exposes people to freezing temperatures, rugged terrain, landslides, lightning, and severe health risks linked to thin air and physical exhaustion.

Recent reporting from the region shows that Yarsagumba collection has repeatedly turned fatal, with deaths caused by accidents and natural hazards during the harvesting season. In Darchula, for example, multiple collectors have died this year in incidents including lightning strikes and other highland accidents.

The latest death in Dolpa is another reminder of how dangerous the Yarsagumba trade remains for people who travel deep into the mountains in search of a crop that can be worth a fortune on the market. In many districts, the promise of high earnings continues to pull villagers, including young people, into some of Nepal’s most remote and perilous terrain.

As demand for the fungus remains strong, the risks faced by collectors have become an annual concern for local communities, authorities, and health workers stationed in mountainous districts.