DOLAKHA, Nepal -- High up in Nepal's mountains, groups of men risk their lives to harvest much sought-after wild honey from hives on cliffs.
Trekking hours through the steep mountains, one group led by experienced honey hunter Devi Bahadur Nepali carried food, bamboo ropes, sharp bamboo sticks and other tools needed to harvest the honey.
A minor slip could mean falling hundreds of feet and sure death for the hunters, who carefully navigated the steep and narrow openings on the mountain.
Before starting to climb a steep cliff high above the Tama Koshi River, Nepali reminded the group to ensure they had enough food, water and local alcohol.
They piled up grass and logs at the bottom of the cliff and lit a fire to smoke the bees out of their hives.
Nepali climbed up a ladder made from bamboo rope with a sharp bamboo stick in one hand and a basket in another -- the stick to break off the hives and the basket to collect them.
Dangling in the air, he sliced off pieces of hives and caught them with the basket, then gave a signal to a teammate to use a rope tied to the basket, full of dripping hives, to lower it to the ground. Two other team members prepared to clean off all the bees and squeeze the hives to extract the honey.
Thousands of bees hovered over the men's faces, which were protected by face nets.
Nepali's hands were swollen badly. He was stung on his hands, feet and elsewhere on his body. He drinks the alcoholic beverage, he said, to make the pain bearable.
On this day, the group was able to harvest around 9 gallons of honey from the cliff colony. They will be able to sell it at a market for $25 a liter.
Devi Bahadur Nepali, an experienced honey hunter climbs on a bamboo rope to harvest cliff honey in Dolakha, 115 miles east of Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 19, 2021. High up in Nepal's mountains, groups of men risk their lives to harvest much-sought-after wild honey from hives on cliffs. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
A honey hunter climbs a hill carrying bamboo rope in Dolakha, 115 miles east of Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 19, 2021. High up in Nepal's mountains, groups of men risk their lives to harvest much-sought-after wild honey from hives on cliffs. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
A Nepalese honey hunter holds a bamboo rope ladder as as team leader Devi Bahadur Nepali, climbs to harvest cliff honey in Dolakha, 115 miles east of Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 19, 2021. High up in Nepal's mountains, groups of men risk their lives to harvest much-sought-after wild honey from hives on cliffs. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Devi Bahadur Nepali, an experienced honey hunter climbs on a bamboo rope to harvest cliff honey in Dolakha, 115 miles east of Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 19, 2021. High up in Nepal's mountains, groups of men risk their lives to harvest much-sought-after wild honey from hives on cliffs. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Honey hunters make a fire to distract bees from hives before they harvest the cliff honey in Dolakha, 115 miles east of Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 19, 2021. High up in Nepal's mountains, groups of men risk their lives to harvest much-sought-after wild honey from hives on cliffs. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Honey hunters climb a hill carrying rope and other tools required for harvesting cliff honey in Dolakha, 115 miles east of Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 19, 2021. High up in Nepal's mountains, groups of men risk their lives to harvest much-sought-after wild honey from hives on cliffs. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Nepalese honey hunters squeeze honey from the hive in Dolakha, 115 miles east of Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 19, 2021. High up in Nepal's mountains, groups of men risk their lives to harvest much-sought-after wild honey from hives on cliffs. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Devi Bahadur Nepali, an experienced honey hunter climbs on a bamboo rope to harvest cliff honey in Dolakha, 115 miles east of Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 19, 2021. High up in Nepal's mountains, groups of men risk their lives to harvest much-sought-after wild honey from hives on cliffs. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
A honey hive and bees fall off from a cliff during harvest in Dolakha, 115 miles east of Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 19, 2021. High up in Nepal's mountains, groups of men risk their lives to harvest much-sought-after wild honey from hives on cliffs. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)