A series of Mustang Caves dug into a cliff 155 feet above the valley floor

Cliffside caves in the former kingdom of Mustang are giving up their secrets.
To reach a series of caves dug into a cliff 155 feet above the valley floor, Matt Segal scales a rock face so fragile it often breaks off to the touch. Linked by a ledge, the 800-year-old caves, empty now, may once have stored manuscripts.   Image © Cory Richards/National Geographic      Larger image

Climbers and scientists follow a trail above the Kali Gandaki River in Nepal
Image © Cory Richards/National Geographic



Climbers and scientists follow a trail above the Kali Gandaki River in Nepal’s remote Mustang region. More than 60 feet above are rows of unexplored man-made caves dug centuries ago. There may be thousands in the region.

Sky Caves of Nepal National Geographic

The images are in the October 2012 issue of National Geographic magazine, on newsstands September 25.

Sky Caves of Nepal Mustang Caves
Image © Cory Richards/National Geographic



Walkie-talkie in one hand and human jawbone in the other, expedition leader Pete Athans picks his way through a looted mortuary cave while Segal surveys a pit from which robbers tossed bones. Scientists hope that DNA from teeth will help pinpoint the origins of the bodies.

source National Geographic