They went up a mountain to pick ‘Himalayan Viagra’ – and never came back

Three people are still missing after a group of 15 foraging for Cordyceps sinensis were hit by an avalanche in the highlands of Nepal

The parasitic fungus, also known as ‘yarchagumba’, is only found at certain elevations for a few weeks each year – and can fetch huge sums in China

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Mount Everest and other Himalayan peaks are seen through an aircraft window during a flight over Nepal. Photo: Reuters

Published: 1:31pm, 9 May 2023Updated: 2:31pm, 9 May 2023

Three people are missing and 12 others were injured after an avalanche hit northwestern Nepal, where the group was picking “Himalayan Viagra”.

Every year, thousands of villagers in Nepal and Tibet harvest the parasitic fungus Cordyceps sinensis, known locally as yarchagumba, which grows on the body of a caterpillar.

It can fetch huge sums in China, where it is used in herbal medicines, and is only found at certain elevations for a few weeks each year.

The group of 15 were in search of yarchagumba in the highlands of the Mugu district – located on the border with Tibet – when they were hit by an avalanche on Saturday.

Rescuers were hiking to the remote site after a helicopter was unable to land because of snowy weather, district official Mohan Bahadur Thapa said on Monday.

Yarchagumba, which means “summer plant, winter insect” in Tibetan, is only found at altitudes above 3,500 metres (11,500 feet) and forms when the parasitic fungus lodges itself in a caterpillar, slowly killing it.

No definitive research has been published on the beneficial qualities of the fungus, but Chinese herbalists believe it boosts sexual performance.