Construction Work in June/July 2026: The third trip to Phuktal Monastery
- Aug 1
- 2 min read
On June 22, 2026, the Swiss crew traveled to Ladakh to locally coordinate the planned rockfall mitigation measures at Phuktal Monastery and to stake out the steep slope.
Hans Matthias and Röne had already carefully drawn up the lists of materials required back in April. Together with Lama Tsewang, Dechen co-ordinated the ordering and transport of the necessary building materials to the monastery.
When the three project members arrived in Phuktal on 22 June, Hans Matthias was able to start work straight away. First, he carried out a risk assessment and surveyed the rockfall area. He then worked with the Nepalese construction workers to put the necessary protective measures in place, explained the structural safety precautions and briefed the team on how to carry out the work properly.
Work then began on the steep slope with the help of five Nepalese men and the monks in charge of the construction.
First, the ten gabions were assembled on site.
The gabions were then placed on top of the existing retaining wall and filled with stones.
On the steep slope, the positions for the planned protective fences were marked out and measured using stakes.
All the planned measures were documented in detail and explained thoroughly to the site manager, both on site and with reference to the plans.
After we left, the construction workers continued the work independently and with great care. Thanks to the thorough training and guidance provided by Hans Matthias, the safety measures are being implemented correctly. The results so far clearly demonstrate the team’s great commitment and the high quality of their work.
We are pleasantly surprised at how far the work has already progressed.
We are confident that the work above the monastery will be completed this summer, thereby significantly improving protection against rockfalls.
Thanks to the generous support of our association, the cost of materials and the wages for around seven construction workers during the first three months have already been covered. A construction worker receives a daily wage of INR 700 (around CHF 7), whilst the site manager receives INR 1,000 per day (around CHF 10), plus meals in both cases. Accommodation for the entire construction team is provided free of charge by Phuktal Monastery.
Every donation directly helps to continue these vital protective measures and to safeguard Phuktal Monastery against future rockfall incidents.
With your support, you are not only helping to build a protective system, but are also making a valuable contribution to the preservation of a unique spiritual and cultural heritage in the Himalayas.
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