Village lanes and yak herders of Ghunsa

Ghunsa's houses stand close together along the river, built from local stone and timber, with firewood stacked under the eaves for winter. Prayer flags fly from tall poles beside the doors, and many houses have a ground floor for animals and stores, with the family living above. Walls of stone mark the potato and barley fields, which are small and carefully tended in the short summer growing season.

In the late afternoon herders bring yaks and crossbred cattle down to the village, and families work in the potato fields. Our guide explains how herding works through the year, from summer kharka high up the valley to the shelter of the village in the cold months, and how families combine herding with lodges and portering. You learn how yak and dzo differ, and why butter, cheese and dried meat matter so much here.

Ask before photographing people and animals, and keep a safe distance from the yaks, which can be nervous with strangers. The walk ends at your lodge kitchen, the warmest room in the village, where the family may be churning butter tea or cooking dinner on the stove. It is the best place to ask more questions, and to warm your hands before the cold night sets in.