High-Altitude Herders of Pakistan
A 6 days walk to the Chinese mountain, the tiny town of Shimshal is located high up in Pakistan's Karakorum mountain range. A land of mountaineers and rugged herders, Shimshal is home to the Ismali people. Twice a year of the herders of Pakistan mountains around Shimshal celebrate the Kuch Festival in honor of the change of season. High-altitude herders, grazing their yak between 10,000 - 14,000 feet, this special celebration honors the herders returning from the high pastures. I spent a week with the families of Shimshal watching them prepare for the celebrations and the herders returning to their mountain town with thousands of yak and sheep.
Shimshal Femaler Herder Returning From High Pasture
Both men and women are herders in Shimshal and split the duties summering the animals in the high pastures. This female herder is returning from spending the summer with her yaks, sheep and goats up in the high pastures around 14,000 feet. Carrying firewood and tea, most of her supplies were strapped to the side of one of the yaks. As part of the Kuch festival, when we greets her family back in Shimshal they will dine on a specially prepared meal of yak cheese and cream, many different types of break, and sweet tea.
A small town of 250 people located deep in the Karakoram Mountain range, Shimshal is a 6 days walk from the Chinese border. Twice a year (spring and fall) they celebrate the Kuch Festival. This festival celebrates the herders heading to the high pasture in the spring and returning from the high pastures in the fall. Shimshal is located at 10,000 feet. The herders take their yaks, sheep and goats to the high pastures during the summer months which is located at over 14,000 feet.
The herders of Shimshal used 3 types of animals primarily - yak, sheep and goats. Yaks are highly prized and valued, easily commanding over $1000 USD per animal. The herders and farmers rarely ate any of their animals, due to how valuable they were. Their diet comprised bread, meager vegetable they could grow, cheese and milk. On a special festival, like the Kuch Festival, they would slaughter a goat or a sheep; but mostly they sold the animals because of the amount of money the animals would fetch at market.
Women play an important roll in Shimshal. They are mothers, teachers, farmers and herders. Just as many women contribute to herding as their male counterparts. In this community, women went to school equally as much as men and the Imams would counsel families to prioritize saving for sending their daughters to university.
Tea plays an important role in the daily lives of the people living in Shimshal. Usually it is mixed with yak milk and sugar to make a sweet chai-style drink. In the days prior to the Kuch Festivals, family members that remainded in Shimshal, rather than travel to the high pastures, would meet at each other's homes share a cup of team and share stories of the family members returning.
Yaks are the most valuable animals, and assets, for the Shimshal herders. A healthy baby Yak is worth over $800 USD and an adult is worth much more. The herders use the yaks mostly to carry their supplies to the high pastures and back. Yaks for these herdsman are a longterm investment, the sale of each one earns them enough money to care for their families for years. In this image, 2 herders are bringing their yaks down the Shimshal pass.
After spending the summer in the high pasture, the herders return with their livestock to the tiny hamlet of Shimshal. Shimshal is home to about 250 people. Located in a valley at roughly 10,000 feet, the mountains surrounding the town tower at over 14,000 feet high. These herders on their way home are met by family members who walk with them the remainder of the way to the village. Then everyone partakes in a day of celebration called the Kuch Festival.
Families meet loved ones at the herders return from the high pastures to the town of Shimshal. This reunion is a time of celebration called the Kuch festivals. Families get together drink tea, eat cherished yak cheese and cream, and celebrating the return of their loved ones.
