Yaks, herders and the high pastures

Yak herding is one of the oldest livelihoods in the upper Lachen valley. Lachenpa families and the Dokpa, a herding community of the high valleys, take yak and sheep up to summer pastures and bring them down as winter closes in. ICIMOD researchers have documented how yak pastoralism in the Lhonak valley is changing, with fewer herders and new pressures from roads, borders and climate.

In a homestay, ask your host about the herding year: when the animals go up, who stays with them, what yak milk becomes (butter, churpi cheese), and how the floods and road closures of recent years affected families. Listen rather than interview; these are livelihoods, not folklore.

On the Gurudongmar drive you will likely see yaks near Thangu, in Chopta Valley and on the plateau. Keep your distance, do not feed them, and ask before photographing herders or their shelters. Some herders on the road charge for photos; agree a price first.