https://himalayabound.com/welcome daily 1.0 2020-04-21 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b9dd8652dea2e1a7b6870/1511831778523/VanGujjar-20Shots-NEW--6.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index A yearling with a broken leg is carried over a Himalayan pass - which rises about 3000 feet up steep, exposed switchbacks - to the meadow where this Van Gujjar family will spend the summer. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b95ed0d92971bbc078d36/1511832554189/VanGujjar-20Shots-NEW--4.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index A pack horse grazes freely in a pine forest. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b95d524a694106da972af/1511832531328/VanGujjar-20Shots-NEW--3.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index 17-year-old Mariam, about 50 feet off the ground, lopping leaves for buffalo fodder. Van Gujjars harvest leaves sustainably, never taking too many from any one tree. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b95c041920213692a92c4/1511832397716/VanGujjar-20Shots-NEW--2.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index Goku leads a pack horse while carrying her brother, Yasin, as the family moves up the Yamuna Valley. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b95a8085229dcccc73504/1511831188968/VanGujjar-20Shots-NEW--1.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index 17-year-old Mariam leads the caravan through forested Himalayan foothills. She's carrying her 2-year-old niece in the shawl that's wrapped over her shoulders. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b940be2c483f5ad099106/1511832335323/VanGujjar-20Shots-22.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index Dhumman, with his favorite buffalo. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b93ee085229dcccc6f5ce/1511832315045/VanGujjar-20Shots-21.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index Djennam Khatoon and her brother, Rustem, fetch water from a roadside pump. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b93bee4966b1342167d4f/1511832243089/VanGujjar-20Shots-14.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index Van Gujjars have deep personal relationships with their buffaloes, thinking of them as family members. They would never dream of killing their animals for meat, or selling them for slaughter. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b93a7085229dcccc6ea54/1511832131720/VanGujjar-20Shots-18.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index Niko keeps one of the pack animals moving. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b936624a694106da9195a/1511832154781/VanGujjar-20Shots-16.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index Hauling firewood for cooking is a daily chore. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b933453450a9c5468838a/1511832022578/VanGujjar-20Shots-13.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index Mustooq, Bashi, and Salma. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b92df8165f542d6bd1224/1511831999462/VanGujjar-20Shots-10.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index Jamila, with her 2-year-old son, Yasin, makes lunch along the trail. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b92b10d92971bbc07114c/1511831481280/VanGujjar-20Shots-9.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index At a forest camp in the Himalayan foothills, Van Gujjar men discuss their plan for moving higher into the mountains, to the alpine meadows where they will spend the summer. The trick will be avoiding - or successfully bribing - the forest rangers, who will surely hassle the nomads if they meet. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b9298652dea2e1a79ad58/1511831631004/VanGujjar-20Shots-8.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index Appa makes chai, with some help from her little sister, Salma, while camped at 10,000' above sea level. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b927641920213692a1065/1511831954255/VanGujjar-20Shots-7.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index 4-year-old Karim, getting his milk straight from the source. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b8e024192021369295bfa/1511831507346/VanGujjar-20Shots-6.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index Sharafat dries off after a refreshing swim in the Yamuna River. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b8dc48165f542d6bc41f8/1511831111642/VanGujjar-20Shots-4.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index Traditionally, all Van Gujjars are buffalo herders, men and women alike. Buffalo milk is their main source of income - and protein. Thus, keeping their herd safe and well-fed is every family's top priority. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b8da50d92971bbc06417b/1511831923633/VanGujjar-20Shots-3.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index Most Van Gujjars think of themselves as part of the forest; they belong to it, and in it. Here, 3-month-old Halima rests on the forest floor while her parents are busy loading up the pack animals. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b8cd024a694106da81039/1511830981683/VanGujjar-20Shots-2.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index Moving the animals up the Yamuna Valley, in the foothills of the Himalayas. Here, Khatoon is adjusting the halter on a pack horse. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/5a1b8c7d53450a9c546772e4/5a1b8c7d652dea2e1a78b668/1511831583401/VanGujjar-20Shots-1.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index 12-year-old Bashi watches her family's herd along the Asan River, as the sun begins to rise. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/t/5a1b704871c10b644bc40b03/1511748144013/HimalayaBoundCover-US-small.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/t/5a1b98a6f9619afa6a626d90/1511757996011/MyHead-1.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index photo by Ben Chrisman https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/t/5a1c54fee2c483f5ad2521d2/1511806225846/VanGujjar-20Shots-NEW--10.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/t/5a1c517a24a694106dc3fb29/1511805322988/VanGujjar-20Shots-NEW--8.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/t/5a1c4e25e2c483f5ad236f2c/1511804469660/VanGujjar-20Shots-NEW--6.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1b640f49fc2bfdceefd865/t/5a1c52c4e2c483f5ad24960c/1511805879190/VanGujjar-20Shots-NEW--9.jpg Himalaya Bound Main Index