Photos

Taken on the Annapurna circuit, about one or two days in from Besisahar. We crossed paths on the trail. Carrying loads up and down steep slopes, is a way of life here, and done for many on a daily basis. Given the topography of the Himalayan foothills, and the location of the villages that pepper the area, some of which are situated almost impossibly high up on the shoulder of a mountain way above the main trail; there seems no way to escape this constant strenuous lifestyle. With no roads leading to this remote area, or at least up to a few years ago, the only way to transport goods is my mule, or by human power. Firewood is scarce, and as seen here, very often has to be foraged for, and then transported this way back to the village. Certainly as a visitor, with a pack to carry for only a week or two, one has much respect for the hardiness of the Himalayan people in Nepal.