Horsing around in the mountains

Horsing around in the mountains

Organising a trek requires – obviously - a lot of logistics, to get people and supplies and equipment safely from point A to point B.  Especially where getting from point A to point B involves mountains and high passes and tough terrain and harsh weather. In Ladakh, in the Indian Himalayas, horses and mules form the backbone of our treks.  They are our invaluable support system. Unlike in other parts of the Himalayas where horses often cannot go on some trails, in Ladakh the terrain is better suited to them. This means that mules and horses can go practically everywhere, & support all the treks, carrying loads ever higher up the mountain. Some of the terrain where they go is unbelievable, and you can see them trotting happily over high passes, across glaciers and down steep canyons. All of this is even more impressive when you consider that they have heavy loads on their backs. Once everyone is in camp, and the horses have finished their day's work, they are turned out to graze on the nearby slopes. The hardest part of a muleteer's job is to go fetch his animals early in the morning, so that they can be loaded up in time for the day's trek. The muleteers typically wake up at 3-4 am and go bring their horses back by 6-7am. This is where you can see the difference between an experienced muleteer & a new one. An experienced man can bring his horses back much quicker than the less experienced muleteers. If there is no good grazing, or if it is very cold, the animals can wander far afield, and even (sadly) go missing, which has obvious repercussions for an expedition.  In other words, both the muleteer and his charges are a crucial part of our time in the hills. The animals are well looked after, with the muleteers checking the condition of the horse-shoes and repairing any that may have got damaged during the day’s trek. One of our favourite muleteers in Ladakh is Dorje, who sings away to his animals as he loads and unloads them.  When we were leading a climbing trip up Kangyatse II this summer, Dorje went with us, right up to Base Camp.  His voice, singing a repetitive chant to his animals, was a reassuring feature of every morning and evening in camp. Here Dorje is bringing his horses to the campsite at Thachungtse, early in the morning. \  

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