Shepherds of Dhauladhar Mountains – The Gaddis
I was speeding along the onrushing waters of Gaj River, en route to the peaks and passes on the horizon. The jungles around were green and thick and full of chattering birds. I had only a few days to accomplish my climbs and speed was of essence. As I rounded off one big boulder, by the trail, I came across Sujan Singh (I learned his name later) sitting atop a rock, nursing a young sheep on his lap. He wore a deep red turban, wool waistcoat and a big bright smile. He looked around 50. Where was I going, he enquired, bidding me to rest a while. Hearing my objective he nodded his grey haired head few times and said, ‘Are you sure? I have never heard any outsider going there in my entire life. No one goes there. Do you know the way to reach there?’ I accepted my complete ignorance of the route, except that I could see the peak far up on the horizon and had thought of navigating by pure line of sight. He agreed to take me a part of the way, where his flock of sheep was grazing. He had come...