Sikkim’s yak herders of Lachen: a high-altitude life in transition
Warming pastures are pushing yak herders into a choice between the highlands and the market.
The yak herders of Lachen and Lachung have grazed the high pastures of North Sikkim for generations, moving with the seasons under the gaze of the peaks.
Warming winters are shrinking the pasture, and herders face a stark choice: diversify into tourism, or move the herds higher where the grass is thinner.
Some families now run both — yaks in summer, homestays in winter — and the hybrid is proving surprisingly workable.