The Mountain Shepherd

Fay Archive - Field Test No. 25

Mustang, Nepal

In the Mustang region – at approx. 3000 MASL – lies a place so remote and isolated that it doesn’t even have a name. It is here that we met up with Deepak, a shepherd who lives in a modest stone hut, perched on the mountain. The nearest village is an hour and a half’s walk uphill and his house has no electricity, water or heating. However, Deepak lives here with his wife, two young children and around 200 goats. Every morning without fail, he takes the herd out to pasture, whilst keeping an eye out for dangerous snow leopard attacks.

Testing: 4 Ganci Yateh

Testing: 4 Ganci Yateh

The Spring/Summer 2023 collection

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Textures and prints

SHOP THE COLLECTION

“I would never have thought that such a remote and hard-to-reach place actually existed. The dignity that these people possess blew me away, and the fact that they’re able to lead a peaceful life with little to nothing at their disposal,” recounted James Mollison, the Fay Archive team’s photographer.

During the night, Deepak must remain vigilant to ensure that snow leopards do not approach his herd: he can tell each goat apart, just from their appearance, horns, ears or coat colour. Deepak’s wife, on the other hand, walks several kilometres every day with a jar on her shoulders to collect the water needed for washing and cooking.

Coming soon: Tester No. 26

The Fay Archive journey continues... stay tuned for the next update.