One of our two horsemen is seen getting the prayer flags ready while a yak caravan passes us. We left in the morning on the fourth day of our trek, hoping to get over the snowed-in pass of Thole La (pictured in background). At 5,200 meters [17,061 feet], it was the highest point of our trek.
The day before, a yak herder told us his son was supposed to come from the other side with his yak caravan. If the son's yak caravan didn't arrive that day, we knew the horses wouldn't be able to make it over the pass—too much snow this year. Ten minutes before this picture was taken, we saw the yaks arrive at the top of the pass. Our saviors! They were huge beasts with red ribbons everywhere.
This was an intense moment, and I was shooting away with a smile on my face. Bhutanese are devout Tibetan Buddhists. As part of this "pass ritual," we had to swig a potent beverage. Mysterious Buddhist prayers were mumbled, something to do with the formidable power of Padmasambhava! I enjoyed every little bit of that.
—Photographer Matthieu Paley
Photo Facts
Camera: Nikon F3
Film: Kodak 400PMC (print film)
Lens: 24mm
Talking Shop
I am not a technical person. I travel light, and I like durable things. I don't like the "weeeeeez" and "biiips" of electronic cameras. I have two Nikon F3s that I use all the time. They are strong, heavy-duty cameras that don't break—exactly what I need.
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