After braving harsh weather and digging their way through more than five feet of snow and ice, the last group of 20 Lunaps reached home on Monday. With this, all the ninety Lunaps and their caravan of more than three hundred horses are finally united with their families after making one of the most arduous journeys back home.
The Lunaps had started their journey from Saephu in Wangdue Phodrang just as they had done every spring. However, this time the month long journey took them over two and half months. The unusually heavy snowfall on the mountain ranges this year made the journey for the Lunaps extremely difficult.
Sekey Dorji, one of the Lunaps who made this difficult journey, said that the entire trail was covered with a thick blanket of snow. “It took us more than a week to cover a day’s journey. We were running out of ration and many horses died along the way due to starvation,” he said.
Lunana Gup Kaka said that these Lunaps had experienced a difficult journey home this time and they also incurred huge losses as around 15 mules died along the way. “Forget about bringing gifts and presents for their families, most of them reached home on the verge of starvation,” he said.
Mules are priced possessions in the Lunap community. They normally buy mules from Laya and Haa, paying a hefty Nu 150,000 a mule.
For the Lunaps who survived this difficult journey, reaching safely to the warmth of home and family has filled them with joy. However, they have also now realized how unpredictable the weather and climate along their routes were becoming.
What amplified the hardship during this year’s journey was a large number of horses and mules the Lunaps had to bring back home. Earlier, they would keep their horses in Phobjikha and Khotokha areas.
In an earlier interview with BBS, the Lunana Gup said that with increasing conflict with residents of Phobjikha and Khotokha, the Lunaps were unable to leave their horses in these places. “The Lunaps feel that it would tremendously benefit them if they were allowed to keep their horses in Phobjikha and Khotokha areas at least from March to May.”
Without such interventions, the Lunaps say these long and risky journeys may become the new normal as climate change makes weather unpredictable in the highlands.
The people of Lunana travel to the lower valleys every November in winter and start returning to their homes by April every year.
Chenga Dorji
