The goats in the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau in its rain shadow, yield the best Pashmina wool that money can buy. While "Capra hircus" from the higher reaches of 14-16000 feet found in Ladakh is much shorter, the ones found in the Himalayas are not so short and the fine undergrowth that makes pashmina is minimal in the Himalayan goats. I chanced upon this Himachali nomad at about 7000 feet in the backyards of Shimla Hills in a place called Phagoo. While his dress and demanour were not that of the nomads you see in the Tibetan plateau, he had clean cut, strong handsome features of a Aryan descent. The goat was his proud possession. I was stuck with a 70-210 mm lens and there was no time to change as he and his herd passed by on the track in the midst of the deodar trees. To my surprise I saw him come back with this robust specimen held by its horns. He was very proud of this one and I was still stuck with the wrong lens. I quicky backtracked to fit the two of them in the frame and I just managed to shoot a few frames and you can see that the frame here is a tad crowded. What struck me more was the pride and happiness that was writ large on the man for his handsome goats. That brought a great solace to me in the middle of Himalayan nowhere as I sat on the road side and pondered about achievements and the dust and the heat and the rewards of mankind. _DSC8702 nef red sat 21