Nearly three months ago, sheep herders from Rukum East arrived at Thulidaha, Musikot of Rukum West, in mid-western Nepal, to escape the harsh winter cold in the highlands.

The shepherds reached Thulidaha in mid-January. While the men take the sheep to graze in the nearby forests, the women keep busy crafting traditional outfits and other goods from sheep wool.

Three households, with around 600 sheep, have settled in Thulidaha for the season.

Many Himalayan communities have a tradition of working with wool. Most are pastoralists who keep large herds of animals, mainly sheep.

Mana Kumari Budha of Taksera said they produce various woollen items, including coats, kambal (traditional blankets) and radhi (mattresses).

“We extract wool from the sheep twice yearly, in January and September,” she said.

“Each sheep yields about 2 to 3 kilograms of wool at a time.”

The raw wool is processed using traditional methods at home, and the women skilfully transform it into durable clothing and household items.

However, making woollen clothes is no easy task.

Karak Bahadur Budha, another farmer, shared the challenges they face. “It’s difficult to sustain ourselves by selling woollen products. The time and labour involved in crafting each piece are significant but the returns are minimal,” he said.

Despite the hardships, the wool does not go to waste. The farmers use the products themselves, valuing the warmth and durability of their handmade clothes.

In addition to making clothes, the farmers sell a portion of the wool, but demand and prices remain disappointingly low.

“In the past, radhi-pakhi sales were strong,” said Dhana Kumari Budha, another farmer.

“We used to travel from village to village carrying our woollen products. Sales were good, and we made a profit. But now, with modern factory-made clothes and cheaper alternatives flooding the market, our handmade goods struggle to find buyers.”

Dhana Kumari said that in today's world, their products are purchased mainly by those interested in traditional items or who want to buy them as souvenirs.

“Even that number is small,” she added.

Farmers still stand by the quality of their woollen clothing.

According to them, clothes made from sheep wool are warm and long-lasting.

“Sheep wool contains natural oils that help protect against wind and rain,” said Mana Kumari.

“That’s why shepherds and people living in the mountains rely on these clothes. A single piece can last up to 10 years.”

Despite their best efforts, the farmers feel their work is undervalued. “Only we know the true worth of these woollen products, but others don’t understand. We’ve struggled to communicate their importance,” said Dhana Kumari. “That’s why our hard work often feels wasted.”

The shepherds, who left Taksera in mid-December last year, plan to return in mid-March.

From Thulidaha, they will move to the Dhorpatan area, where they will remain until August, before heading back home during Dashain and Tihar in September and October.

Karak Bahadur emphasised the need for greater support to sustain their traditional livelihood.

“Despite our efforts to make sheep rearing more commercial, the government has not provided enough support to boost our income,” he said.

“We urge the government and stakeholders to step up and help us preserve this centuries-old practice.”

As modernisation sweeps through the region, the future of traditional sheep farming in Rukum remains uncertain.

Yet, the shepherds of Thulidaha continue their work—weaving threads of history, culture, and resilience into every piece they create.