Baglung, July 16 -- It was 5am when a group of tourists staying at a nearby homestay called, asking for horses to take them to Bukipatan, a high-altitude alpine meadow where thousands of sheep, yaks and horses graze during the summer.

Twenty-six-year-old Asha BK of Dhorpatan Municipality-7 sprang into action. She fed her horse chickpeas and boiled maize, gave it water, stuffed buckwheat flatbread, potato curry and a bottle of water into her bag. Before 6 am, she had saddled the horse and headed to the homestay to pick up the visitors.

Knowing she would spend the entire day guiding tourists around Bukipatan on horseback, she informed her father, Pan Bahadur. Along with her neighbours, Bhumiraj BK, Maitaram BK and Tek Kumar BK, she reache...